Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan visited the quake-hit areas Saturday and encouraged the Self- Defense Forces members and other workers trying to contain the nuclear crisis after the tsunami.

Kan flew on an SDF helicopter to Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture, a city devastated by the great March 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, and met with evacuees there.

"We will do the best we can to set up temporary shelter," Kan told local evacuees in Rikuzentakata.

The Prime Minister then flew to an operation base in 20 km from the Fukushima Daiichi power station and encouraged the workers there to work hard.

"I want you to work with the belief that you can never lose the battle," Kan told the workers and officers.

During his one-day trip, Kan was also briefed by Rikuzentakata Mayor Futoshi Toba and Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso at the makeshift city hall building about the current condition of the devastated areas, and the three discussed how to go forward with reconstruction efforts.

This is his second inspection of areas stricken by the quake and tsunami, and the nuclear crisis at the plant crippled by the disaster.

Kan's earlier schedule to visit evacuees in another heavily affected city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 21 was canceled at the last minute due to poor weather.