Not originally pictured with the article. Photo credit: Tohoku ILC Promotion Council
The 100-person Committee for the ILC was formally founded on June 29th, and 129 people, including well-known figures from the economic and cultural worlds, gave their support. The committee will broadly publicize the significance of the ILC project, and will push forth efforts to realize it in Japan.
A kick off ceremony was held at the International House of Japan in the Minato ward of Tokyo. Around 100 people were in attendance, including committee members and members of the Federation of Diet Members for the ILC (FDMILC). One of the founding members, Hiroya Masuda (former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and former Governor of Iwate), gave the opening speech. “The people of Tohoku know about the ILC project, but we cannot say it’s very well-known throughout the rest of Japan. I hope we can encourage the people of Japan to join together to support the ILC.”
FDMILC Secretary-general Hon. Ryu Shionoya and Vice-chair Hon. Shunichi Suzuki (Minister of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and representative of Iwate’s 2nd district) said, “We must work to get all of Japan behind the project. There is a huge wall in front of us, including the financial aspect, but we will work our hardest.” Iwate Prefectural University President Atsuto Suzuki gave a presentation on the ILC project and its current status.
Some committee members including Fujio Mitarai (chairman and CEO of Canon inc), Hiroshi Okuda (former chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation), Nobuyuki Idei (former chairman of Sony), and Makiko Uchidate (a famous screenwriter). As the national government deliberates on whether or not to host the ILC, these committee members will reach out to their own communities, and use their popularity to further spread the message of the importance of the ILC.
An event is being planned in conjunction with the symposium being held in August with Nobel Prize winners Barry Barish and Sheldon Glashow.