On December 1st, Ofunato City officially opened its ILC Promotion Office within the city’s Department of Planning and Policy. The Office is staffed with 8 employees, including 1 Department Chief position and 1 Division Chief position. Mayor of Ofunato, Kimiaki Toda, put up the wooden billboard for the office along with ILC Promotion Office Director Daisuke Kigawada (also Chief of the Department of Planning and Policy).

The ILC Promotion Office will work to deepen citizens’ awareness of the ILC, as well as develop residential areas and tourism resources in hopes of an influx of foreign visitors. Should the ILC be realized, Ofunato Port could be used to receive parts for the collider, so the office will also work to create plans for the port and related facilities.

The office is made up of 8 workers from the Department of Planning and Policy and the Department of Commerce and Ports, who will work on the ILC as their secondary duty. The Planning and Coordination Division will take on a main role in coordinating with related divisions and putting together an approach for the ILC. Mayor Toda said, “I hope we can move forward with concrete talks on what policies will be needed in order to increase usage of Ofunato’s port and encourage international relations.”