(Reporting by the Tokyo branch)
The ILC Supporters, a grassroots group supporting the project led by famous figures of various fields, held a Kick-Off Event in Tokyo on October 15th to gin up enthusiasm for the realization of the ILC.
Mamoru Oshii, director of many well-known anime films and founder of the ILC Supporters, was joined by Prof. Satoru Yamashita (specially-appointed professor at the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics of the University of Tokyo) and others. Prof. Yamashita asked for people’s support, saying, “Currently, we’re at the stage where Japan is figuring out how they’ll approach inter-governmental negotiations. The ILC will need a vast amount of resources and capital for its construction, so what we need most is support and understanding from society.”
U Kimura, creator and voice actress, designed her own ILC character. Hidenori Nishimura, a hair stylist, debuted a hair style onstage that depicted his interpretation of the Big Bang.
At a panel event, Mr. Oshii said, “I want to realize a big dream (like the ILC), and leave it to the next generation.”
The ILC Supporters were founded in April of 2018. According to their office, they have 61 famous figures among their roster from the film, game, and publishing industry. There are, in total, 320,000 ILC Supporters. They are planning eight events from November 2019 to February 2020 where these famous figures will talk about the future.