On November 13th, governors of the northern prefectures of Japan (Hokkaido and the Tohoku region) and prefectural assemblymen of Iwate and Miyagi visited with Ministry officials and the Federation of Diet Members for the ILC to urge a speedy decision on whether or not to host the ILC.

Iwate Governor Takuya Tasso and Iwate Prefectural Assembly Chair Junichi Sasaki visited the Ministries and the Liberal Democratic Party Headquarters to hand over a formal petition to Hon. Hiromichi Watanabe (Minister of Reconstruction), Hon. Keiko Nagaoka (Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), and Hon. Takeo Kawamura (head of the FDMILC).

The formal petition requested the following in order for a quick decision on the ILC:
▽For the national government to make its position clear as soon as possible on how to share the costs of investment and human resources with foreign partner nations
▽For the national government to look at the ILC as a way of creating an international hub of science, technology and innovation, and to develop the region
Hon. Watanabe replied, “We must think of the newly-reborn Tohoku following the reconstruction, but it will be difficult for one country alone to shoulder the costs of the ILC. I hope to coordinate our deliberations with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Cabinet Office.”

Following their meeting, Governor Tasso stressed, “The national government is in its last stage of deliberations. By filing this petition as a group, the Ministries and the Diet saw how passionate the region is for the project. We need the ILC to we can give back to the world.”