To bring about the International Linear Collider, Oshu City met with two agricultural cooperatives (Iwate Furusato and Iwate Esashi) to speak about its ILC City Development Vision established in April. The city will strengthen its cooperative relationships so that the economic ripple effects from the ILC will also benefit agriculture, a key industry of the region.

At Oshu City Hall, Mayor Masaki Ozawa and other officials spoke with Isao Kadowaki, director of the business management committee of the Iwate Furusato Agricultural Cooperative. “City development for ILC will also link with the promotion of the agricultural industry,” said Mayor Ozawa. “If [agricultural cooperatives] submit ideas, we will think of ways to support you.”

The ILC City Development Vision envisions an Oshu where the ILC has been built, and suggests a future ideal for the city as well as specific projects. Within the section on the agricultural industry, the vision suggests marketing agricultural products towards researchers, as well as pushing forth “6th sector industrialization” (the policy of combining farming, processing and distribution). Looking ahead to when the ILC starts operations, they will also deliberate on opening a farmer’s market in the research facility and restaurants run by those in the region.

Director Kadowaki said, “I’d like to know about the various lifestyles of foreign researchers and their families. After that we will put forth topics to discuss, and think about policy.”

At the Iwate Esashi Agricultural Cooperative, President Ryuichi Ozawa said, “We’d like to think about systems for distributing agricultural products and introducing specialized crops, but we need cooperation from the city on specific initiatives.”

Requests made to the city will be referenced for specific projects that will be published in the next general plan to be established for the current fiscal year.