Professor Takehiko Saito of Mainz University in Germany (nuclear and hadron physics) led a special science seminar on the ILC in Otsuchi Town on October 24th (organized by the Iwate ILC Promotion Council and SAVE IWATE).

Sixty-seven 1st year students at Otsuchi High School attended. This is the 4th time Prof. Saito has held his seminar, entitled “From the earth to space, and then to a very small world.” He used graphs to explain in simple terms the beginnings of the universe and the effect of the ILC on Iwate. He said, “Iwate will one day lead the entire world. I want all of you to turn your focus abroad.”

One student, Daiki Abe, said, “It really stuck with me when he said that the universe is growing and growing. I hope we can integrate a number of diverse cultures in the area with the realization of the ILC.”

Prof. Saito will hold seminars at 10 schools and other settings around Iwate until October 28th. He will hold a talk for the general public on that day at 10 am at Kuji City’s underground aquarium, Moguranpia.

“The ILC will help Iwate’s reconstruction”
Otsuchi High School 1st year
Akiya Ishikawa

“I went to Prof. Takehiko Saito’s seminar on the ILC. It was difficult to get my head around the structure of the universe, but I enjoyed how easy his explanations were to understand. I thought it was amazing when he said that the ILC would only be built one place in the world, and that it might be built in Iwate. Otsuchi and Iwate are still in the midst of reconstruction, but I’d like to hope that with all of these foreign researchers coming to the area, our reconstruction will go faster.”