Organizational changes for the 2017 Fiscal Year – Strengthening activities ahead of the national decision on the ILC

The Oshu City Hall is making some organization changes for fiscal year 2017 by raising the rank of their ILC Promotion Division in order to promote their ILC activities. The division is currently a section within the Policy Planning Division, which is under the General Coordination and Planning Department. The Japanese national government’s decision on the ILC is drawing closer, and this move will strengthen their efforts to plan for the ILC in the Kitakami mountains of Iwate, as well as strengthen their efforts to urge related parties within and outside of Japan to realize the ILC.

The division is currently within the Policy Planning Division, and its chief is served by a city employee at the rank of “director.” There is currently one specialist employee and one non-permanent ILC Internationalization Coordinator (from the USA), and there are also city employees who are posted outside of the division but also have ILC-related duties for the division.

In F.Y. 2017, the ILC Promotion Division will become its own division directly under the General Coordination and Planning Department, and the division chief will now be a city employee at the higher rank of “general director.” The organizational structure of the Division is currently being decided, but indications are that they will increase their specialist employees to two. They will continue to appoint the ILC Internationalization Coordinator in their position.

Oshu’s ILC Promotion Division carries out ILC lectures at local elementary and middle schools, increases awareness and enthusiasm by publicizing the ILC project, and sends out information abroad about the ILC and their efforts.

This move is expected to strengthen the division’s authority and structure. It will now be easier to implement their project ideas, and widen the pipeline between related parties.

The national government is due to make their decision on the ILC around the end of 2017 to sometime in 2018. Mayor Masaki Ozawa said, “Looking ahead towards the decision by the national government, we must strengthen the planning sections of our government and increase the amount of information going out about our initiatives.”