The Tohoku ILC Promotion Council visited with the Liberal Democratic Party (the political party currently in power) to request that they proceed with international coordination regarding the sharing of ILC costs between countries – something necessary for its realization.

Joint chairs of the Tohoku ILC Promotion Council, Mr. Susumu Satomi (President of Tohoku University) and Mr. Hiroaki Takahashi (Honorary Chairman of the Tohoku Economic Federation), along with director of the Tohoku ILC Preparation Office Prof. Atsuto Suzuki (President of Iwate Prefectural University), visited the LDP headquarters. Vice-chair of the Federation of Diet Members for the ILC, Hon. Shunichi Suzuki (Iwate 2nd District), also attended, and the delegation over their formal request to Representative Director Moto Hayashi.

In the request, they asked for international coordination as well as deliberation on creating a domestic network for industry, information, and technology, and a strategy for growth.

According to attendees of a private meeting, the Tohoku ILC Promotion Council side explained that deliberations are proceeding on reducing costs and constructing a smaller accelerator in the first stage of the project. Mr. Hayashi responded, “I’d like to cooperate in realizing the project. President Suzuki urged, “The Tohoku region has already proceeded forward with much of what it needs to. We are just waiting for the decision from the national government.”

They also made a formal request to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda and others.

The leading candidate site for the ILC is in the Kitakami mountains of Iwate Prefecture, and the Japanese national government shall make its decision on whether or not to host the project sometime from 2017 to 2018.