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Ichinoseki Linear Collider Bulletin
ILCNews vol.16 Mar 2016

An afternoon with Atsuto Suzuki, president of Iwate Prefectural University

Students listen attentively to explanations
Dr Suzuki answering questions

Lecture at KEK
Attendees gather around Dr Suzuki

Ichinoseki City invited Dr Atsuto Suzuki, president of Iwate Prefectural University and former director-general of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (also known as KEK), to speak at the Ichinoseki Community Health Center on December 21, where 71 people from industry bodies, companies and research institutes attended to learn more about International Linear Collider (ILC) research and town planning with the ILC in mind.

Ichinoseki mayor Osamu Katsube spoke at the beginning of the event, saying: “the movement to realize the ILC has taken a big step forward. I’d like to take time to think with everyone as to what this region should be doing.”

Dr Suzuki then presented with a title of “Let’s catch the ILC” and said: “the goal of ILC research is to learn more about fundamental particles and at the same time to understand the universe from its beginning to end.” With regard to future town planning with the ILC in mind, he said: “I propose making the most of existing facilities, stores, accommodation and so on, and supplementing the parts that are insufficient.”

After the presentation, attendees asked questions about what they could do to help realize the ILC, how to prepare for training engineers, and so forth. Dr Suzuki said: “it’s important to collate the ideas each area and organization has and move forward in the same direction, and share with all of the Tohoku region what we should do prior to the federal government’s decision.”

Third ‘Ichinoseki Science Cafe’ at the city library

From the rear of the room in the library
From the rear of the room in the library

Mr Sanuki speaking at the third cafe
Mr Sanuki speaking at the third cafe

The ‘Ichinoseki Science Cafes’ are held at the city library for people to chat about science with researchers and other specialists, and become more familiar with fundamental particle physics and the nature of International Linear Collider (ILC) research.

The third Science Cafe for the 2015 fiscal year was held on November 15 and presented by Associate Professor Tomoyuki Sanuki of the Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science at Tohoku University. 30 people attended the session, where Mr Sanuki gave a presentation titled “The ILC and the Kitakami Site,” speaking about surveys being carried out and other efforts aimed at realizing the ILC in the Kitakami Mountains.

Mr Sanuki said: “some people are worried whether nature and the landscape will be preserved, or if measures taken to manage radiation are adequate. Most of the facilities will be installed underground, with the bare minimum above ground, so the design will take nature and the landscape into sufficient consideration. Measures to manage radiation should of course be taken; monitoring and shielding are being considered.” Mr Sanuki also spoke about the process of the Kitakami Mountains being chosen as the ILC candidate site in Japan, ground surveys currently being carried out, surveys of routes for transportation of equipment, and so on.

After the presentation, attendees asked questions about the environment, safety, and ILC research results, taking notes and furthering their understanding about the ILC.

Fourth ‘Ichinoseki Science Cafe’

Mayor Katsube speaking at the end of the cafe
Mayor Katsube speaking at the end of the cafe

Ms Onuki presenting at the fourth cafe
Ms Onuki presenting at the fourth cafe

The fourth and final ‘Ichinoseki Science Cafe’ for the 2015 fiscal year was held on January 16 and presented by Ms Tokiko Onuki of the Campus Planning Office at Tohoku University. Ms Onuki presented with a title of “Town Planning and the ILC” in front of 32 people, ranging from elementary school students to senior citizens.

Ms Onuki said of Ichinoseki: “there are plenty of tourism resources which make use of nature and history. There are hospitals, a library, high schools, shops and other places concentrated around the main station, and the area can be made into a fun place to walk around. There is a college of the National Institute of Technology, so it’s easy for academia and industry to collaborate and to train engineers for the ILC.” Ms Onuki also touched on a number of issues, saying: “public transportation is not very convenient, and preparations for foreign researchers who would move here are insufficient, as is PR work. Tourism resources are not being used to their fullest.”

Regarding city planning with the ILC in mind, Ms Onuki said “town planning involves multiple fields and it can be difficult to think about, but it’s important to make use of the region’s resources, technical expertise and people, and think about the city’s convenience and attractions. It’s also important to draw up a concrete future vision of what people want the town to be, share it, create a schedule to make it happen, and work on it step by step. I’d like people to think about a sustainable, attractive town unique to Ichinoseki.”

Participants expressed their enthusiasm and hopes when commenting on the future of the region, with some commenting on the importance of local support in helping the ILC to become a reality, extending a warm welcome to foreigners when they come to Ichinoseki, and having an opinion on how they want the region to be.

Also in attendance at the Science Cafe was mayor Osamu Katsube, who said: “ILC research will take place over a long time, so we need to think about building a town that can deal with that. This region boasts the world heritage sites in Hiraizumi, and if the ILC comes that will be another global asset. I hope to connect the ILC with Hiraizumi and future development of the region.”

A bus trip to learn more about the ILC

At the ILC display in the Daito library
At the ILC display in the Daito library

The bus sporting an ILC flag
The bus sporting an ILC flag

‘Tourism Social Net Senmaya,’ a volunteer tour guide association based in Senmaya in Ichinoseki’s east, held a tour on November 17 to further understanding about the ILC, with participants learning about the surrounds of the ILC candidate site in the Kitakami Mountains, and local industries.

The volunteer association, led by Ms Yuri Nagasawa, made use of a city subsidy to organize the day trip. 34 people took part and visited the ILC display in the Daito Public Library, the area around the planned ILC route through Daito, and the Mitsubishi Materials cement plant in Higashiyama.

ILC seminar with a side of soba noodles


Residents of Ohzumi in the town of Daito


Games with the kids

Ichinoseki dispatches its employees to events in the city held to learn more about the ILC and further efforts to make it a reality. One such event was held on December 13 for residents of Ohzumi in the town of Daito (in Ichinoseki’s northeast) to chat and learn about the ILC. Organized by Mr Katsuo Suzuki, some 40 residents including elementary and junior high school students attended the gathering, which began with an introductory video about the ILC, followed by Nate Hill, Internationalization Coordinator for Ichinoseki, and two of the city’s Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) talking about efforts to make the city more international. After the presentation, there were games with the kids in English, and everyone enjoyed a lunch of locally-made soba noodles.

Summaries of other news

Special lecture held to commemorate Dr Suzuki’s Breakthrough Prize

Date: February 8
Location: Morioka City

A special lecture to commemorate the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics accepted by Dr Atsuto Suzuki, president of Iwate Prefectural University, was held by the Iwate Prefecture ILC Promotion Council and attended by some 420 people. Dr Suzuki presented with a title of “Chasing Neutrinos at Kamioka and the ILC,” speaking about his involvement in research of neutrinos - a fundamental particle - and his desire to make the ILC a reality.

80 million yen for the ILC in the 2016 draft budget

80 million yen has been allocated for the ILC project in the federal draft budget for the 2016 fiscal year; 50 million of which is for development of higher performance accelerator technology, and 30 million for costs incurred in establishing the framework and conducting other research for the large-scale international project that is the ILC.

Mayor Katsube speaks to city employees in Tome, Miyagi Prefecture

Date: January 14
Location: Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture

As part of wider, inter-prefectural co-operation between Ichinoseki City (in Iwate Prefecture), and Tome City and Kurihara City (both in Miyagi Prefecture, south of Iwate Prefecture), Ichinoseki mayor Osamu Katsube spoke to some 120 employees of Tome City about efforts being made to bring the ILC to fruition.

Committee established to calculate benefits brought by the ILC to Iwate

Date: February 8
Location: Morioka City

The Iwate Prefecture ILC Promotion Council has set up a committee to calculate the economic benefits the ILC would bring to Iwate Prefecture, and held its first meeting. Consisting of seven members and led by Dr Atsuto Suzuki, president of Iwate Prefectural University, the committee will estimate the economic and innovative benefits the ILC would generate in many fields.

Second seminar about accelerator-related industries

Date: January 27
Location: Morioka City

The Iwate Accelerator Industry Research Group, led by Professor Hiroyuki Fujishiro, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Iwate University, held their second seminar for companies interested in joining the accelerator-related industry. Five experts including Mr Michio Kitamura, leading consultant at the Nomura Research Institute (NRI), spoke at the meeting where participants learnt more about entering the industry.

First meeting by working group on human resources for the ILC

Date: November 18
Location: Tokyo, at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s ILC panel of experts formed a new working group to consider human resources, and held its first meeting. The group, consisting of 11 experts and led by Mr Takashi Nakano, director of the Research Center for Nuclear Physics at Osaka University, will consider how to secure and train researchers and engineers necessary in the construction and operation of the ILC.

Ichinoseki Lives Cosmopolitan (introduction of international residents in Ichinoseki)

While working on making the ILC a reality, Ichinoseki is working on making itself a more international city. Here, we introduce international residents active in Ichinoseki. This time it’s husband and wife Nigel and Jenny Church from the U.S. Nigel has lived in Ichinoseki for nearly a year now, and Jenny nearly three. Both teach English at elementary and junior high schools in the city.

David Hancock

Q: What are your interests?
A: We read a lot of books. Our favorite genres are science-fiction and fantasy, but we are also interested in science in general. We are particularly interested in quantum physics, artificial intelligence, biology and astronomy.
Q: Is there any place in Ichinoseki that you like in particular?
A: We are very fond of Mt. Rumbai. There is a long stairway to the top with many shrines and statues along the way. If you walk around the top you can see many parts of Ichinoseki. It's good exercise and good nature in the city center.
Q: Is there anything you would like to try with regard to children's English education?
A: We would like to use more multi-media in classes if possible. PowerPoint, video, stories, music and pictures can all be useful in helping different kinds of students to learn.
Q: Lastly, a word on making the ILC a reality.
A: We are interested in the science of the ILC, and excited when we think about the potential it will bring. We also think the ILC will bring diversity. We like Ichinoseki as it is, but for a city to grow it needs new people and ideas, and we think the ILC can contribute to that growth.

Notices

Holding events to learn more about the ILC

Ichinoseki can provide staff to speak at seminars and other events held to learn about the ILC. In addition to dispatching city employees, Ichinoseki can assist in requesting the services of researchers and other staff at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK).

The first and second Science Cafes for this fiscal year will be held as follows:

First Cafe

Date: Sunday, July 31st, 2pm-4pm
Venue: Daito Public Library
Speaker: Associate Professor Tomoyuki Sanuki of the Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science at Tohoku University

Second Cafe

Date: Saturday, September 3rd, 2pm-4pm
Venue: Kawasaki Civic Center
Speaker: Dr Masakazu Yoshioka, Visiting Professor at Tohoku University and Iwate University and Professor Emeritus at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization

Holding seminars about the ILC

Ichinoseki City can send city employees to seminars and other gatherings to talk about the ILC, and also assist in arranging talks by staff from the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, or the ILC Caravan run by Iwate Prefecture.

Enquiries

Please call or email the ILC Promotion Division if you have any questions about content in this newsletter or other matters.
TEL: 0191-21-2111 (internal lines 8646 and 8647)
E-mail: ilc@city.ichinoseki.iwate.jp

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