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Photo News
Here's a selection of various efforts Ichinoseki City is making to bring the ILC to fruition, of local events the city’s international residents enjoyed, local attractions and so on. Swipe through the picture gallery by using the arrows. Find ILC news at News Updates.
2023
The establishment of the Regional Association for the ILC Construction’s Realization Feb 8
The inaugural meeting of the Regional Association for the ILC Construction’s Realization was held on February 8 at the Ichinoseki Cultural Center in order to support the development of the International Linear Collider (ILC) in the Tohoku area.
The association was promoted by Ichinoseki City and Ichinoseki Hiraizumi ILC Promotion Council, with participation from roughly 200 individuals from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.
Ryu Shionoya, a member of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Diet Members for the Promotion of Construction of the Linear Collider International Research Institute, addressed the general assembly with a congratulatory speech and a lecture was given by Masanori Yamauchi, Director of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). Mayors expressed their determination and confirmed that the local governments of the candidate construction site, and related parties will work together to actively develop activities toward the realization of the ILC in Tohoku.
2022
Special ILC classes held at schools across the city Dec 6 - Jan
Special ILC classes were held at Ichinoseki Daini High School on December 6, 13, and 20, 2022, and at Hanaizumi High School on January 19, 2023.
Den Doris, Coordinator for International Relations of Iwate Prefecture gave an overview of the ILC and gave a lecture about coexisting with difference cultures. Group discussions and poster presentations about future community development and multicultural coexistence were held based on the lecture's content.
The Hot-Air Balloon Festival of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi October 14
The Hot-Air Balloon Festival of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi 2022 was recently held from October 14 to 16, mainly at the Ichinoseki-Mizube Plaza.
This festival started in 2012 as an event to help support the reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. This year, the clear autumn skies above Ichinoseki once again came alive, dotted with colorful hot-air balloons in reds, blues, and golds.
Alongside the festival, nationally-ranked pilots raced their balloons through the air at the 3rd match of Honda’s Hot-Air Balloon Grand Prix, the most important competition in the nation. Thirty teams entered their balloons into the competition, although matches in the morning of the first day were canceled due to thick fog and strong winds. However, by the afternoon, the balloons were in the air, aiming for the target set in the rice fields of Ichinoseki’s river region. They raced from the Mizube Plaza to the goal, trying to land on precise targets.
Shiunseki (purple cloud stone) Inkstone Mar 11
The inkstone is an essential component in calligraphy. Shiunseki Inkstone is one of the representative traditional crafts of Higashiyama, Ichinoseki, and is produced from a precious russet-colored stone with cloud-like patterns. It produces a warm and elegant ink-colour. There is currently only one Shiunseki Inkstone craftsman, down from a previous 5 to 6 individuals. The craftsman is still making inkstones at the age of 90.
Tanabata summer festival in Murone July 2
Ichinoseki recently celebrated its first Tanabata summer festival in three years.
The Murone district (near the ILC site) was decorated with handmade Tanabata accoutrements, and even saw performances of Yosakoi dance and local bands.
A bizarre festival in the midst of winter Feb 11
Under normal conditions – prior to COVID times – every year in early February, one of Japan’s strangest festivals would be held in Daito, Ohara of Ichinoseki. Brave men would run through the streets half-naked while being doused with ice-cold water. The following is a remarkable account of a former Ichinoseki Assistant Language Teacher who participated in the Daito Ohara Mizukake Matsuri.
https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/a-bizarre-festival-in-the-midst-of-winter/
The Kitakami Ohashi Jan 13th
The Kitakami Bridge spans the Kitakami River, which runs through Ichinoseki, and serves as a vital link between Kawasaki, Ichinoseki, and Yasakae. The Kitakami Bridge's shape is highly unusual, with only a handful others of its kind in Japan. The bridge, with its exquisite weave and view of the Kitakami River, is a symbol of the town that soothes individuals who have had a long day at work on their way home.
2021
Southern Iwate Prefecture/Northern Miyagi Prefecture ILC Promotion Convention Dec 28th
On December 24, the Southern Iwate Prefecture/Northern Miyagi Prefecture ILC Promotion Convention was held at the Ichinoseki Cultural Center to promote the International Linear Collider (ILC).
The convention was initiated by the Residents' Association Aspiring to Realize the ILC, the Tome City International Linear Collider Promotion Council, Kesennuma City and Ichinoseki City, and about 400 people from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures participated.
At the convention, a keynote speech was given by Prof. Atsuto Suzuki, President of Iwate Prefectural University, Chairman of the ILC Promotion Panel and representative of the Tohoku ILC Project Development Center, and Prof. Satoru Yamashita, a specially appointed professor of the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics, the University of Tokyo. In addition, a convention declaration was adopted that southern Iwate prefecture and northern of Miyagi prefecture will work together to strongly promote efforts toward the realization of the ILC.
Season's Greetings from Ichinoseki and the ILC Dec 16th
This year was a quiet one, but we have continued to spread awareness of the ILC at junior high schools within the city via online lessons, held science cafes and distributed the quarterly newsletter, ILC NEWS. We hope to welcome you here in the near future.
Pictures: Tsuyagawa, Murone Christmas lights. While it’s not an area where people often commute through (the population of the town being less than 800 people), some years ago, the townsfolk started decorating their houses with fairy lights. What started with two houses has over the years, expanded to a 500m long strip. Now every year during late Nov to early Jan, people gather here to enjoy this special sight.
Ichinoseki City welcomes the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay June 18th
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay - Ichinoseki leg
On the morning of June 18, 2021, the relay started at the Ichinoseki Cultural Center to the sound of Japanese drums. 10 torchbearers ran through the city toward the goal, Ichinoseki City Hall. Final torchbearer, Ichinoseki local and champion snowboarder Reira Iwabuchi, was cheered on by enthusiastic citizens and the many Ichinoseki mascots, including our very own Higgs Kun.
Zoom exchange with sister city Feb 11th
A Zoom exchange with Ichinoseki’s sister city, the Central Highlands in Queensland, Australia, took place on Feb 11.
The mayor of the Central Highlands, Kerry Hayes, gave a presentation about their region’s industry and tourism and kindly took questions from the many online participants. Some participants included students who had once visited CH through the exchange program.
An account by Mayor Kerry Hayes
Happy New Year, happy new webpage! Jan 1st
Happy New Year from us at the ILC Office in Ichinoseki. And welcome to our new English Ichinoseki ILC webpage!
This is a picture of the first sunrise of the year taken at Ishikurayama in Ichinoseki. Watching the sun rise on Jan 1st (hatsuhinode) is a New Year’s tradition in Japan. Ishikurayama’s weather conditions as well as it's proximity to the Kitakami River allow for ‘unkai’ or sea of clouds to form quite often, making it a great spot for hatsuhinode.
2020
Western Vegetable Project - artichoke in season! June 19th
In 2017, Ichinoseki started the Seiyo Yasai (western vegetable) project. Ichinoseki began growing all types of vegetables found in Europe and America assuming that demand for a variety of fresh vegetables would increase if the construction of the ILC were to go ahead. We recently visited the Ichinoseki City Southern Agricultural Technology Development Center to check out the artichoke!
For more: http://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/a-vegetable-project-to-welcome-the-ilc/
Ichinoseki-life website is up and running April 4th
An English website written by foreign locals showcasing Ichinoseki’s charms is now live. Find out about interesting local festivals, companies, tourist destinations, foods and more. This project is run by the ILC Promotion Division’s Internationalization Coordinator and has some guest writers involved.
Visit: https://www.ichinoseki-life.com/
Genbi snow shoeing Mar 1st
The Ichinoseki DMO set up a monitor tour for foreigners to experience. The hike around Matsurube included a traditional Japanese snowshoeing (kanjiki) experience, ‘hatto’ making and indulging in a luxurious Japanese meal, bathing in Matsurube Onsen and a tour around the Genbi area of Ichinoseki.
ILC Promotion Model Schools Feb 19th
Iwate Prefecture hosted the ‘Human Resource development for the future ILC’ event where students of the eight ILC Promotion Model Schools gathered to discuss the results of their projects during the last fiscal year. Ichinoseki Daiichi High School, the city’s sole participating school, presented on fieldwork which looked into the geography, history and environment around the ILC candidate site as well as results and considerations centered on their experiment, ‘moving magnets with batteries’. At the end of the gathering, students split into groups and discussed how they’d like to see Iwate change through the ILC.
An all-encompassing International Association established Feb 2nd
The Ichinoseki International Association was established on February 2nd, 2020, with the aim of fostering citizens' awareness of internationalization, deepening international understanding and contributing to the development of a multicultural society. The association is working on new endeavors while inheriting the activities of the former six groups. The city felt the need to have an association that could support foreign nationals living in all corners of Ichinoseki as well as helping inbound tourists, the influx of technical interns from overseas, as well as preparing an environment that could assist those coming from abroad for the ILC.
For more details
2019
ILC related lectures at Hanaizumi High School Nov 28th
An ILC-related lecture ‘Let's think about the local region in regard to the ILC’ was hosted by the school and city. Professor Shinya Narita of Iwate University and Amanda Wayama of Iwate Prefecture Office of International Affairs gave a lecture on the outline of the ILC, future urban development, and multiculturalism to all 105 students of the school.
Special workshops for second year Daini students Nov 26th
An ILC workshop was held on Nov 26th at Ichinoseki Daini High School. An outline on the ILC was given by Kazuhiro Onodera of the Ichinoseki City ILC Promotion Division, This was followed by a lecture on multicultural societies and community development, given by Ichinoseki City's internationalization coordinator, Aimi Bell.
This workshop was followed up in an extra three sessions.
1) Students discussed in groups how they envision Ichinoseki in ten years' time
2) Students put together their poster presentation.
3) Poster presentations
Mukasari Gyoretsu - a re-enactment of a traditional wedding Nov 3rd
Every year, the town of Genbi holds a festival to re-enact an olden day wedding to relay the rituals of the region.
On this beautiful occasion, the bride, dressed in traditional Japanese attire, mounts a horse decorated in jewels and has an entourage of people who slowly walk her through the town. At the end point, a traditional wedding ceremony takes place. The bride and groom take part in 'sansan kudo' which is a ritualized drinking of a small amount of sake, a ceremony of binding. For onlookers, ‘mochi-maki’ (a mochi free-for-all) takes place as well as dances and other forms of entertainment.
This year’s bride and groom were newly-weds who had moved to Ichinoseki in 2017 – the town also welcomed their first foreign bride to take part in the festival.
Kitakami Times reporters board the Pokémon with you Train!
This Pikachu-themed train runs on the JR Ofunato Line from Ichinoseki to Kesennuma, right in the heart of the candidate site for the ILC! The train was installed to support of the areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. A one way trip lasts 2 hours, and you stop at different stations with enough time to take pictures and collect stamps for your stamp book. Ichinoseki’s gorgeous Geibiekei can be accessed from the JR Ofunato Line.
Kitakami Times article: https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/the-pokemon-with-you-train-in-iwate/
An app to that’ll make life in Ichinoseki easier for citizens and those coming from abroad Sep 24th
The city’s Lifestyle and Environment division in collaboration with the ILC division released the Ichinoseki/Hiraizumi garbage sorting app in English. Trash separation is tedious and at times rather complicated - but it has to be done, thank goodness for this app! Some major features of the app include an encyclopedia where you can search how individual items can be disposed of and there's also a handy calendar that shows and alerts you of when trash days are for each type of garbage in each district.
For download links click
On-site inspection by ICFA Chair Nov 3rd
ICFA Chairman Geoffrey Taylor visited the proposed construction site of the ILC in Ohara, Daito. Taylor said that ‘it’s a beautiful site, and I’ve confirmed that the geological features are appropriate for building the ILC.
For more on Geoffrey Taylor's visit to Tohoku and thoughts regarding the ILC, click here
愛得市 ILC Sake
The Mayor of Ichinoseki City created a play on words 愛得市 which in Japanese, sounds like ‘ILC’. The kanji on the bottle of sake reads ‘愛 (ai = love)’, 得（る）(eru,= gain) and 市 (shi = city). A city that attains love! If you were at LCWS 2019, you may have come across it.
Promoting local initiatives at LCWS Sendai October 28th~November 1st
From October 28th~November 1st, the international conference LCWS (Linear Collider Workshop) 2019, was held at Sendai International Center. 400 scientists gathered to discuss topics such as the improvement of ILC technologies.
Exhibitions for companies were held over two days from October 28th – 29th, where around 60 organizations and companies participated. Ichinoseki City jointly partook with local governments in Southern Iwate and Northern Miyagi to promote local initiatives and tourism to researchers. Ichinoseki also provided some traditional Japanese sweets for those participating at LCWS.
International community participate in a communication activity across Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi September 1st
Members of Ichinoseki Junior Chamber International (JCI) organized a tour to relay the charms of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi to foreign residents of Iwate Prefecture. The 52 participants which comprised of JCI members, members of the public and foreign residents, were divided into groups of 7 to discuss tourism, the history and culture of the area. From there, the groups ventured by train to Motsuji Temple and Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center. Although the majority of Japanese participants were not tour guides, specialists or speakers of English, they were encouraged to communicate with what they have on hand such as pamphlets, signs or on their smartphones to answer the questions of the foreign participants. Through discussions and feedback, the participants concluded that the following were the key points to being successful in welcoming foreign guests: 1) having a positive attitude 2) improve of signage 3) have knowledge of the history and culture of the area.
More celebrity figures join us at the beer festival Aug 24th-25th
The ILC was promoted at Ichinoseki National Craft Beer Festival from August 24th to 25th. At the stage event, Iwate idol “Fujipon”, “Sakura Rin” of Iwate Marugoto Omotenashitai and cute ambassador “Kimura Yu” jumped at the chance to support and introduce the ILC to many people at the local beer festival venue. Again, the public were able to chat and take some photos with these ILC ambassadors.
The design of the fans distributed at the festival this year were of a famous manga character, ‘Chairman Kosaku Shima’. The Chairman Kosaku Shima manga featured the ILC, bringing awareness to many across the country.
Kids and science! Aug 3rd
The first “Ichinoseki Science Cafe” of the year was held on August 3rd.“Kids Science 2019” was a collaborative project with the South Iwate Research Center of Technology. Thirty-two elementary school students from the city participated. Assistant professor Takashi Yamanouchi of the National Institute of Technology, Ichinoseki College taught students about the mysteries of water, such as the properties of water being solid, liquid and gas.
Eigo no Mori English Camp July 30th
57 Ichinoseki/Hiraizumi junior high school students enjoyed a cultural exchange Skype session with students from sister city, Central Highlands in Australia. During the camp, students interacted with Assistant Language Teachers who helped them prepare material for the Skype interaction. The annual camp is part of the effort being made to bring the International Linear Collider (ILC) project to fruition, by improving students’ English ability and fostering independence and responsibility.
Prefectural government round-table conference June 14th
On June 14th, the prefectural government held a conference in Oshu where Aimi Bell, Ichinoseki City’s Internationalization Coordinator, participated as one of the speakers. The theme of the conference was “Toward the Realization of an International Linear Collider”. Aimi Bell expressed opinions with the governor on issues such as multilingual signage, information transmission, and medical interpretation.
Fresh banners and posters April 1st
A new banner and poster were unveiled in Iwate Prefecture in response to the government's expression of interest. Iwate’s culture of gold inspired the lettering "We're ready for the ILC! –Bringing the ILC to Tohoku!" to be in gold. The banner is posted on the Iwate Prefectural Government Building and at the east exit of Ichinoseki Station.
Former graduates of Ichinoseki Daiichi High School submit a petition to MEXT March 28th
Graduates of Ichinoseki Daiichi High School, Hironobu Asari (sophomore of Iwate Medical University) and Ryota Konno, (sophomore of Tohoku University), handed in their petition aimed toward the realization of the ILC on March 28th to Masahiko Shibayama, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) . The petition was founded back when they were in high school and amassed signatures of 5,664 people. Asari hopes for, “the ILC to come to Iwate and for it to facilitate the academic and economic development of the prefecture.” Konno expressed that “as someone who studies physics, I want to do research at the ILC.”
ILC exhibitions and talks at an Iwate Promotional event in Tokyo Feb 9th
The ‘Heat Up Iwate Festival 2019’ was in full swing in snowy Tokyo. During the event, Daniel Jeans of KEK gave a lecture on the ILC and Iwate’s Triple A (Amanda, Anna, Aimi of the Kitakami Times) spoke about life in Iwate from a foreigner’s point of view. At the ILC booth, ILC Promotion workers spoke to many about the ILC.
Ichinoseki Science Café by a special guest from JAXA Jan 26th
Ichinoseki ILC Promotion Division runs four science cafés in a year (April-March) as a way to make science more accessible to the public. The fourth Ichinoseki Science Café this year was held at Ichinoseki Library on January 26th. Professor Junichiro Kawaguchi, Senior Fellow at JAXA, gave a lecture titled "The Adventure of the Asteroid Probe, Hayabusa ~ All about the Hayabusa Project". Participants seized this rare opportunity and asked many questions about the project and space.
2018
Poster presentations at Ichinoseki Daini High school Dec 11th
Ichinoseki Daini High School held their final installment of the seminar, "Thinking about the future of this region." Students presented their ideas through poster presentations.
Two Hundred first-grade students of Ichinoseki Daini High School participated in a three part lesson which included lectures and group discussions on the future of the city “What will we be doing in Ichinoseki a decade on?”. Each group made posters and gave presentations.
Amanda Wayama of Iwate Prefectural Government, Office of International Affairs, lectured on the necessity of a multicultural society that functions to make the city livable for both locals and foreign residents. From there, students divided into 30 groups, and imagined what the future would be like where the ILC is operating and thought amongst themselves, ‘what can we do in the future?’. Ichinoseki City workers were available to discuss and answer questions on community/town planning. Each group created a poster which conveyed the contents of their discussions and then made a presentation about them. By thinking about town planning, not only were the students able to think about the future, they were given the chance to investigate the current situation of their city and rediscover the charms of the area.
Hiking up Mt. Kurikoma Oct 5th
In the next installment of the Kitakami Times by Ichinoseki City, we explore and showcase the beautiful Mt. Kurikoma which is said to display some of the most spectacular autumn foliage in all Japan! The mountain is also home to water with unique properties such as the highly acidic Sukawa Hot Spring as well as Bunanomegumi Spring, where its water is recognized as one of Japan’s 100 selected water spots. Its most fascinating and rarest quality is the fact that there is 0.00 general bacteria in the water.
Mt Kurikoma article: https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/kurikoma-hiking-with-the-seasons/
Ways to enjoy the water at Sukawa: https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/ways-to-enjoy-the-water-at-sukawa-onsen/
Special guest ILC Supporter Kimura U at the beer festival Aug 25th/26th
Special ILC exhibitions were held on both August 25th and 26th at the National Craft Beer Festival in Ichinoseki. ILC Supporters Kimura U who is appointed as the ambassador of cute by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Iwate idol Fujipon took to the stage to promote the ILC and the ILC Supporters. After the stage performance, the two idols were available for a photo session which was open to the public.
Ichinoseki Summer Festival featuring mascot character, ‘Higgs kun’ Aug 5th
Have you been acquainted with Ichinoseki’s Higgs mascot? As of 2017, Higgs Kun has made appearances at local events and festivals. The formless and miserable design of the mascot is due to the fact that there isn’t much known about the Higgs particle yet!
Higgs Kun as well as the ILC Promotion Division sweated it out promoting the ILC by dancing in a parade, handing out ILC Supporters merchandise and waving ILC flags.
Science Café for kids Aug 4th
Students make hovercrafts out of CDs at a science café catered toward elementary school students and their parents. Participants studied the phenomena of vaporization and sublimation. The event was held at the South Iwate Research Center of Technology.
52nd Iwate Kibo Channel Jul 31st
Amanda Wayama of the Iwate Prefectural Government, ILC Promotion Division’s Anna Thomas and Ichinoseki City’s Aimi Bell (also known as Iwate’s Triple A) teamed up with local celebrity Fujipon, to deliver a live talk show about the ILC and what it’s like as foreigners living in Iwate. The program was shot at the Iwate ILC Open Lab in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.
Filming an ad about the ILC Supporters on local TV June 10th
The ILC Supporters, founded by Mamoru Oshii, the director of the Ghost in the Shell, gained 16,000 supporters in the first two months of commencing their activities. Today, some members of the Ichinoseki ILC Promotion Division shot a short advertisement to promote the ILC Supporters. The 3min clip will be broadcast on Ichinoseki Cable Network from June 18th to the 24th.
All eight installments of 'Teach me Dr. Higgs' to be released in May
All eight installments of ‘Teach me Dr. Higgs’ to be released in 2018 May 5
Translated Iwate Nichinichi article (May 5th) as follows:
Building Momentum in younger generations
In order to build momentum for the realization of the ILC, Ichinoseki City created a pamphlet aimed at young audiences called ‘I see! ILC! Teach me Dr. Higgs’. The pamphlet is a collection from a popular column published in the Ichinoseki Linear Collider Newsletter ‘ILC News’ that communicates science in an easy-to-understand way and to encourage further interest in the ILC.
Working towards the goal of realizing the ILC’s construction, with aims to heighten interest and understanding of the ILC to its citizens, Ichinoseki City started publishing ‘ILC News’ four times a year from April 2012. The newsletter introduced seminars and lectures held in Ichinoseki City, but to capture a younger audience, ’Teach me Dr. Higgs’ was issued; the first being in July 2017 volume 21 of ‘ILC News’. All eight installments were scheduled to be published in ’ILC News’ by the end of 2018, but for the promotion of the ILC to youth, the complete pamphlet was issued in advance.
It features Dr. Higgs who teaches two characters, Icchan and Secchan exciting facts about the ILC and science. A senior staff member at Ichinoseki City ILC Promotion Division, Mr. Oikawa Kazunori, is in charge of planning, illustrations are taken care of by a printing company and its contents are supervised by KEK (the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization). In addition to answering simple questions like “What does the ILC research?” and “What kind of experiments will it carry out?” it also explains ‘Staging’ that will reduce the assumed length of 30km to 20km in order to curb initial investment. In the latter half it shows prospects for a future where the ILC is built in Ichinoseki.
Mr. Oikawa says, “I am trying to use the size of relatable facilities so that higher grades at elementary school and students at junior high school can understand” he also reveals that “The content is easy for adults to understand, so I hope that this can spark interest in the ILC and science”. The pamphlet is eight A5 pages long, and distributed at places such as Ichinoseki City Office.
English Version of the pamphlet: https://www.city.ichinoseki.iwate.jp/ilc/en/newsletters/pdf/teachme_dr.higgs.pdf
ILC Promoted at Senmaya Hinamatsuri
At the 11th Senmaya Hinamatsuri (girl’s day festival), a large model of the ILC was exhibited. The model was about 5.5m in length with decorative red and blue lights blinking from both ends toward the center. The girl’s day festival is filled with handmade crafts and traditional decorations. The town of Senmaya as a whole gets involved in the festivities and local restaurants have special menus available during the festival period. It’s also a fun time to dress up in traditional Japanese attire, as some locals and foreign residents did!
Viewing Cherry Blossoms April 15th
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) marks the arrival of a new beginning. As they blossom, you can feel the future bursting with optimism. April kicks off the fiscal year. New school year, new jobs, new towns (new countries), new friendships form beneath the sakura trees in Ichinoseki.
Poster presentations at Ichinoseki Daini High school Dec 11th
Ichinoseki Daini High School held their final installment of the seminar, "Thinking about the future of this region." Students presented their ideas through poster presentations.
Two Hundred first-grade students of Ichinoseki Daini High School participated in a three part lesson which included lectures and group discussions on the future of the city “What will we be doing in Ichinoseki a decade on?”. Each group made posters and gave presentations.
Amanda Wayama of Iwate Prefectural Government, Office of International Affairs, lectured on the necessity of a multicultural society that functions to make the city livable for both locals and foreign residents. From there, students divided into 30 groups, and imagined what the future would be like where the ILC is operating and thought amongst themselves, ‘what can we do in the future?’. Ichinoseki City workers were available to discuss and answer questions on community/town planning. Each group created a poster which conveyed the contents of their discussions and then made a presentation about them. By thinking about town planning, not only were the students able to think about the future, they were given the chance to investigate the current situation of their city and rediscover the charms of the area.
Hiking up Mt. Kurikoma Oct 5th
In the next installment of the Kitakami Times by Ichinoseki City, we explore and showcase the beautiful Mt. Kurikoma which is said to display some of the most spectacular autumn foliage in all Japan! The mountain is also home to water with unique properties such as the highly acidic Sukawa Hot Spring as well as Bunanomegumi Spring, where its water is recognized as one of Japan’s 100 selected water spots. Its most fascinating and rarest quality is the fact that there is 0.00 general bacteria in the water.
Mt Kurikoma article: https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/kurikoma-hiking-with-the-seasons/
Ways to enjoy the water at Sukawa: https://www.iwate-ilc.jp/eng/ktimes/ways-to-enjoy-the-water-at-sukawa-onsen/
Special guest ILC Supporter Kimura U at the beer festival Aug 25th/26th
Special ILC exhibitions were held on both August 25th and 26th at the National Craft Beer Festival in Ichinoseki. ILC Supporters Kimura U who is appointed as the ambassador of cute by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Iwate idol Fujipon took to the stage to promote the ILC and the ILC Supporters. After the stage performance, the two idols were available for a photo session which was open to the public.
Ichinoseki Summer Festival featuring mascot character, ‘Higgs kun’ Aug 5th
Have you been acquainted with Ichinoseki’s Higgs mascot? As of 2017, Higgs Kun has made appearances at local events and festivals. The formless and miserable design of the mascot is due to the fact that there isn’t much known about the Higgs particle yet!
Higgs Kun as well as the ILC Promotion Division sweated it out promoting the ILC by dancing in a parade, handing out ILC Supporters merchandise and waving ILC flags.
Science Café for kids Aug 4th
Students make hovercrafts out of CDs at a science café catered toward elementary school students and their parents. Participants studied the phenomena of vaporization and sublimation. The event was held at the South Iwate Research Center of Technology.
52nd Iwate Kibo Channel Jul 31st
Amanda Wayama of the Iwate Prefectural Government, ILC Promotion Division’s Anna Thomas and Ichinoseki City’s Aimi Bell (also known as Iwate’s Triple A) teamed up with local celebrity Fujipon, to deliver a live talk show about the ILC and what it’s like as foreigners living in Iwate. The program was shot at the Iwate ILC Open Lab in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.
Filming an ad about the ILC Supporters on local TV June 10th
The ILC Supporters, founded by Mamoru Oshii, the director of the Ghost in the Shell, gained 16,000 supporters in the first two months of commencing their activities. Today, some members of the Ichinoseki ILC Promotion Division shot a short advertisement to promote the ILC Supporters. The 3min clip will be broadcast on Ichinoseki Cable Network from June 18th to the 24th.
All eight installments of 'Teach me Dr. Higgs' to be released in May
All eight installments of ‘Teach me Dr. Higgs’ to be released in 2018 May 5
Translated Iwate Nichinichi article (May 5th) as follows:
Building Momentum in younger generations
In order to build momentum for the realization of the ILC, Ichinoseki City created a pamphlet aimed at young audiences called ‘I see! ILC! Teach me Dr. Higgs’. The pamphlet is a collection from a popular column published in the Ichinoseki Linear Collider Newsletter ‘ILC News’ that communicates science in an easy-to-understand way and to encourage further interest in the ILC.
Working towards the goal of realizing the ILC’s construction, with aims to heighten interest and understanding of the ILC to its citizens, Ichinoseki City started publishing ‘ILC News’ four times a year from April 2012. The newsletter introduced seminars and lectures held in Ichinoseki City, but to capture a younger audience, ’Teach me Dr. Higgs’ was issued; the first being in July 2017 volume 21 of ‘ILC News’. All eight installments were scheduled to be published in ’ILC News’ by the end of 2018, but for the promotion of the ILC to youth, the complete pamphlet was issued in advance.
It features Dr. Higgs who teaches two characters, Icchan and Secchan exciting facts about the ILC and science. A senior staff member at Ichinoseki City ILC Promotion Division, Mr. Oikawa Kazunori, is in charge of planning, illustrations are taken care of by a printing company and its contents are supervised by KEK (the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization). In addition to answering simple questions like “What does the ILC research?” and “What kind of experiments will it carry out?” it also explains ‘Staging’ that will reduce the assumed length of 30km to 20km in order to curb initial investment. In the latter half it shows prospects for a future where the ILC is built in Ichinoseki.
Mr. Oikawa says, “I am trying to use the size of relatable facilities so that higher grades at elementary school and students at junior high school can understand” he also reveals that “The content is easy for adults to understand, so I hope that this can spark interest in the ILC and science”. The pamphlet is eight A5 pages long, and distributed at places such as Ichinoseki City Office.
English Version of the pamphlet: https://www.city.ichinoseki.iwate.jp/ilc/en/newsletters/pdf/teachme_dr.higgs.pdf
ILC Promoted at Senmaya Hinamatsuri
At the 11th Senmaya Hinamatsuri (girl’s day festival), a large model of the ILC was exhibited. The model was about 5.5m in length with decorative red and blue lights blinking from both ends toward the center. The girl’s day festival is filled with handmade crafts and traditional decorations. The town of Senmaya as a whole gets involved in the festivities and local restaurants have special menus available during the festival period. It’s also a fun time to dress up in traditional Japanese attire, as some locals and foreign residents did!
Viewing Cherry Blossoms April 15th
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) marks the arrival of a new beginning. As they blossom, you can feel the future bursting with optimism. April kicks off the fiscal year. New school year, new jobs, new towns (new countries), new friendships form beneath the sakura trees in Ichinoseki.
Unveiling of ILC calendar designed by Okutama students March 18
The graduating class of Okutama Elementary School designed an ILC calendar. The calendars have been sent to those involved in the ILC project, including researchers abroad.
ILD Reception Feb 20
On Feb 20th, the ILD meeting 2018 Welcome Reception was held. On the first night, Ichinoseki City showed their warm hospitality by providing delicious foods, performing ‘mochitsuki’ and having children perform a play in English.