The International Linear Collider

~An international research city that will unlock the mystery of the origin of the universe in Iwate~


■ What is the ILC?

ILC is the acronym for the International Linear Collider. (The word 'linear' indicates that the accelerator forms a straight line, and 'collider' means that it accelerates particles and collides them together.)

This is the name for the international research facility that will try to unlock the mysteries of the origin of the universe. A 31-50 kilometer long tunnel will be constructed approximately 100 meters underground. The accelerator machine will be placed here, where it will be used to conduct experiments that collide electron and positron particles together at almost the speed of light. This creates a state similar to what was found during the birth of the universe.

Researchers will examine the various particles created during the collision, and after analysis will be able to conclude what materials make up the universe and the matter within.


■ The Kitakami Mountains in Iwate Prefecture – A candidate site for the ILC

A candidate site for the tunnel of the ILC must not have any active fault lines and must have a distribution of hard bedrock – within Japan, this leaves the Kitakami Mountains in Iwate Prefecture and the Sefuri Mountains that straddle Fukuoka and Saga Prefectures.

A population of around 10,000 workers, researchers, and their families are estimated to arrive at this international research center once operations start. There are plans to construct an international exchange and residence area in the surrounding area - the creation of an international science and research city. We can also expect the generation of new industries related to the creation of the city.

Iwate Prefecture is currently striving to attract the International Linear Collider to our prefecture. The Iwate International Association is also promoting the creation of the ILC. (We are enrolled in the Iwate Prefecture International Linear Collider Promotion Committee.)

ILC-1_sn.jpg Magma Hardened in the Cretaceous Period
An Expanse of Granite Boasting Both Hardness and Spaciousness

3.11 Unexpectedly Re-established the Hardness and Unshakability of the Kitakami Mountains.

Even after subjected to the fury of a magnitude 9 earthquake, the Kitakami Mountain tunnel`s observation stations suffered absolutely no damage. Furthermore, in noted places of historic interest at the foot of the mountains including Hiraizumi, which was registered as a World Heritage Site after 3.11, famous temples from the Middle Ages such as Chusonji Temple and Motsuji Temple stand peacefully even now, as if to persuade the world that Kitakami is the place for the International Linear Collider.

ILC-2_sn.jpg From Depopulation to Revitalization
People and Businesses, Gathering to Make the ILC a Reality

People. Talent. Skill. Enterprise. All Gathering Around the ILC.

If the campaign to bring the ILC to Iwate succeeds, engineers, technicians, particle accelerator specialists, and manufacturers will come to Tohoku to construct the ILC: not only from within the country, but from throughout the world. This will result in increased demand for workers, and many people will rush to Iwate from other prefectures and other countries. To Tohoku, which has struggled with depopulation, the ILC will become a unifying force for intellectual property, manpower, and investors.

ILC-3_sn.jpg Multinational Business
Japanese's First Full-Fledged International Town

Together on the Cutting Edge. A Legacy for the Future. Researchers Who Respect Cultural Differences Gathering Together.

Imagine a group of talents, people of Nobel-class excellence, having intense debates in a café. Frequently, they overcome cultural, racial and national boundaries for shared research focused on a common cause. Sometimes they bring their families along and spend time together. They participate in local events. To the infrastructure of the city, this brings innovation—to the traffic network, to environmental systems, and to telecommunications systems—and it brings hospitals, banks, schools, preschools, and other facilities.

ILC-4_sn.jpg Exploration: Into Space, Into Cells, Into Energy
Tohoku’s Vision, the Dreams of Our Children

The research of the ILC, on the micro level and the macro level, will support creative jobs in all fields and nurture genius.

Various fields will progress through the ILC and through the research conducted there. Not only physics and mathematics, but also materials science and engineering, genetic engineering, medical care and drug development, super computers and measuring instruments, telecommunications, engineering, and countless others. It will give new prospects for the future for all of society, and will surely provide new life dreams and possibilities for our children.


■ Iwate Prefecture's Plan for the International Linear Collider (ILC)

  1. Iwate Prefecture's Plan for the International Linear Collider (ILC) (Japanese)
  2. TOHOKU: A Candidate Site for the International Linear Collider

■ Websites of organizations related to the ILC

  1. Tohoku ILC Promotion Council
  2. The Tohoku University Council for the Promotion of the ILC
  3. Iwate Prefecture International Linear Collider Promotion Council

■ILC-related news

  1. ILC News (issued by Ichinoseki City) (Japanese/English)
  2. Tohoku ILC Promotion Council's promotion video
      Go for it! Tohoku Big Bang. ~Making the International Linear Collider a Reality~



● Don't forget to look through information on Iwate and its beautiful sightseeing areas!

Introduction to Iwate / Sightseeing Destinations