On June 4th, nine organizations from southern Iwate and northern Miyagi prefectures visited with four members of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan’s ruling party), including Hon. Takeo Kawamura who also serves as the chair of the Federation of Diet Members for the ILC. There, they petition the LDP to ensure that the national government would host the ILC.

In attendance were representatives of the ILC promotion councils of Oshu City, Ofunato City, Kesennuma City and Tome City. Ichinoseki City Mayor Osamu Katsube (also chair of an association of cities, towns, and villages representing the whole area) traveled to the LDP headquarters in Nagatacho, Tokyo, to hand over their petition to the Hon. Kawamura and other parties.

He said, “We want the ILC to be positioned as a national project to ensure that the hopes and dreams of Tohoku’s children and students come true.” In response, Hon. Kawamura said, “Let’s keep working together.”

They also made petitions to Hon. Toshihiro Nikai (LDP secretary-general), Hon. Koichi Hagiuda (stand-in for secretary-general), and Hon. Akira Amari (chair of the LDP’s Strategic Research Group on Intellectual Property).