In August 2013, the Kitakami mountain region in Japan's north-east was chosen as the country's candidate site for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The ILC is a mammoth project to build a huge underground particle accelerator over 30 kilometers long. It aims to recreate conditions in the universe right after the Big Bang, to track down unknown elementary particles and new physics phenomena. Tune in as we lift the veil on preparations for this colossal global project.