Science View S2018E16 - Will the International Linear Collider Be Built in Japan?

The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a gigantic new accelerator to study the mysteries of the universe. In 2012, one of the elementary particles known as the Higgs boson was discovered in a huge particle accelerator operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN. The following year, Higgs and another scientist who predicted its existence were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Around the same time, Japan was encouraged by Europe and the US to host the next large accelerator, and became the top candidate for construction of the ILC. The ILC's establishment is expected to lead to further Nobel Prize-level discoveries. 5 years have passed since then and the time has come for Japan to make a decision about building the ILC. Will Japan be able to host its first international science megaproject?