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The Press Tour to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Ibaraki Prefecture covered two major facilities:J-PARC, Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, to be opened in December 2008 in Tokai Village, andJT-60, a fusion plasma research facility, in Naka City. The tour was attended by 18 journalists from 9 countries and regions. 

At J-PARC, the journalists visited the 50GeV Synchrotron, a large-scale circular accelerator 1.6 km around, which can accelerate protons to almost the speed of light, and the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility, which will conduct research on the structures of micro materials, that cannot be seen by X-ray or other conventional methods. They also had a chance to see the Neutrino Research Facility, which will be able to send a large amount of neutrinos to Super Kamiokande in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, 295 km away from J-PARC. The participants showed a strong interest in the possible results to be gained from the research, including thedevelopment of new medicines and materials.

After large scale renovation starting in September 2008, JT-60 will be used as a satellite research facility for ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, which will be constructed in Cadarache in southern France. The journalists had a rare opportunity to take a close look at JT-60 before the renovation. A researcher explained, “We would like to achieve the first power generation by nuclear fusion by 2050,” and the tour participants looked interested in the development of future energy technology.