The ITER Director-General exchanged with MEXT Minister Moriyama (right, front) and Japan's Head of Delegation to the ITER Council, Masuko Hiroshi (right, back).
Director-General Barabaschi was welcomed by Minister Moriyama Masahito from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The Minister spoke of Japan's contributions to ITER through the fabrication of high-tech components and the participation of Japanese staff in the project. Minister Moriyama and Director-General Barabaschi also discussed the importance the JT-60SA tokamak to ITER, as that upgraded experiment prepares to study advanced modes of plasma operation.
On 3 October 2023, the ITER Director-General visited the QST Naka Fusion Institute, where he was enthusiastically welcomed by the staff of ITER Japan and the JT-60SA team.
A visit to the Naka Fusion Institute at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) rounded out Director-General Barabaschi's visit to Japan. He met the staff of ITER Japan, visited two test facilities participating in ITER procurement, and stopped in at JT-60SA, where he gave encouragement to all the European and Japanese staff members who are currently working on the integrated commissioning of the device. Finally, the Director-General exchanged with QST President Koyasu Shigeo on how to more closely promote the integration between the ITER Organization and ITER Japan and how to attract greater numbers of young staff members to work at ITER.
