Autumn 2020

A news magazine presented by Hokkaido University

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

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R e c ent Ne w s f rom
Hok k a ido Un iver sit yContents

03

Feature: Defend
04 Research Center for Zoonosis Control
10 Center for Open Education
14 Hokkaido University × SDGs

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Refining: Structural Mechanics
Motohiro Sato
Professor, Faculty of Engineering

Litterae Populi
Litterae Populi is a bi-annual magazine
with the latest news about Hokkaido
University. Its name is Latin for “lettersof the poplar trees.”

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Alumni Interview
Satoshi Ishibashi
Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting Co.,Ltd
Head of public relations
Taishi Kamiya
KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
Human Experience Design Center
Design Strategist

Feature:Jun Murata
Murata Co., Ltd. Ina Wine Factory
Chief Executive Officer, Brewing Manager
Keisuke Iwaya
Iwaya Giken Inc.
Chief Executive Officer

DefendWhile the novel coronavirus continues to run riot around theworld, forcing people to transform their day-to-day behavior- including working styles and even mindsets - Hokkaido

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Letters from Ambassadors and Partners

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140 Years of Challenge

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Topics26

Campus Landscapes

University, poised to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026,
steadfastly moves toward its vision of contributing to theresolution of global issues while honoring traditions built up by
our forebears.
This feature highlights three initiatives under the theme of“safeguarding.”

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020
Published by Public Relations Division
Kita 8, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0808, JAPAN.
pr@oia.hokudai.ac.jp
https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp
Edited by the Litterae Populi Planning and Editing Team
Cover photo by Akihito Yamamoto (HARE-BARE SHA-SHINN)
Photos by Hiromi Terashima (Kotoha-sha)
Production assisted by Morikatsu Sato (Morikatsu Sato Design Office)Printing by Iword Co., Ltd.
Cover photo taken at the Hokkaido University Museum

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Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

Photo of The Second Farm

Litterae Populi Autumn 202003

Toward Zoonosis Control

through Preemption

When, where, and how do pathogens creep into our daily lives?
We are committed to safeguarding human health against thethreat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

HUCZC faculty with international
students from Zambia and elsewhere(at an HUCZC lab). From front right:
Hiroshi Kida (head of the HUCZC),
Yasuhiko Suzuki (director), andHirofumi Sawa (vice-director).
The HUCZC hosts numerous
international students every year,
fostering a wealth of talent.

Research Center for Zoonosis Control
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Litterae Populi Autumn 202005

Defend | Research Center for Zoonosis Control

Feature: Defend

Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in
Zambia and “Zambianization”
The HUCZC established the Hokudai Center for Zoonosis
Control in Zambia (HUCZCZ) at the University ofZambia’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, with theaim of elucidating the pathogens causing viral zoonoses
prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. The HUCZCZ is, infact, the fruit of hard efforts by Professor Kida, who
believes that, because infectious diseases know no borders,
it is crucial to practice preemption in the countries where
infectious diseases actually emerge. The opening ceremonyof the HUCZCZ was reportedly attended by his excellency
Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia.
The relationship between Hokkaido University andZambia goes back years, to when the School of Veterinary
Medicine was founded at the University of Zambia in 1985.
“When His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus visited Zambia
as the Crown Prince in March 1983, he learned from locals
how Zambia was in dire need of a school of veterinary
medicine,” recounts Professor Hirofumi Sawa, HUCZC
Vice-Director and HUCZCZ Director. The constructionof the school building and facilities started in February
1984 with support from the Japanese government and wascompleted in 1986, followed by the launch of a master’s
degree program. “The faculty of the Hokkaido University

The HUCZC, at the forefront of studies on zoonosis control.

Infectious diseases such as influenza, the Ebola hemorrhagic
fever, SARS, and AIDS are caused by viruses initially carriedby wild animals. These viruses jump to human populations
because buffer zones between humans and wild animals
have been eliminated by environmental changes due todeforestation, farmland expansion, irrigation, and otherfactors. The microorganisms are harmless in their natural
wild animal hosts, but occasionally spread to humans,causing outbreaks of infectious diseases through humanto-human infection. These infectious diseases are called as
zoonoses.
The Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis
Control (HUCZC) has aimed at zoonosis control since its
foundation in 2005. Professor Yasuhiko Suzuki, the directorof the HUCZC, outlines their activities: “The Center isdesignated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology as one of some hundred Joint Usage
Research Centers for Collaborative Research. It has beenleading Japan-wide efforts to combat infectious diseases
through the Japanese Union for the Promotion of Infectious
Disease Knowledge through Research and Education(JUPITRE), which also includes the Institute of Medical
Science (The University of Tokyo), the Research Institute06

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

for Microbial Diseases (Osaka University), and the Instituteof Tropical Medicine (Nagasaki University).” Composed ofseven divisions, three units, and one overseas sub-center, the
HUCZC engages in research, education, and international
collaboration.
“While human-to-human transmission routes areeasy to trace epidemiologically, only limited information
is available on the transmission of pathogens from animals
to humans,” says Dr. Hiroshi Kida, Head and Specially
Invited Professor of the HUCZC. New strains of influenza,
COVID-19, and other emerging infectious diseases currently
drawing attention are no exceptions; it takes herculean
efforts to elucidate their animal-human transmission routes.
Among the innumerable microorganisms present in nature,viral species alone number in the hundreds of thousands.
There is no predicting which viruses will expand their hostranges into humans.

Preemptive strategies
Given these circumstances, the HUCZC has adopted
preemptive strategies for sharing information about
microorganisms carried by domestic and wild animals by

creating a library based on the comprehensive isolation ofsuch microorganisms. The idea is to use this information
to develop diagnostic kits, vaccines, and therapeutic
medicines. By convincing the government of the importanceof preparing against the threat of zoonoses, the HUCZC
leadership led to the founding of a research center for
emerging and reemerging infectious diseases and thelaunching of research and education projects. This initiative
involves multiple government agencies: the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,
which supervises research institutions in academia; theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which
overseas measures to fight infectious diseases of livestock
and poultry; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,which has jurisdiction over disease control in humans; andthe Ministry of the Environment, which supervises theinvestigation and preservation of wildlife ecosystems. The
HUCZC also collaborates with international organizations,
including the World Health Organization (WHO) andthe World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), andorganizations concerned in other countries.

An international student examines specimens.

Litterae Populi Autumn 202007

Defend | Research Center for Zoonosis Control

Feature: Defend

This next-generation sequencer allows large amounts of genetic data to be gathered
within a short time, enabling the early detection of novel viruses.

School of Veterinary Medicine were deeply involved in theestablishment of the school and have since built strong bondsof trust with their counterparts there,” notes Professor Sawa.
Today, the HUCZCZ serves as a full-fledged research center
equipped with a biosafety level-3 laboratory.
The Hokkaido University School of Veterinary
Medicine has also been engaged in personnel exchanges
with the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University ofZambia. In fact, the faculty of the former have been helping
the latter to develop human resources for three decades.
The University of Zambia has a university staff-training
course, and the Hokkaido University School of Veterinary
Medicine has hosted numerous students from the Universityof Zambia. Today, the University of Zambia has a strong
faculty lineup, with Zambian nationals having taken overthe human resource development tasks once implemented
by Hokkaido University faculty. Professor Kida cheerfully
says, “This is what ‘Zambianization’ is all about. As theirresearch levels improve, we simultaneously compete andcooperate to deliver results.”

Efforts to combat COVID-19
Knowledge of zoonoses and related analytical techniques
gained through these activities have proved useful for efforts
to bring COVID-19 under control.
Assistant Professor Kyoko Hayashida, who develops
testing technology, used a genetic analysis technology
known as LAMP* to develop a technique for detecting thenovel coronavirus. LAMP has been used in epidemiologicalstudies of myriad pathogens at the HUCZCZ, too. Allowing

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gene amplification at a constant temperature within therange of 60–65 , LAMP does not require the precise
temperature control of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
tests. This makes it relatively easy to conduct diagnostic
testing in developing countries and remote areas of theworld. The researchers are now verifying procedures that use
the LAMP method, approved by the relevant ethical review
committee, with clinical samples provided by Sapporo City
General Hospital, a designated infectious disease treatment
hospital.
Further, the HUCZC has established a new researchdivision in collaboration with a private pharmaceutical firm
to develop antiviral drugs. (See page 9 for details.)*loop-mediated isothermal amplification, developed by Eiken ChemicalCo., Ltd.

Expert training for the future of our world“Zoonosis control requires experts in infectious disease
control,” reckons Professor Kida. The HUCZC has
produced 82 zoonosis control experts over the past decadethrough its zoonosis control expert training program andits unique human resource development initiative thathas been implemented in partnership with the Hokkaido
University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Those experts
have contributed to zoonosis control in multifarious fields,
including academia, international organizations (e.g., theWHO), government agencies in their home countries (e.g.,
health and agricultural ministries), and pharmaceuticalfirms. Director Suzuki contentedly says, “All these experts
are our pride.” Professor Kida stresses that love for humanity

The Science Lecture 2019 was held at the HUCZC in July under thetheme of “Wanna take a look at the risks? Learning about the cuttingedge of infectious disease research by looking at mosquitos and ticks.”
The HUCZC is also putting efforts into explaining specialized topics
plainly to the public.

Metal models made in Zambia, the likes of which adorn the interior of
the HUCZC

motivates their research. Driven by a sense of mission to
make the Earth a happy place for all, HUCZC staff set theirsights on the future of the world while also taking note ofchallenges associated with infectious diseases, including
population and environmental problems.
In 2020, a research project at the HUCZC entitled“Development of Research and Human Resources for theControl of Zoonoses at the Hokudai Center for Zoonosis
Control in Zambia” was selected for funding under theJapan Program for Infectious Diseases Research andInfrastructure (Emerging/Re-emerging Infectious Disease
Project of Japan) of the Japan Agency for Medical Researchand Development (AMED). As it plans to continue its
manifold research and education activities to further
advance research and cultivate human resources, the
HUCZC is committed to continuing to lead the global fightagainst infectious diseases as an international collaborative
research center for zoonosis control.

HUCZC Division of Anti-virus Drug Research,
Shionogi & Co., Ltd.: Combatting COVID-19 with new drugs

In April 2018, the Division of Anti-virus Drug Research,
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. was established at the HUCZC
under an initiative to develop new antiviral drugs, with
Dr. Akihiko Sato from Shionogi & Co., Ltd. serving asa Guest Professor. The division focused on viruses thatcause influenza, Lassa fever, South American hemorrhagic
fever, and other viral diseases - before the COVID-19
pandemic prompted it to hone in on SARS-CoV-2, thevirus that causes COVID-19.
Professor Sato has developed a new drug from chelates(meaning ‘crab’s claws’), which are compounds that sharea certain structure. Chelates are ‘molecular hands’ thatgrab atoms of metals such as magnesium and manganese.
The new antiviral drug binds to the enzymes involved in
the replication and multiplication of viral genes whenchelates on the drug grab metal atoms on those enzymes,
particularly those near their active centers, where viralgenes replicate. The drug thus prevents the viral genes
from entering the active centers, thereby inhibiting gene
replication and viral reproduction.
Professor Sato uses two-metal chelate compounds,
which have two chelates in the molecule. Selected asmaterials for the new drug are compounds with a distance
between chelates that matches the distance between themetal atoms near the active center, enabling the antiviraldrug to bind to the metal atoms with pinpoint accuracy.
When the two chelates dovetail with the metal atoms, thecompound binds firmly to the enzyme, giving the drug
lasting efficacy.
The development of a new drug involves many
processes. Staff of the Division of Anti-virus Drug
Research begin by looking for candidate materials.
They select a promising compound that binds easily
to a certain virus, which is followed by the fine-tuningof its properties by an expert in chemical design who,
for example, changes its shape for stronger binding to
the enzyme and adds water solubility to allow faster
absorption by the body. A drug candidate developed inthis way then advances to animal tests and clinical trials.
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. has hundreds of thousandsof samples of candidate materials for new drugs,
approximately 50,000 of which are stored at the Divisionof Anti-virus Drug Research. Equipped with theapparatus for viral proliferation inhibition tests that canhandle up to approximately 5,000 compounds per day,the Division can test all the samples it has within 10 days.
Based on their experience and knowledge of how drugs
work, their efforts to search for and design compounds for
drug discovery will continue day and night.

Litterae Populi Autumn 202009

Center for Open Education
As the year 2020 has seen the global COVID-19 pandemic force changes
to university education, the Center for Open Education has been playing
a crucial role in supporting new methods of education delivery, such as
online instruction, to protect university education.

Support for University Educationand the Worldwide Promotion of
the Appeal of Learning at Hokkaido
University
Students produce educational materials as part of their graduation
work in a lesson provided by the e-Learning Department.

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The Center for Open Education (OEC) was establishedat the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Educationin 2014 with the aim of supporting teaching and learning
using ICT and expanding learning opportunities using
Open Educational Resources (OERs). In 2015, the OEC
established the e-Learning Department, whose mission
includes the development of OERs, and established theCommunication in Science and Technology Education andResearch Program Department (CoSTEP Department).
Despite their limited organizational sizes—each staff
consists of only 10 members or so—the departments
capitalize on their features in order to support Hokkaido
University’s initiatives to improve its education while
promoting the appeal of learning at Hokkaido University
in Japan and beyond.

Above: A video for educational material regarding surgical techniques isrecorded at the School of Veterinary Medicine (pre-pandemic).
Below: A lecture is recorded on video in the S9 Studio of the Institute for the
Advancement of Higher Education (pre-pandemic).

Two departments supporting university education
The e-Learning Department, which has been supporting
online programs during the pandemic, has two main
missions. One is to develop OERs that are freely accessible
to anyone via ICT. Of late, open education, whereby
university and other educational institutions offer learning
opportunities on the internet, has proliferated and OERs
have allowed Hokkaido University to offer its courses
worldwide.
The e-Learning Department develops some 600
OERs for approximately 50 lectures every year. The staff’s
steadfast efforts to develop OERs in cooperation withcourse instructors have been raising the department’s
profile within HU. Many OERs are based on videos
produced by staff members who have expertise in video
recording, video editing, copyright compliance, and thelike. Anyone on campus or elsewhere has free access to the
Hokkaido University OpenCourseWare website, which
offers resources in myriad humanities and science fields,
ranging from lectures to extension courses provided by HU
undergraduate and graduate schools.
The other mission of the e-Learning Department
is the operation and management of the HU Educationand Learning Management System (ELMS). To ensure
its smooth use, the Department maintains and regularly
upgrades the system based on requests from across campus.
The CoSTEP Department was formerly established as
the Communicators in Science and Technology Education
Unit, which operated from 2005 to 2010 with Scienceand Technology Promotion Adjustment Grants provided
by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology. The department has focused on threepillars: education, research, and practice regarding scienceand technology communication. Its educational activities
center on the Communication in Science and Technology
Education and Research Program (CoSTEP), which istouted by Professor Masahiro Matsuo, the OEC director,
as becoming a “lifelong treasure” for students. This oneyear liberal arts education program introduces students tothe concept of science and technology communication andhelps them gain fundamental skills in such communication.
It attracts roughly 80 students from HU and elsewhere every
year, and half of the student body is composed of people
in the workforce, including company employees, local
government employees, and faculty of other universities.
CoSTEP offers a regular course and an elective course.
In the regular course, students are divided into teams andthey organize events on campus and write articles about
them. The elective course is offered on an e-learning
platform to provide learning opportunities to many
students, and it also includes face-to-face seminars held overthe course of three days either in summer or fall. CoSTEP
also has a training course for those who have completed theregular and elective courses.
Activities central to the CoSTEP Department include
the periodic organization of science cafés, which are events
that serve as opportunities for learning and for practically
applying knowledge, as well as for interacting with citizens
under a scientific theme. Two of the six science cafés held
annually are planned and organized by students. Before
COVID-19 made it difficult to hold large gatherings, the
Science Café Sapporo, held in Kinokuniya bookstore in
front of Sapporo Station, had attracted more than 100
participants each time.
The CoSTEP Department, together with students,
runs the Facebook page “Like! Hokudai.” Although it is noeasy task to simultaneously pursue education, publicity, andLitterae Populi Autumn 202011

Brochures on the OEC with an easy-to-understand introduction to
support programs for the development of OERs.

communication, articles concerning COVID-19 received
more than 60,000 pageviews in total.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
In this way, the e-Learning Department and the CoSTEP
Department have been engaged in their respective activities
under the OEC umbrella. However, from March 2020,
when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began to befelt at HU, the OEC took on the new mission of supporting
online instruction, starting with building a framework forproviding information and support for online teaching andlearning.
The first task they embarked on was the establishmentof an information-sharing system for online classes,
through which the e-Learning Department provided thefaculty, staff, and students with information on the basics
of online classes, available tools and teaching methods,
and the differences between simulcast and on-demandlearning, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
The department regularly held information sessions about
online classes, from basic to advanced. A total of 1,800
faculty members attended the sessions, with the related
website receiving roughly 170,000 pageviews as of August
31, 2020. This suggests that the Department plays a crucialrole in supporting online classes.
In the meanwhile, the e-Learning Department also
poured more of its energy into maintaining the ELMS
and enhancing its capacities, as it has taken on greater
importance in supporting classes. Although the ELMS had
just been migrated to a new system in March 2020, that

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move was not premised on the assumption that all courses
would be offered online. While the system allowed theonline preparation and delivery of textbooks and referencematerials, these were intended to supplement face-to-faceclasses. Accordingly, the department modified the system
to accommodate the new requirements without skipping abeat.
Despite incidents that forced services to be suspended
due to system overloads, the staff pulled through bycontinuously monitoring and managing the server. Dr.
Katsusuke Shigeta, associate professor and director of
the e-Learning Department, says: “We hope to continue
our work to provide information not just about how to
use the system as an ICT tool, but also about how to use
the system along with teaching methods, its advantages
and disadvantages, how to determine and assess study
conditions, and more.”
The CoSTEP Department has also been affected by
COVID-19, albeit differently. The department had taught
and engaged in online and in-person practical activities,
but it is now unable to hold face-to-face classes and eventsas it had previously been doing. The staff have decided tolivestream science cafés via YouTube, answering questions
using the chat box. “It’s challenging, but we’ve come to
many new realizations,” reckons Dr. Shishin Kawamoto,associate professor and director of the CoSTEP Department.
The positive aspects of online science cafés include an
overwhelming increase in participants and lower barriers for
those who feel out of their element when communicating
face-to-face with others. While classes have moved online,
available tools and functions remain limited, which makes
it imperative to reimagine conventional ways of teaching
and communicating, including the consideration of how
to incorporate what had been practiced as face-to-face
instruction.
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised expectations for
effective communication in science and technology, but thefaculty are calling on students to remain even-keeled with acalm, dispassionate view of their expertise and responsibility
for providing information.
In terms of research, the CoSTEP Department has
published feature articles on COVID-19 in its publication,
the Japanese Journal of Science Communication, since midApril. The five articles that have been published received
over 17,000 pageviews in the past four months, much morethan usual. Director Kawamoto remarks, “We should
consider the ideal organizational structure and operationsof the CoSTEP Department based on the assumption that
infectious disease outbreaks, natural calamities and otherincidents – that have made us recognize the importance of
science and engineering communication – will continue totranspire.”

The future of the OEC
Science cafés held by the CoSTEP Department. The above photo shows a prepandemic, in-person event; the below photo shows an online event held during
the pandemic.

With the impact of COVID-19 likely to continue over the
coming months or longer, both departments plan to further

Initiatives taken by the e-Learning Department have been recognized with many
awards including:
Right: The Open Courses Award of the 2018 Open Education Awards for
Excellence, awarded in recognition of a set of courses of exemplary quality
in the presentation of educational content, in terms of breadth, depth andcreativity;
Left: The Open Education Special Category Award of the Japan E-Learning
Awards (2016), awarded in recognition of excellence in e-learning content
and service that unleash the learning potential and academic abilities ofstudents.

The OEC inked a comprehensive partnership agreement with the Sapporo
Community Plaza (August 2020). To the right is Dr. Masahiro Matsuo, OEC
director. To the left is Mr. Masaharu Ishii, director of the Sapporo Community
Plaza.

expand the scope of their activities. For instance, the OEC
inked a comprehensive partnership agreement with the
Sapporo Community Plaza in August 2020 to provide
an opportunity for interactions and learning through theorganization of events featuring science, technology andart, whose interrelations have drawn attention of late. The
e-Learning Department intends to develop educational
resources for digital literacy as part of its ongoing joint
research with the private sector. OEC Director Matsuo
states, “The e-Learning Department has expertise ineducational methodologies, whereas the CoSTEP
Department excels in educational practice. Both are experts
in developing the educational content that we need today.
We look forward to further demonstrating synergy between
them.” OEC remains committed to maintaining the qualityof university education and publicizing all that HU has tooffer throughout Japan and elsewhere.

Litterae Populi Autumn 202013

Hokkaido University × SDGs

Heisei Poplar Avenue, lined withtrees planted in October 2000 tomark HU’s 125th anniversary.

From the Pre-SDG Pursuit of
Sustainability, to Efforts to Achieve theSDGs, and Toward a Path Beyond
Hokkaido University ranked first in Japan in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact
Rankings*1 2020, which shines a light on the commitment of universities to social contributions toward
SDGs. The rankings are designed to showcase progress toward the 17 SDGs by measuring universities’social and economic impacts.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are a set of goals adopted by the international
community at the United Nations Summit in September
2015. The SDGs aspire to ‘leave no one behind’ and requireconcerted efforts by the international community.
The 17 SDGs, which are accompanied by 169 targets,
are integrated. Since they are inseparably linked, achieving
the goals requires partnerships between different academic
disciplines and society in general, and there are growing
expectations for universities to play their part, too.

The history of Hokkaido University and the SDGs
HU’s initiatives toward the SDGs predate their adoption
at the UN.
We at HU will celebrate our 150th anniversary in
2026. As we approach this important milestone, we havebeen moving forward with reforms since 2014, to become
an institution that can contribute to the resolution of global
issues—reforms based on the basic philosophies that have

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been upheld ever since HU’s founding and on its long-term
objectives.
One objective of the reforms, known as the Future
Strategy for the 150th Anniversary of Hokkaido University,
is to sustain future generations by resolving various issues.
The appeal of HU includes vast fields, such as on the
Sapporo Campus, which has 11 undergraduate schools,
the Hakodate Campus, a livestock farm and other farms, abotanical garden, experimental forests—some of the largest
such forests at any university in Japan—and training ships(the Oshoro-Maru and the Ushio-Maru) that belong to the
School of Fisheries Sciences. Leveraging these vast, diverse
fields to our advantage, HU has been engaged in researchand education that are related to the SDGs.
Since establishing the Office for a Sustainable Campus(now, the Sustainable Campus Management Office) in2010, HU has promoted sustainable campus initiatives
to help create a sustainable society through its research,education, social cooperation, and campus development.
Today, HU takes a leading role in such initiatives among

institutions of higher education in Japan.
Hokkaido University was initiallyfounded as Sapporo Agricultural College.
Professor Takanori Nishimura, dean of the
Research Faculty of Agriculture, states,“Research and education activities to create asustainable society have been under way at the
School of Agriculture for more than 140 years,
since before the term ‘SDGs’ even existed.” Infact, research and education at the School, theGraduate School, and the Research Faculty ofAgriculture are closely related to the SDGs.
This year, to highlight their connections with
the SDGs, the website of each laboratory
includes icons for the SDGs that are related
to their research activities. This demonstrationof relations between their research fields andthe SDGs expedite their networking withprivate businesses and other stakeholders inindustry. Further, the interlinked nature of theSDGs is expected to promote interdisciplinary
collaboration.

Educational initiatives

The 17 SDGs.
1876 HU founded .......

Hokkaido University
Designation of the
Hokkaido University
Library as a United
Nations depository
library in 1962.

2004-1st

2010-2nd

2016-3rd2022-4th

2028-5th

HU Future Strategy, 2014-2026

national
university
corporation

Sustainability Weeks

・2005; The Hokkaido University Initiative for Sustainable
Development is formulated.
・2007; The first Sustainability Weeks
・2008; The Sapporo Sustainability Declaration・2010; The Office for a Sustainable Campus
・2010; The Center for Environmental and
The Future Strategy for the 150th
Health Sciences.
Anniversary of Hokkaido University
・2011; GiFT
An implementation plan for promotion
・2012; PARE Programof world-class research to sustain future
Major related activities
generations by resolving various issues.
・2014; RJE3 Program・2014; The Future Strategy forthe 150th Anniversary of Hokkaido University
Formulation of・2015; The Arctic Research Center
the Hokkaido University
・2016; The Hokkaido Summer InstituteCampus Master Plan 2018
・2016; The Sustainability Education Project Team
1996→2006→2018
・2017; The Hult Prize@Hokkaido University and the STSI Program
Sustainable campus operation with・2018; The Sustainable Campus Management Office
the SDGs in mind.
・2018; SDG-related projects and events
Sustainability Report publication,
・2019; Installation of SDGs Working GroupCO2 emissions reductions.
・2019; THE World University Impact Ranking (5th in Japan)
・2020; THE World University Impact Ranking (1st in Japan)

SDG-related student activities are also thriving
on campus. In 2019, HU’s Aquamou, a team offour students, became the first team from Japanto win at a Hult Prize*2 Regional Summit,
putting them among the top 40 teams fromaround the world.
“We also offer a vast lineup of SDG-related
courses,” remarks Professor Makoto Demura of
the Faculty of Advanced Life Science. “I myself
give a seminar for first-year students entitled ‘Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and Life Science.’ It is truly
crucial to raise student awareness and contemplation of how
their areas of specialization connect to society,” he adds.
Despite the great lineup of SDG-related courses, HU’scurrent syllabus search system does not enable students toeasily find SDG-related courses. It remains a challenge tomake explicit how HU courses relate to the SDGs.

Publicizing HU’s SDG initiatives far and wide
In Japan, educational reforms focusing on the SDGs arein progress. As curricula change, how incoming students
can learn about the SDGs at university will become an
important factor when they decide which colleges anduniversities to attend. “We thought HU should consider
launching organized publicity campaigns,” says Professor
Demura.
Despite its distinguished history and achievements ofcontributing to the SDGs, HU lacks an organization for
widely publicizing its SDG-related courses. For this reason,an SDG Working Group led by Professor Demura wasestablished; the group’s scrutiny of avenues to publicize

Sustainable development initiatives that have been undertaken at HU.

HU’s SDG activities far and wide bore fruit in the form of a
new SDG website*3 established this year. Professor Demura
stresses that the website mainly targets high school students
because it is most important that youths who will lead thenext generation will envision their future with the SDGs in
mind.
The COVID-19 pandemic stands in the way ofachieving the SDGs, but it has renewed our sense of theirimportance. HU is expected to make further contributions
to building a prosperous future.

*1 The University Impact Rankings are high-profile annual rankings
published since 2019 by Times Higher Education (THE), a UK-basedmagazine that reports on news and issues related to higher education. In 2020, Hokkaido University placed first in Japan and 76th
globally.
*2 The Hult Prize, organized by the Hult Prize Foundation, is theworld’s largest competition for crowdsourcing entrepreneurial ideas
from students. Held since 2009, this annual competition lets students worldwide compete on ideas to address challenges that alignwith the SDGs. The 2019 challenge was to build the foundations of aventure that will provide meaningful work for 10,000 youths within
the next decade, and the winning team received seed capital of USD
1 million (approx. JPY 110 million).
*3 https://sdgs.oeic.hokudai.ac.jp

Litterae Populi Autumn 202015

Refining:
Structural Mechanics

and the woody parts of bamboo are reinforced
with thin but robust fibers called vascular bundles.
Focusing on this unique structural morphology,
Professor Motohiro Sato of the Faculty of Engineering
analyzed its rigidity from the perspective of structural
mechanics and revealed the plant’s outstanding
mechanical properties in terms of intermodal spaces
and the density distribution of vascular bundles.
“I wasn’t good with my hands, so I was poor at
making things. Instead, I enjoyed thinking logically,
which led me to develop an interest in structural
mechanics,” says Professor Sato. After graduatingfrom Hokkaido Sapporo Kita High School, heentered Hokkaido University (Science I) in 1993.
After enrolling, he studied various subjects in theFirst-Year Education Division and ultimately came
to consider moving on to the School of Engineering.
“My first-choice was the Department of Civil
Engineering, because I wanted to pursue studies in afield where I could do something grand in scale,” hesays. In that department, he joined a laboratory that
conducts research on structural mechanics. Aspiring
to pursue his own original work, he chose a career asa researcher. Since joining the Hokkaido University
faculty in 2002, he has continued his own original
research based on structural mechanics.

Research on bamboo from the perspective ofstructural mechanics

A New Paradigm of Manufacturing Driven
by Unlocking the Secrets of Bamboo from the
Perspective of Structural Mechanics
On his decision to pursue his own original research

Motohiro Sato
Professor, Faculty of Engineering

A specialist in structural mechanics, Motohiro Satoearned his doctorate from the Hokkaido University
Graduate School of Engineering (Division of Structuraland Geotechnical Engineering). He was appointed tohis current position in 2019 after serving as an assistantprofessor in the Graduate School of Engineering from2002. He was awarded the NISTEP Researcher Award in2019 by the National Institute of Science and Technology
Policy (NISTEP), the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology. He is expected to play
an even more significant role in the coming years anddecades.

16

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

Bamboo has been part and parcel of the lives of Japanesepeople, as evidenced by archaeological finds of bamboo
articles unearthed at prehistoric Jomon sites. Due to its lightweight and rigidity, people have used the plant for various
purposes since ancient times. The hollow culm makes
bamboo lightweight, despite its ability to grow to greatheights. But the light weight alone would leave bamboo
vulnerable to strong crosswinds and make it difficult for theplant to support its own weight. To make bamboo not only
lightweight but also rigid, the hollow culm includes nodes
arranged at adequate spacing in the longitudinal direction,“My doctoral dissertation addressed the structural
mechanics of submerged floating tunnels,” says Professor
Sato. That research led him to studies on the structural
mechanics of various cylindrical objects, during which
he came up with ideas about the structural mechanics ofbamboo. Since bamboo has nodes along a hollow culm, hewondered if he could elucidate the roles of these nodes fromthe perspective of structural mechanics, as he thought theymust play a major mechanical role. He began by looking
into the internode lengths and found that the lengths in thelongitudinal direction are not uniform: Nodes are spaced
at short intervals near the bottom and the top and at longer
intervals in the middle. “When a force such as wind acts
on bamboo, greater force is applied to the bottom than to
the top of the culm, so we tend to think intuitively that
nodes must be concentrated near the bottom to withstandthe force. But that’s not true,” says Professor Sato. He thenlooked into the correlation between nodal distribution
and bamboo rigidity from the perspective of structural
mechanics and found that the nodal distribution ismechanically rational. “Bamboo with many nodes would beheavy, and so, mechanically disadvantageous. I found that,to avoid this, bamboo has only the minimum necessary
number of nodes and they’re only in the necessary places.”
Along with nodal distribution, Professor Sato focusedon the density distribution of vascular bundles. Observationof the woody parts in bamboo cross sections revealed thatthese bundles have higher density toward the outer part anddiffer in distribution near the bottom versus near the top.
From mechanical theory, Professor Sato established that the
distribution of vascular bundles is optimized to maximize
the bending stiffness regardless of whether the bundles areat the bottom, the middle or the top of the bamboo. These
research findings were featured in the scientific journal
Newton, and the related paper received the Japan Societyof Civil Engineers (JSCE) Best Paper Award. Further, inrecognition of his outstanding contributions to scienceand technology, Professor Sato was awarded the NISTEP
Researcher Award in 2019 by the National Institute of
Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
“My goal going forward is to unlock the secrets ofvarious structures from a mechanical viewpoint and offer
the findings for use in engineering. Using unique shapes
found in the natural world, I hope to give clues to a newparadigm of manufacturing,” says Professor Sato. He willcontinue his efforts to establish plant mimetics technology,
which takes advantage of novel structures and systems ofplants like bamboo, and to apply it to develop new durable,
lightweight materials.

Driving for a change!
Professor Sato loves driving.
He goes on drives around
Hokkaido for a change ofpace.

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

17

Alumni Interview

Having been fascinated by the sheer size of the Tokachi Wine vineyard he visited while in Tokachi
for practical training of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy, Jun Murata foundemployment at a company that had begun a winemaking business. After returning home to
Nagano Prefecture, he worked as the head of a winery and has since been engaged in making
wines that are ideal for Japan.
At Hokkaido University, he played trumpet in the orchestra. During our first interview,
he shared his memories of practicing the trumpet until midnight at the Student Center for
Extracurricular Activities. He also remarked that winemaking requires knowledge not just ofbasic chemistry, but also of ‘integrated chemistry,’ which includes biology, physics and earthscience. In this sense, what he learned at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy
has turned out truly useful, he says.
The brewery he runs expanded its facilities in 2020, as its custom-made wine is gradually
gaining name recognition.

This page features interviews with Hokkaido University alumni who are flourishing in society.
The feature highlights some of those we previously interviewed. To prevent the spread of
COVID-19, we interviewed them in writing this time and integrated the two interviews for thisfeature.

At the time of our previous interview in 2015, Satoshi Ishibashi was the head of the President’s
Office and the director of the Corporate Planning Department at Kyushu Asahi BroadcastingCo., Ltd. He had served as the producer of “Kenzo Kitakata’s Suikoden (Water Margin),” aradio drama that aired for six years. He named the drama’s opening song “Immortal Honor,”a term found in the lyrics of the Sapporo Agricultural College anthem. In recognition of hisachievements in the drama’s production, he received the Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting Company
Award in 2017.
In college, he devoted his waking hours to cheerleading. In our first interview, he also
shared his fond memories of drinking sake with shrimp caught while on the Hokusei-Marutraining ship for practical sessions of the School of Fisheries Sciences.
When 80 current and former members of the Hokkaido University Men’s Cheerleading Cluband Brass Band Cheerleading Club gathered for the Seven Universities Athletic Meet at Kyushu
University in the summer of 2019, he joined in and fostered relations with them.

Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting Co.,Ltd
Head of public relations

Satoshi Ishibashi

ge to
Messa
t
rr
u
c en
ity
nivers
U
o
id
Hokka
ts
studen｜School of Fisheries Sciences Graduate｜「Vol.56/2015」

Terms such as ‘the baby boom period,’ ‘the bubble economy
era’ and ‘the ice age’ are a mirror of society and give imagesof those times. Current college students are often referred
to as ‘the COVID generation,’ but nobody knows what thisterm will come to mean in the coming years and decades.
I hope that current Hokkaido University students—futurealumni—will view the current crisis as an opportunity andwill act positively so that Hokkaido University students of‘the COVID generation’ will be praised in later years.

Taishi Kamiya was engaged in new business development at Yamaha Corporation when weinterviewed him in 2016. He was working on business development, collaborating with othercompanies and with creators, to do what his company cannot do on its own and to leverage
respective strengths.
At college, he belonged to a music group and engaged in extracurricular activities. What
he learned through his research on ‘chaos’ on campus has influenced his mindset, he says.
After leaving Yamaha, he continued his studies at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction
Design. Today, he’s juggling two jobs that encompass the fields of business, design and art, at
KONICA MINOLTA, INC. and TAKT PROJECT Inc.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, some of you mustbe finding the unprecedented disruption to college life
challenging, while others may be viewing it as a moment of
introspection and may be discovering what you truly want
to do. Learning at college is about more than just attendingclasses and engaging in research, so I urge you to savor
every moment of the present and never idle it away.

Messa

ge to

current
ido Universitystudents

Hokka

KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
Human Experience Design Center
Design Strategist
TAKT PROJECT Inc.
Art Strategist

Taishi Kamiya「Vol.57/2016」

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

Jun Murata｜School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy Graduate｜

ge to
Messa
t
currenyiversit
n
U
ido
Hokka
ts
studen「Vol.58/2016」

Looking back, all my experiences, good and bad, havemade me who I am today. Even the hours we spend against
our will and the hours that appear blank aren’t wasted, butshape our hearts and minds for what’s to come. I therefore
urge you to do your utmost to get through these trying
times without feeling pessimistic.

A picture book called Space Station that Keisuke Iwaya read as a child made him hanker forouter space. While at the School of Engineering, he happened to see balloon-based space photos
taken by a university student in the United States, which prompted him to try balloon spacephotography himself. He first succeeded in photographing space when he launched his 11th
balloon, and he has ultimately become one of the nation’s foremost leaders in balloon spacephotography. Today, he is also engaged in other activities, like speaking at workshops for children,
writing picture books, and giving presentations to pass his passion for fulfilling his ambitions on
to the next generation.
In August 2020, he opened an office in front of Sapporo Station. He hopes to be of help to
Hokkaido University students suffering from pandemic-related income losses.

I’ve heard that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced ahighly restrictive campus life on Hokkaido University
students. It remains unclear whether ‘the new normal’
we’re witnessing right now is here to stay, but in emergency
situations, people who get ahead of others in gaining thecompetence necessary to cope can seize a chance to win.
I thus urge you to keep up your hard work while looking
ahead to the future.

｜School of Engineering Graduate｜

18

Murata Co., Ltd. Ina Wine Factory
Chief Executive Officer, Brewing Manager

Messa

ge to

current
ido Universitystudents

Hokka

Please visit the website below for our previous interviews with the alumni.
We have released the alumni interview video series “Groups of Hokkaido University Alumni:
Embodiments of the Frontier Spirit” on the HU official website and YouTube channel. In
the video messages to current and aspiring college students, our alumni enthuse about theircollege years and the experience gained through their careers. We sincerely hope you enjoy it!
Previous interviews: Litterae Populi Vol. 56–59
URL：https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/pr/publications/litterae.html
Alumni interview video series: Groups of Hokkaido University Alumni:
Embodiments of the Frontier Spirit
URL：https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/interview/

Iwaya Giken Inc.
Chief Executive Officer

Keisuke Iwaya｜School of Engineering Graduate｜「Vol.59/2017」

During the previous interviews, our fellow
alumni gushed about what they had learnedon our vast campus and what they poured
their hearts into other than their academic
pursuits, such as music, cheerleading,and outer space. They have never sinceceased their efforts, continuing to takeup new challenges in their fields. Their
positive attitude has given us much-needed
reassurance, as we are determined to emerge
from the Covid-19 pandemic stronger andto thrive in the post-pandemic world.

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

19

From

China/Korea

LetterLettterrs fr
f om Ambbas
assa
sado
sa
dorrs
rs andd Par
artn
tner
ner
es

Building an Even More Vibrant Alumni Network
This issue features contributions from HU Ambassador Qian Qian in China and HU Partner
KunWoo Chun in South Korea.

1

2

1

Dr. Qian Qian

Dr. KunWoo Chun

Deputy Director, China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI)W

hen I was sounded out aboutbecoming an HU Ambassador, I felt it both a great honor and aheavy responsibility. I feel truly honored that my alma mater still remembered a student from another country
and appointed him as an HU Ambassador. More than three decades havepassed since I left HU, but the memories of my days there are still etched in
my mind. The mission of international students from China is to advanceacademic exchanges and cooperation
between Japan and China and to contribute to the development of various
research disciplines.
I was enrolled in a master’s course
in genetics and plant breeding at
the Hokkaido University Graduate
School of Agriculture from October1986 to March 1989. The scene I
most vividly recall is the one where
my classmates and teachers were toiling and sweating in a field next toPoplar Avenue, lined with trees over
100 years old. The idyllic sight of
their plowing the brown soil beside
the green Poplar Avenue under a blue
sky with white clouds made a lasting
impression. Regrettably, Typhoon
Songda in September 2004 toppled
more than half of those poplars, but

Professor, Division of Forest Science, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University

I later received a pendant with a headmade of wood from one of the toppled trees from a professor who had
really helped me out while I was at
HU. I’ve held it dear as a keepsake of
my youth.
Since returning home, I’ve often
visited HU to promote exchanges andcooperation in paddy rice research
between Japan and China while doing my utmost to help advance paddy rice research in both countries byintroducing scholars and other experts in China to research programs
under way at HU. I’ve also attended
gatherings of the HU China Alumni
Association, where I’ve made every effort to support current HU students
based on my friendly relations with
HU officials. As luck would have it,
however, I was appointed to the Chinese Academy of Sciences last year,
and that appointment has made meeven busier than ever. I am, therefore,
thinking of retiring from my HU
Ambassadorship to make way for ayoung alumnus or alumna.
I live in Hangzhou City. It’s anadopted home where I’ve lived longer
than in my original home, as I foundemployment here, got married here,
and raised my children here. Hang-zhou was a small city when I settled
down, but it’s rapidly grown into avibrant metropolis thanks to the nation’s decades-long reform and opening-up policies. I love this city. If
there’s any shortcoming, it’s that thesummers are too hot. Whenever I’mout in a field cross-breeding rice orobserving the grain shapes in scorching heat over 40 degrees Celsius,
I wish it weren’t so hot. I miss thesnow, the blue skies, and the whiteclouds of Sapporo.
Since the motto of HU is ‘Be
ambitious,’ I hope all its students areambitious and never cease to keep
working toward their goals with thefrontier spirit for which Sapporo is
known and with the principles ofpractical learning, diligence, and innovation that have been pursued by
HU. I also hope that the HU China
Alumni Association will reach out
to many alumni and build relations
with those who are active in Hangzhou and elsewhere in China tocontribute to the friendship between
Japan and China and to advances inscience.

comprehensive erosion control, as opposed to erosion control simply basedon analytical interpretations of data,
has been a beacon for my research.
To stay grounded in that idea
after returning to Korea, I visitedthe laboratory every year and received guidance from professors
Tohru Araya, Tomomi Marutani
and Takashi Yamada. I also received
instruction from Professor Futoshi
Nakamura and Professor Shoichi
Kimura at the Laboratory of Ecosystem Management. (Professor Kimura is an HU alumni and currently aprofessor at Gifu University.) Further,
I have encouraged many of my students to study at HU.
Although Chuncheon City, where
I live, is at a much lower latitude than
Sapporo, the two cities are similar
in terms of natural conditions suchas vegetation; however, Sapporo hasmuch greater snowfall. Furthermore,
Kangwon National University, where
I work, has a lot in common with
HU. Just as the forerunner of HU
was Sapporo Agricultural College, so
Kangwon National University developed from Chuncheon Agricultural
College. The first president of Kangwon National University graduatedI

learned about the HU Ambassador and Partner System in 2015
from Professor Joo-Young Cha, thethen-director of HU’s Seoul Office,and I am honored to have been inaugurated as an HU Partner at theappointment ceremony in Seoul in
April 2016. I was also appointed as
the first president of the Korea Yeonlyeongcho Association of Hokkaido
University at its kickoff ceremony on
the same day. The association is a new
alumni group consisting of HU Ambassadors and Partners in South Korea. These appointments have mademe feel truly honored and pleased
with the opportunity to return thefavor to all those at HU who helped
me out in the past.
I belonged to the Laboratoryof Erosion Control Engineering at
the Hokkaido University Graduate
School of Agriculture for four years
from 1983: one year as a research
student, and three years as a doctoral
student. The wide-ranging guidance I
received in those years from my supervisor, Professor Saburo Higashi,
regarding the origin and directionof erosion control engineering laid
the foundations for my 33-year academic life. Most notably, the idea of

1. Gongchen Bridge (built in 1631 during the Ming Dynasty),
located at the southern end of the Grand Canal connecting
Beijing and Hangzhou (2,500 km in length, completed in
610 during the Sui Dynasty), a UNESCO World Heritagesite.
2. A rice paddy owned by the China National Rice ResearchInstitute (CNRRI).
3. CNRRI (built in 1989), where HU Ambassador Qian Qian
serves as deputy director.
4. HU Ambassador Qian Qian with primary school students
who visited CNRRI on a social studies field trip.
3

20

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

2

4

3

4

from the HU School of Science, andmany HU alumni have since served
as the president of our university.
Also, in the Division of Forest Science, the second, fourth, and ninth
deans were HU alumni before I was
selected to be the 14th dean.
So far, interactions among alumni appear to have been mostly limited to a personal level, like those between laboratory alumni. To expand
and continue such interactions foryears to come, we need to encourage alumni to participate in various
events held by HU and incentivize
them to contribute to exchange activities.
In our busy lives, we tend to forget what matters to us, but we alumni should keep in mind that we are
who we are because we’ve been able
to make our dreams come true—
dreams we dreamed while studying
on the HU campus. As we’ve been
driven by what we learned and experienced at HU, so should we help
drive HU forward and upward sothat we can become the pride of the
University as we work in our respective fields with an abiding belief in
the institution.

1. The inaugural ceremony of the Korea Yeonlyeongcho
Association of Hokkaido University and the appointment
ceremony for HU Ambassadors and Partners (April 2016).
2. A row of Metasequoia (dawn redwood) trees on Nami Islandin the North Han River in a suburb of Chuncheon City,
where Kangwon National University is located, is known as
a location for the popular Korean television drama WinterSonata. (Photo credit: Chuncheon City).
3. HU Partner KunWoo Chun with students on South Korea’s
Teachers’ Day (May 15).
4. The Kangwon National University campus illuminated during
its university festival (Photo credit: Kangwon National
University).

Litterae Populi Autumn 202021

Hokkaido University Archives

140 yearsofchallenge

1

SCENE-13

1896-1907
Elevation of Sapporo
Agricultural College to
University Status

8
3

2

7

1. Lecture hall for the course on forestry, which is today’s Furukawa Hall (ca. 1910,
Hokkaido University Archives).
2. Faculty and inaugural class of the Agricultural College (1908, Hokkaido University
Archives).
3. The Campus of the Agricultural College, looking southwest from the entrance to thelecture hall for the course on forestry (1917, Hokkaido University Archives).
4. Shosuke Sato, president of the Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University (ca.
1910, Hokkaido University Archives).
5. Doctor of Agriculture diploma awarded to Yoshimaro Tanaka by the graduate school of
the Agricultural College (1917, Hokkaido University Archives).
6. Main gate of the Agricultural College (ca. 1910, Hokkaido University Archives).
7. Preparatory document for the opening ceremony of the Agricultural College of Tohoku
Imperial University (1907, Hokkaido University Archives).
8. The Hokkai Times editorial of January 11, 1902, entitled “Recommendations for the
Establishment of Hokkaido University”.
9. Professor Yuzo Hoshino and students in the course on horticulture (1909, Hokkaido
University Archives).

4

5

Origins of higher educational institutes in Japan

6

took every opportunity to lobby officials of the government
and the Ministry of Education for the expansion of schools andIn the 1870s, ministries and agencies of the Meiji government
the elevation of SAC to university status. Also calling for theestablished institutes of higher education to produce talentestablishment of a university based on SAC were the members ofwith the expertise necessary to transform feudal Japan into a
the Hokkaido Board of Education, the Sapporo Ward Assembly
modern industrialized state. By 1890, many of such institutes
and the Hokkaido Assembly, local supporters, and newspaper
were reorganized by the Imperial University (later renamed
and magazine publishers.
Tokyo Imperial University) as its colleges (which correspond
However, the momentum waned due to circumstances
to today’s undergraduate schools). The colleges of law, letters,
including the Russo-Japanese War and financial problems
science, and medicine originated from institutes for Western
facing the country. In addition, the rule that a university hadstudies established by the Tokugawa shogunate and placed
to have more than one college made it difficult to independently
under control of the Ministry of Education. A school establishedelevate SAC to university status.
by the Ministry of Justice was integrated into the College ofIn 1906, the Ministry of Education compiled a budget toLaw. The College of Engineering was established based on a
add two imperial universities as follows: 1. to establish Tohoku
school founded by the Ministry of Industry, and the College
Imperial University in Sendai consisting of the colleges ofof Agriculture was founded based on a school whose operations
agriculture and science by elevating SAC to university status
had been handed over from the Ministry of Home Affairs to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.
The only schools that were established by“As business flourishes, studies on the close relationshipgovernment ministries and agencies but were not
manufacturing, forestry, and fisheries will take on greater
integrated into the Imperial University were thoseestablished by the Ministries of the Army andincreasingly important role in Hokkaido. As our institution
Navy and Sapporo Agricultural College (SAC),
eternity, we must work together to ensure that it will further
the last of which was founded by the Hokkaido
Development Commission.
(Excerpt from President Shosuke Sato’s speech at the opening ceremony of the
When it was founded, SAC stipulated that
it would award a Bachelor of Science to students
and newly founding the college of science in Sendai; and 2. to
who would successfully complete prescribed courses, and it
establish Kyushu Imperial University in Fukuoka consisting of
granted that degree to graduates of the college’s regular course
the colleges of medicine and engineering by making the Fukuoka(honka). Technically, SAC was not a college, but it was on par
Medical College of Kyoto Imperial University independent
with the colleges of the Imperial University.
and newly founding the college of engineering. Once again,
financial problems would soon bring that plan to a halt.
Momentum for elevating SAC to university status
From around 1897, when Kyoto Imperial University was
Financial aid from the Furukawa family
established as the second university in Japan, moves to increase
To help resolve the financial problems, the Furukawa family lent
the number of universities spread in the government and thea helping hand. The family owned an industrial conglomerate
Ministry of Education, and hopes for SAC’s elevation tocalled the Furukawa Zaibatsu, whose companies included theuniversity status increased among SAC officials. At SAC’s
Furukawa Mining Company, which ran the Ashio Copper Mine
commencement ceremony in 1896, Yasutaro Hara, directorand had been under fire for pollution from that mine. Takashi
general of the Hokkaido Government, expressed his desire forHara, who was then the minister of home affairs and would
the establishment of a university based on SAC. In 1898, thelater become prime minister, had served as an advisor to the
Sapporo Agricultural College Student Association published
Furukawa family and came up with a plan to donate one million
an article entitled “Recommendations for the Establishment
yen toward the expansion of universities. In his childhood, Haraof Sapporo Imperial University” in its brochure Sapporo
had been a classmate of Shosuke Sato at a school of the Morioka
Agricultural College. Meanwhile, SAC President Shosuke Sato
22

Litterae Populi Autumn 2020

9

Domain.
After the government greenlighted the establishment of
Tohoku Imperial University and Kyushu Imperial University,
the Furukawa family donated funds to build four lecture halls
for the College of Engineering of Kyushu Imperial University,
one lecture hall for the College of Science of Tohoku Imperial
University, and four lecture halls for the Agricultural Collegeof Tohoku Imperial University. The lecture halls built at theAgricultural College were one for the preparatory course and thepractical and fieldwork course, one for the course on agriculturalchemistry, one for the course on forestry, and one for the courseon stock farming. Of these nine lecture halls, only the one forthe course on forestry at the Agricultural College still remains.
It is today’s Furukawa Hall.
Furukawa Hall has witnessed the history of SAC being
elevated to university status and today’s Tohoku University

between theory and practice in agriculture,importance and our institution will play an
is something that should exist in timelessimprove and thrive with time.”
Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University)and Kyushu University being established. It may be describedas the last surviving witness to a history that encompasses thatof universities, pollution at the Ashio Copper Mine, and thefriendship between Shosuke Sato and Takashi Hara.

The Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial
University
In September 1907, the Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial
University opened with 12 courses on agriculture, agriculturalchemistry, agricultural physics, botany, zoology, entomology,
sericulture, horticulture, stock farming, agricultural policy, andcolonial science. The courses were later increased to 27, and a
graduate school was established in 1913.
In his address at the opening ceremony of the Agricultural
College, President Shosuke Sato, who had attended the opening
ceremony of SAC in 1876 as one of its 24 inaugural students,
made reference to Harvard University and Yale University,
which had also started as small schools, and he said: “With just

10

10. Seminar on agricultural economics (ca. 1910, Hokkaido University Archives).

over 30 years of history, this institution is finally about to diveinto the vast sea of scholarship.” This sentence encapsulates the
pride he felt at SAC having remained on par with the imperial
university colleges and the emotion he felt at the thought of
the hardships endured to achieve SAC’s elevation to university
status.
Ho k k a i d o Un i ve r s i t y

HISTORY
1896-1907

1896 July

The director-general of the Hokkaido Government expresses his desire forthe elevation of SAC to university status at the commencement ceremony.
1897 June
Kyoto Imperial University is established.
1898 June
The Sapporo Agricultural College Student Association publishes an article
entitled “Recommendations for the Establishment of Sapporo Imperial
University” in its brochure Sapporo Agricultural College.
1899 May
President Shosuke Sato asks the Ministry of Education to elevate SAC touniversity status.
July
The Hokkaido Board of Education submits a proposal for the establishmentof Sapporo Imperial University to the minister of education.
A supporters’ association in Sapporo submits a proposal for theestablishment of Hokkaido Imperial University to the minister of education.
1900 February
The director-general of Sapporo Ward submits his opinion regarding
the establishment of Hokkaido Imperial University to the directorgeneral of the Hokkaido Government and the minister of home affairs.
Supporters in Sapporo establish the Association for the Establishment of
Hokkaido Imperial University .
1902 January
The Hokkai Times publishes an editorial entitled “Recommendations for
the Establishment of Hokkaido University.”
1905 November The Hokkai Times publishes an opinion piece entitled “A Case for the
Establishment of Hokkai University .”The Hokkaido Assembly passes a proposal regarding the establishment of
Hokkaido Imperial University.
1906 May
The director-general of the Hokkaido Government announces a draft Hokkaido
Project Plan that includes the establishment of the university.
June
The Sapporo Ward Assembly passes a proposal regarding the establishment of
the university.
AugustThe Hokkaido Association submits its opinion regarding theestablishment of Hokkaido Agricultural University to the Ministry of Education.
December The Furukawa family offers to donate one million yen for the expansion ofuniversities.
1907 June
The establishment of Tohoku Imperial University is officially announced.
September The Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University is established on
September 1, and its opening ceremony is held on September 11.

Hokkaido University Archives
This facility collects, classifies and preserves historical documents andrecords of Hokkaido University. It also conducts investigations andresearch on its history.
Litterae Populi Autumn 202023

To p i c sProfessor Hisayoshi Yurimoto of the Facultyof Science awarded Japan’s Medal with
Purple Ribbon
Professor Hisayoshi Yurimoto of the Faculty of Science
was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon at the 2020
Spring Conferment. The Medal with Purple Ribbon is a
Medal of Honor bestowed by Japan upon individuals withoutstanding achievements in invention or discovery inscience and technology, academics, sports, and art.
Having been engaged in research and education inearth and planetary sciences for decades, Professor Yurimoto
plays an active role on the global stage. His contributions
include the development of the world’s first isotope
microscope system. Isotope microscopy is a novel tool for
imaging the micro-level distribution of isotopes that arecontained in meteorites and other materials. The system’s
development has enabled the discovery of novel cosmic

materials, resulting in great advances in our understandingof the origins of the solar system, where we humans live.
In 2011, the findings of his analysis on rock particles
from the asteroid Itokawa that were returned by the asteroid
probe Hayabusa were published in Science, an American
scientific journal. Currently, he is preparing to analyze
samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu that are to be
returned by Hayabusa 2 in December 2020.
Professor Yurimoto says, “Who knows? Substances
unknown to humans may be discovered. As researchers
around the world are braving the COVID-19 pandemic
in preparation to analyze the samples, I hope everyone islooking forward to what we’ll find.” We cannot take oureyes off his research!

Hokkaido University Hospital COVID-19 Fundfor Safe and Secure Hospital Environment
established
In July 2020, Hokkaido University Hospital establisheda fund for fighting COVID-19 so that patients canreceive medical care without anxiety, and our healthcare workers can provide medical services with a senseof security.
Donations made to this fund will be used to ensure
the safety and security of patients (e.g., purchasing handsanitizers, implementing measures to prevent infection
within the hospital) and the safety and security of ourhealth care workers (e.g., medical masks, gowns andother personal protective equipment).
The kind support and cooperation of everyone isvery much appreciated.

Hokkaido University Hospital COVID-19 Fund for Safeand Secure Hospital Environment.
Contact Us
Hokkaido University Hospital Finance Planning
Section Budgeting and Accounting Team［Tel］011-706-7089

北大病院安全安心基金［E-mail］b-zaimu@jimu.hokudai.ac.jp
Professor Yurimoto and the isotope microscope system developed at his laboratory (2015 photo).

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Campus Landscapes

A Change of Seasons
Photographer: Akihito Yamamoto

a

b

c

d

e

With the arrival of September, crisp autumn winds blow on campus.
a. Gingko Avenue

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usually bustling Hokkaido
University campus seems serene and deserted.

b. Enyu Gakusya Community Hall
c. Entomology and Sericulture Hallc d

For those who may find it difficult to visit our campus amid ongoingcalls for prudent public action, we have uploaded videos featuringseasonal campus scenery to our website. Please enjoy them!

QR codefor videos
introducing HU.

a

Main
Gate

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d. Elm Groveebe. Bust of Dr. William S. Clark
N

North13
Gate

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https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/

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