Spring 2023

A news magazine presented by Hokkaido University

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

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

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Feature: To Tackle
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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.”

Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere
Teshio Experimental Forest
Cognitive Science Research Center
Hokkaido Transformation Cross Space (HX)
An integrated pre-incubation facility

14Interview with the president

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Refining: Cell Physiology

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Alumni Interview

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Letters from Ambassadors and Partners

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140 Years of Challenge

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Topics30

Campus Landscapes

Feature:KIMATA Masatoshi
Chairman of the Board, Kubota Corporation

To Tackle
Hokkaido University will celebrate its 150th anniversary
in 2026, and we are now tackling the challenges of both
local and global issues in the pursuit of achieving the
SDGs. Here we introduce three initiatives under thetheme of “To Tackle.”

OHBA Yusuke
Professor, Faculty of Medicine
AMANO Maho
Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine

HIRATA Misako
Manager, Management and Planning Section, Planning Division,
General Affairs and Planning Department, Hokkaido Regional
Forest Office, Forestry Agency

This magazine is an English translation ofLitterae Populi Vol.70, published in March 2023.

Litterae Populi Spring 2023
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
Photos by Hiromi Terashima (Kotoha-sha)
Production assisted by Morikatsu Sato (Morikatsu Sato Design Office)Printing by Iword Co., Ltd.
Cover Photo taken at Central Lawn

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Photo of Heisei Poplar Avenue

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Japan’s northernmost experimental forest:a showcase of future forest development

Lumbering work at the Teshio Experimental Forest.

Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere

Teshio Experimental Forest

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The Teshio Experimental Forest has not only served as a site ofresearch and education of the University, but also as a property
where trees have been grown for business purposes. We aremaking the most of the natural environment and vegetation ofJapan’s northernmost research forest to create a forest with evenmore diverse functions.
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Feature: To Tackle

To Tackle | Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere Teshio Experimental Forest

Japan’s northernmost university research forest
The Teshio Experimental Forest is Japan’s northernmost
university-owned forest. It is located on the 45ºN in
the latitude. It is about 300 km north of the Sapporo
Campus—a 5-hour drive. It was established in 1912 as
the Toikanbetsu Experimental Forest of the Agricultural
College of Tohoku Imperial University, which preceded
Hokkaido University. It covers an area of about 22,500
hectares, equivalent to 4,800 times the size of Tokyo Domebaseball stadium. The Teshio Experimental Forest and its
neighboring Nakagawa and Uryu experimental forests arefamous as a trio of northern forests covering a total area ofover 60,000 hectares. The Teshio Experimental Forest is
one of the world’s largest research forests owned by a single
university.

The Teshio Experimental Forest on the 45ºN in
the latitude.

Special soil and flowers that bloom only here
The forest area experiences heavy snowfall and the annual
average temperature is about 5°C. The western part of theforest comprises a mixture of coniferous and broadleaved
trees, which are typical of Hokkaido, while the eastern partis globally valued pure forest of Sakhalin spruce. “These
three northern forests show similar vegetative composition,
but the Teshio Experimental Forest has more conifers, which
are suited to cold climates, than the other two. The reason
for the domination of the Sakhalin spruce is not only theclimate, but also the geological conditions,” says Professor
Kentaro Takagi, the director of the Teshio Experimental
Forest at the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere.
In the eastern part of the forest, ultramafic rock called
serpentinite is widespread, and the soil here resists vegetation
establishment by general plants. Pure forests of the slowgrowing Sakhalin spruce have developed under these
special soil conditions that are unsuitable for the growthof other tree species. Growing slowly over hundreds ofyears, Sakhalin spruce exhibits closely spaced annual rings,
making it ideal for precise processing. The wood was once
prized for musical instruments. The Teshio Experimental
Forest preserves Sakhalin spruce trees that are over 500
years old.
The vegetation in serpentine zones tends to be unique.
In addition to the Sakhalin spruce, several other endemic
species are found in this zone. Teshio-kozakura (Primula
takedana) of the primrose family blooms only here, andattracts enthusiasts from all over Japan during its annual
one- to two-week flowering season. Ozeso (Japonolirion
osense) is found only in Teshio, on Mt. Shibutsu near
Ozegahara in Nikko, and on Mt. Tanigawa. Blooming onlyin isolated areas, Ozeso attracts great scientific interest,
and researchers from other universities regularly visit theexperimental forest to study the plant.

Serving as a research field for the Brown Bear
Research GroupThe Teshio Experimental Forest abounds in wildlife,
including the Ezo brown bear, Steller’s sea eagle, Japanesehuchen, and cherry salmon. The unique value of the06

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

Professor Takagi, director of the Teshio
Experimental Forest.

Left: A 30-meter-high tower equipped with monitoring
devices.
Above: Inside a prefab hut located by the monitoring tower.
In this computer room, researchers analyze various sets ofmonitoring data.
Below: Work with a high-performance forestry machine called
Feller Buncher Zaurus Robo. This heavy machine builds forest
roads, fells trees, and collects felled trees.

Distribution of serpentinite in the Teshio
Experimental Forest.

forest attracts researchers not only in forest science, butalso in ecology, geology, and various other fields. The
natural environment here is used for practical trainingof undergraduate and graduate students of Hokkaido
University, as well as other institutions in Japan and beyond.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the forest was used by atotal of more than 3,000 people a day per year.
The Hokkaido University Brown Bear Research Group,
a student club, also uses the Teshio Experimental Forest as
their research field. For over 40 years since 1975, the grouphas conducted brown bear population and other surveys.
Many club members draw on their field survey experience at

the forest to become researchers at universities and research
institutions. In July 2021, the Brown Bear Research Grouppublished a paper on the results of their analyses of 40 years’
worth of data on brown bear traces like footprints and scats,under the initiative of the group’s alumni.

Large-scale, long-term research
The Teshio Experimental Forest, with its vast tracts of land,
heavy machinery, and technical staff, has been the site oflarge-scale, long-term field research. One research projectmonitors the carbon cycle function of forest ecosystems. This
project was launched in 2001 by Hokkaido University, theNational Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) Center
for Global Environmental Research, and Hokkaido ElectricPower Company’s Research and Development Department
to clarify how human activities affect the forest’s ability toabsorb CO2 . In this project, researchers cut down trees in a
13.7-hectare area and planted about 30,000 seedlings in theclear-cut area. They have been monitoring how the forest’s
CO2 absorption changes through the processes of logging,planting, and growing of trees long-term. During the initial
seven years after logging, more CO2 was emitted than wasabsorbed, but in the eighth year this trend was reversed, andCO2 absorption began to outpace CO2 emissions. It took as
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Feature: To Tackle

To Tackle | Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere Teshio Experimental Forestlong as 18 years for the forest to recover all the CO2 emitted
into the atmosphere due to the logging. The infrastructureof this ongoing monitoring site has also been used for manyother studies, including those on the material cycle in river
basins, CO2 emissions from soil, and numerical simulations.
Professor Takagi mentioned, “We all came together to plantseedlings. While continuing various studies, we predictedthat we would be able to recover all the CO2 released byclearing trees by the time of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
Another project is a soil warming experiment that began
in 2007. This field study will examine whether or not along-term, 3ºC elevation in soil temperature will accelerate
carbon decomposition in the soil. Forest inventory studies
for the entire Teshio Experimental Forest are also being
conducted from ground-based and aircraft measurements.
Long-term monitoring data on the ecology and environmentof the forest have been collected and made publicly available
for use by researchers worldwide.

Superb artisanship and state-of-the-art
machinery

Koike, who is set to retire in March, is imparting his skills to his younger
colleagues.

Yamamoto is using a chainsaw to remove branches.

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When asked about the appeal of the Teshio Experimental
Forest, Professor Takagi modestly replied, “I’m gratefulthat people of different backgrounds use the forest despite
its geographical disadvantage. I think another attraction
is its relatively high wood production.” The Field Science
Center for Northern Biosphere, of which the Teshio
Experimental Forest is a part, introduced state-of-the-art,high-performance forestry machinery about two years ago,
and the efficiency of wood production has skyrocketed. The
machines have been used in parallel with the traditional
method of logging with chainsaws. The Center has also
devised ways to sell lumber, such as auctioning good lumber
at precious wood markets. This has led to a twofold increasein profits since the machines were introduced.
Logging takes place in winter, when the trees are dry.
Locally employed skilled forestry staff play a crucial rolein logging here. Among other things, felling of standing
trees requires excellent skills. One of the staff members,
Yoshinobu Koike, is highly skilled in the quick felling oftrees in the right direction, and has earned the trust ofProfessor Takagi and other faculty members. Reflecting on
his work at the forest, Koike observes, “My work is diverse.
For example, I operate heavy machines, plant saplings, andcut bamboo grass. I also sometimes help faculty members
and students with their research. As a result, I’ve learned
a lot myself. While logging in winter is hard, it is truly
rewarding. Now that we have machines, it has become alittle easier. I used to cut down about 20 trees a day with achainsaw.”
Skilled young forestry staff are making vigorous efforts
with the support of their colleagues to overcome theshortage of willing successors facing the forestry industry
in general. Yurika Yamamoto, who is in her second year at
the Teshio Experimental Forest, joined the forest staff at therecommendation of her high school teacher. She expressedTeshio Experimental Forest office building in a blizzard.

her aspirations, saying: “At first, I was worried that I would
not have the physical strength for logging, but with thesupport of my senior colleagues, I’ve made it. Since I was injunior high school, I have always wanted to pursue a career
related to the environment. I think I’m doing importantwork because cutting down trees and maintaining forests
help preserve the environment. I hope to learn to do a good
job like my senior colleagues.” Yamamoto admires Koike as
her mentor and has learned various techniques from him,
including how to ensure safety.

Creating forests with diverse values andfunctions
In 2017, Hokkaido University and Horonobe Town, where
the Teshio Experimental Forest is located, concluded acomprehensive partnership agreement to promote studies,
education, culture, and local industry. Based on theagreement, wine barrels have been made from Japanese oakfrom the Experiment Forest. Wine, sake, and craft gin thathave been aged in these barrels are sold in Horonobe andalso serve as gifts in return for donations received as partof the tax-deductible donation program known as furusato
nozei. Collaboration will continue across a wide array offields, including the joint organization of work experience
programs for junior high school students, a Teshio-kozakura
flower appreciation event for enthusiasts throughout Japan,

and open seminars for local residents.
Professor Takagi stresses the future of forest management:
To ensure efficient wood production while protecting theacademic and scenic value of the Experimental Forest, it
is essential to manage it from a long-term perspective inconsideration of the ideal function of each part of that forest.
At the Teshio Experimental Forest, efforts have been
made to find a way to generate profits while protecting
the valuable vegetation that has thrived in the challenging
natural environment and distinctive soil. Today, the staff
are taking another steady step in the snowy mountain forest
toward the goal of becoming a sustainable research forest in
the future.

Wine barrels made by Horonobe Town.

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According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,the number of dementia patients aged 65 or older is
expected to reach around seven million by 2025. Thismeans that one in five elderly people will suffer fromdementia. With its particularly rapidly shrinking and aging
population, Hokkaido is expected to have a high ratio of
dementia patients. Addressing the dementia issues requires
a perspective stretching beyond medical intervention. It
is a social issue that demands a comprehensive approach.
Against this backdrop, Hokkaido University established
the Cognitive Science Research Center in April 2022 topromote dementia-related research and countermeasures,and to ensure the successful deployment of the results insociety. At the Center’s inaugural lecture meeting in July
2022, Hokkaido University President Kiyohiro Houkin,
who chaired the Science Council of Japan’s Comprehensive

Study Committee on Cognitive Impairment, delivereda keynote speech. The event drew a significant crowd,
including researchers from within and outside theUniversity, as well as corporate representatives, indicating
the keen interest in this subject matter.

Tackling the challenges with the University’scollective strength

Dementia-related research subjects are manifold. In
addition to medical areas, dementia involves countless issues
crossing disciplinary boundaries that must be addressed,
including social issues of supporting people with dementia
and enabling them to live their own lives. Expertise in
information engineering and other disciplines is also
necessary to take advantage of AI and other technologies.
Capitalizing on the advantages of the comprehensive

Cognitive Science Research Center

Creating a sustainable,
dementia-friendly society
The Cognitive Science Research Center was established in April 2022 to promoteworld-class dementia-related research towards the creation of a sustainableaging society. Here, a broad array of research projects are underway to solve thepressing issues facing Japan’s aging society by bringing together all the wisdom of
Hokkaido University.

Professor Ichiro Yabe (right),
the representative of the Center,and Associate Professor Mika
Otsuki (left), the coordinator,
oversee various research projects
conducted at the Center.

university, the Center aims to create a dementia-friendly
society, based on the three pillars of developing technologies
for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia;
creating a dementia-friendly community; and promoting
digitalization and eliminating the digital divide.
The members of the Center include researchers fromvarious departments, including the Faculty of Medicine,
the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University
Hospital, the Institute for Genetic Medicine, the Facultyof Advanced Life Science, and the Faculty of Information
Science and Technology. Professor Ichiro Yabe (Departmentof Neurology, Faculty of Medicine), who serves as therepresentative of the Center, shares his aspirations, “My
hope is that by fostering more lateral ties through interdepartmental collaboration, we can achieve greater research
results than before.”
Dementia is a general term used for symptoms causedby cognitive decline and does not denote a specific disease.
Even if someone is diagnosed with dementia, identifying thespecific causative disease can be an extremely challenging
task. This has been an obstacle to the development oftherapeutic drugs. To find clues to resolve this issue,
Professor Yabe is focusing on the establishment of a brainbank in Hokkaido. Brain banks collect and store biologicalsamples of dementia patients, including brain, spinal fluid,and blood, for use in the development of diagnostic andtherapeutic methods. Brain banks already exist in andaround Tokyo, but there are none in Hokkaido, yet. The
establishment of brain banks for the analysis of genes,
proteins, and other biological molecules helps to identify
components that may be applied to diagnose dementiacausing diseases, which in turn lead to the development oftherapeutic drugs.
Currently, the Faculty of Advanced Life Science and theInstitute for Genetic Medicine are using these biologicalsamples to develop biomarkers that can be used for the early
detection of dementia, the diagnosis of diseases that cause
dementia, and evaluation of the severity of dementia.

Experiments at the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine.

techniques using new MRI technology, the suppression ofbrain inflammation that is associated with early symptoms
of dementia, the study of genes that cause dementia, andthe research of dementia-preventing foods. Through theseresearch projects, the issue of how society should address
dementia is investigated from many perspectives.
Dr. Otsuki comments, “People with dementia requirevarying degrees of care, from around-the-clock assistanceto none at all. Our goal is to create a seamless system thatprovides care at every stage of the disease, allowing people
to help one another when necessary.” Professor Yabe hopesthat many people will become interested in dementia andjoin them as friends of their research or supporters of people
with dementia. The Cognitive Science Research Center
strives to create a dementia-friendly society filled with
optimism for the future by tackling dementia together, adisease that will affect everyone directly or indirectly.

Living well with dementia

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown theimportance of remote systems in a wide range of fields.
Regardless of the pandemic, however, remote systems may
be key in the fight against dementia. As with other diseases,
early detection of dementia is essential for its treatment,
but specialist consultations are not easily accessible topeople in many areas of Hokkaido. As the Center’scoordinator, Associate Professor Mika Otsuki (Departmentof Emergent Neurocognition, Faculty of Health Sciences)remotely monitors the daily lives of elderly people while
maintaining respect for their privacy, observing changes intheir movements and collecting and analyzing their data
to detect early signs of dementia. Dr. Otsuki enthuses
about the future, “We are currently collecting data with thecooperation of elderly residents of the Makomanai DanchiComplex in Sapporo. I hope to collect data on a much larger
scale in the future, and to use the analysis results to benefit
the community, and establish a regional network to combat
dementia.”
The center is also conducting many other projects,
including the development of diagnostic imaging

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Above: Remote evaluation of an elderly person’s cognitive
function.
Below: Explaining how to use a cell phone to perform brain
training exercises.

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accelerate business creation.

Entrepreneurial consultation services tocatalyze the formation of new industries

The name “HX” is derived from the concept of transforming
the conventional industrial structure by multiplying (X) the
wisdom (H) of Hokkaido. The word “wisdom” is “eichi” (叡智) in Japanese, a homophone for the alphabet H.
HX has four major initiatives: support of entrepreneurial
activities, entrepreneurship development, the developmentof an entrepreneurial environment, and the formation ofentrepreneurial ecosystems.
Manager Takita explains, “In our support of entrepreneurial
activities, we work closely with researchers (faculty
members) and students who wish to start their own business.
Entrepreneurship development is aimed at students withthe main goal of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset andteaching them how to start a business. The development ofan entrepreneurial environment is exactly what HX is about.
As we see HX as a pre-incubation facility for the next step,
we encourage anyone wishing to start a business to freely
contact us. The formation of entrepreneurial ecosystems
means building a solid structure for startups by strengthening
not only intra-university networks, but also networks withindustry, government, and financial institutions.”
Staff members of HX (from the left):managers Yanagihara, Takita, andChiwaki.

Hokkaido Transformation Cross Space (HX)
An integrated pre-incubation facility

Fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs in
Hokkaido to drive positive global change
The Hokkaido Transformation Cross Space (HX) is a hub of support for R&Doriented startups in Hokkaido. It helps researchers and students start businesses
through widely differing programs, including an entrepreneurship development
program, a human resources matching program, and networking events forexperts, researchers, and representatives from companies.
Hokkaido has seen a rapidly shrinking, aging population.
The brain drain from Hokkaido has also cast a cloudover sustainable development of industries. Particularly
noticeable is the outflow of talented young people, as many
Hokkaido University graduates find jobs outside Hokkaido.
To help transform Hokkaido from a region with advanced
challenges to an affluent, livable region, the Hokkaido
Startup Future Creation Development by Mutual Support
Network, or HSFC*1 for short, was established in 2021
Yosuke Takita, a manager at HX, comments, “HSFCis an academia-centered industry-government-banking
collaboration platform that includes 15 Hokkaido-

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based universities and technical colleges centered around
Hokkaido University, Sapporo City and other local
governments, and financial institutions. Here, universities
and collaborating institutions join hands to create R&Doriented startups.” The goal goes beyond simply creatinga large number of startups and helping them achieve
economic prosperity; HSFC endeavors to build a startup
support system as a framework for solving the challenges
facing Hokkaido.
In October 2021, Hokkaido Transformation Cross Space(HX) was launched to bolster this network of universities
and collaborating institutions and implement initiatives to

The first in line to accelerate job creation

HX serves as a hub of networks as its members include not
only staff affiliated with Hokkaido University, but also
faculty members of Otaru University of Commerce andother outside advisors.
“Examples of matters that faculty members often seek
advice on include things to consider when building astartup, such as patents and trademarks, as well as postlaunch fundraising issues. We actually offer fundraising
coordination services,” comments Haruka Chiwaki, amanager at HX.
Advice seekers include students who have only a vague
idea about starting a business. “To students thinking about
launching a business rather than finding a job, I explain thebusiness sector and the process of establishing a company
based on my own experience,” says Shinta Yanagihara,another manager.
HX was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. After
more than a year, the number of face-to-face consultations
is gradually increasing, as is the number of events.
“We want to engage students not only in science, but also
in the humanities. To raise awareness of entrepreneurship,
we held social business events in 2022. For the events, wepartnered with the managers of four incubation centers
in Sapporo, including EZOHUB at a Satudora*2 outlet,
and took turns hosting events on social business once a
week. Those events attracted a total of about 100 people
and were supported by the City of Sapporo, the Hokkaido
Government, and the Sapporo Electronics and Industries
Cultivation Foundation,” remarks Manager Takita.
Manager Chiwaki adds that they have also started holding
events to match researchers with business owners. Whenstarting a business, researchers often face the problem of
having no one to serve as a manager. This has led to theorganization of such matching events in partnership with

The exterior of HX, located on the Northern Campus (Kita 21, Nishi 11).

K-NIC*3. HX has received many consultation requests frombusiness owners interested in research seeds at Hokkaido
University.
“The work here is more rewarding than challenging,” says
Manager Chiwaki. “Faculty members who come to us foradvice have one thing in common: their strong desire to use
their expertise to bring positive change in the world. I’ve
seen the power of people and networking every day as I’ve
realized how working together opens new horizons.”
In the long history of the University, some research
projects have developed alongside Hokkaido’s industries.
With practical learning upheld as one of the University’s
fundamental philosophies, HX is committed to tackling thechallenges facing Hokkaido and creating new sustainableindustries.

At a press conference held when HX was launched in October
2021, Kiyohiro Houkin, President of Hokkaido University,and Makoto Anazawa, President of Otaru University ofCommerce, joined forces to create startups.

*1: The abbreviation HSFC is pronounced eichi force, which means thepower of wisdom.
*2: “Satudora” is short for Sapporo Drug Store, a drug store chain
headquartered in Sapporo.
*3: K-NIC is the acronym for the Kawasaki-NEDO Innovation
Center. It’s a one-stop support center for entrepreneurs operated
by the tripartite collaboration of the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO), the City of
Kawasaki, and the Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion.

【HX website】

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Interview with the president

Guest

KIMATA
Masatoshi
Chairman of the Board, Kubota Corporation

Since its founding in 1890, Kubota Corporation
has been committed to solving various social
problems in the areas of food, water, and theenvironment. Today, Kubota conducts businessin more than 120 countries, with overseas sales
accounting for more than 70% of its total sales.
President Kiyohiro Houkin, who has beenleading reforms to make the University an
unparalleled institution, interviewed Masatoshi
Kimata, an alumnus of the University and adriving force behind Kubota’s globalization,
about his life and Kubota’s corporate philosophy,
among other topics.

Be ambitious!
Frontier spirit to tackle
global challenges

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Student days spent doing nothing but experiments
Houkin: I was watching the World Cup soccer match on TV
early this morning (Japan vs. Spain on December
2) and was impressed by the Kubota commercial. It
communicates the image that Kubota is a forwardlooking company doing business with a data-based
understanding of Qatar, the host country of theWorld Cup.
Kimata: In Qatar and other Middle East countries, wehave mainly contributed to water projects. Anothercommercial featuring actress Masami Nagasawa,with the message Because there is a wall, we go
there, also attracted attention both inside andoutside our company.

study diesel engines, my favorite subject. There, mysupervisor, Dr. Murayama, and Takemi Chikahisa(professor emeritus at Hokkaido University, now
president of Hokkaido Polytechnic College), withwhom I worked as a lab team, would work me to thebone. This may be unthinkable today, but I often
went without sleep for several days on end runningengines.
		My research was on how to reduce NOx andCO2 emissions from diesel engines. I spent hours
collecting data while changing the injection method
used for the engine. Through this experience, I
developed a sense of perseverance.

Houkin: You started working in Georgia in the U.S. in
1988. I studied in California for about two and ahalf years from 1986. At that time, the Japanese
economy was booming based on the strength of
the yen, and many Japanese people were working
around the world.
Kimata: When I was assigned, the Tsukuba Plant was anestablishing a plant in the southern state of Georgia?
Kimata: I was the only expatriate in charge of the Plant,
so it was truly challenging to do everything on myown, including planning, construction, employee
recruitment, sales promotion, and new productdevelopment. That being said, I had free rein. The
rigorous training that I had endured during myschool years was paying off (laughs).
		
I chose Georgia mainly because it had thelargest market for tractors and other agricultural
machinery in the U.S. Other reasons include theproximity to customers and the beauty of the area,
which has many forests, like Japan. Today, Kubota
has eight plants in Georgia employing about 3,000
people.

Houkin: I understand you are from Gifu Prefecture. Pleasetell us about your background and why you chose
Hokkaido University.

Houkin: You returned to Japan seven years later. Was itchallenging for you to adjust to the business culture
in Japan?

Kimata: Partly because my father and uncle worked forthe former Japanese National Railways, I always
drew pictures of steam locomotives as a child. My
love of steam locomotives sparked my interest in
boilers. Later, with the shift from steam to diesel
locomotives, I came to be fascinated by diesel
engines.
		When I was in high school, I liked traveling bytrain, which made me want to also visit Hokkaido
someday. I then thought that if I attended auniversity in Hokkaido, I would be able to travel
there. So, Hokkaido became a dream destination as
an extension of my travels.

Kimata: When I returned to Japan, I wanted to be involvedin the globalization of the company but ended up
returning to the Tsukuba Plant. There, I worked on
the development of large tractors and their sales in
the U.S. Kubota’s market share for large tractors had
been a mere 3%, but I was able to boost it to 15%.
		When I started working in the U.S. in 1988,
Kubota was an unknown company. Around 1995,
however, it came to enjoy greater visibility. After
2000, I was moved by the fact that more and more
people said they were using our tractors. I had put“Boys, be ambitious” into practice.
		Today, Kubota has plants all over the world,with more than 70% of its total sales generated
overseas. Since half of those overseas sales areexported from Japan, however, we need to build
more plants overseas.

Houkin: What were your student days like?
Kimata: I remember being cash-strapped and unable totravel very often. I spent the money I earned frommy part-time job on tuition and alcohol. That said,
I traveled around Hokkaido with a huge backpack
like other cash-poor young travelers in Japan inthose days. Just like those backpackers, who werecalled “crab tribe” because of their appearance
from behind, I slept in train station buildings or on
benches.
		
At the School of Engineering, I enrolled in
Dr. Murayama’s Heat Engine Studies Course 2 toI believe your research at the
University has continued to this day.
– Dr. Houkin		I strived to develop environmentally friendly
engines. I also considered electronic control of
exhaust gas purification and transition from diesel
oil to hydrogen fuel.

Houkin: I believe your research at the University has
continued to this day. What made you decide tojoin Kubota?
Kimata: Kubota was an option because it was a machinery
manufacturer that was also engaged in research anddevelopment of engines, working on large engines
at the time. I chose the company based on a strong
recommendation by a senior student.

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

I strived to develop environmentallyfriendly engines. I also consideredelectronic control of exhaust gas
purification and transition from diesel
oil to hydrogen fuel.
– Mr. Kimata

Putting “Boys, be ambitious” into practice16

		Upon joining the company, I expressed mydesire to engage in R&D of engines during myplacement interview, but I was assigned to a tractor
plant in Tsukuba. I felt a bit let down at first.

international plant in the company, and half of
its products were exported. In view of the rapid
appreciation of the yen, I advised the GM of theplant to open a production base outside Japan.
Before I gave that advice, I had an opportunity to
go on a two-month business trip across the U.S. The
trip totally convinced me that my mission was tohave Kubota develop tractors and other agricultural
machinery suitable to the U.S. market. I was young
and cocky, but I volunteered to set up a production
base in the U.S. and was told to do so without any
objections.

Houkin: In 2010, you went to Thailand as the president of
the local branch of Kubota.
Kimata: At the time, I was misunderstood as being strict
about productivity and streamlining, which led to
the formation of a labor union. Later, a massive flood
hit Thailand, dealing a devastating blow to many
companies. When many companies decided to pullout of Thailand, I publicly stated that Kubota would

Houkin: In those days, most of the Japanese companies
doing business in the U.S. were either on the Eastor West Coast. You must have had a hard time

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

17

never pull out. Nearly 1,000 employees joined mein the recovery efforts, and the labor union fizzled
out. When I resigned, the workers sent me off withapplause. I found my work there both challenging
and rewarding.

behind both in tangible and intangible aspects of
the overall business process. We should take careof the entire business process, from start to finish,
while at the same time enhancing productivity not
only of machinery but also of crop cultivation, forexample, through automation and robotization.

Food, water, and the environment.
Houkin: Japan has been mired in economic stagnation
for more than three decades, and as the situation
continues to worsen, there is pessimism about
the country’s economic future. How will Kubota
respond to the situation and to globalization going
forward?
Kimata: Expanding business in niche markets may havebeen sufficient until now, but the time has passed
when we can survive by focusing solely on thetangible aspects of our business. We see food, water,
and the environment as the most important businessareas for the future. We cannot necessarily help toincrease food production just by making tractors,
because we have to consider the intangible matters
as well. Although I’m not inclined to embrace fads,
digital transformation (DX) is the future of waterrelated projects. It seems to me that Japan is lagging

Houkin: It’s the concept of value chains, isn’t it? In
the medical industry, major companies that
manufacture large equipment have recently formed
value chains and focused more on establishing
new software networks. Japanese companies havepartially achieved some success, but not completely,
because there are limits to manufacturing alone.
I took your comment to mean that even a big
company like Kubota still faces some obstacles.
Kimata: If there are fewer farmers due to the aging of
the population, there will be no one who can use
agricultural machines, no matter how great they are.
It is thus important to digitize and share the knowhow of those farmers. Smart agriculture must be
promoted in broad areas including competitors andcompanies in other sectors, but that is not enough.
We need to establish a structure that enables us tojoin hands with the world in reference to examples

in Europe.
Houkin: In retrospect, Kubota may have made many
mistakes as well, I guess.
Kimata: We’ve made countless mistakes (laughs). Businessdevelopment can be classified into two types: the“parachute” approach, which involves expanding
into unrelated areas, and the “underground watervein” approach, which entails exploring newopportunities within existing business domains.
Agricultural machinery business belongs to thelatter type, where business begins with castings andthen expands to include cast pipes, engine blocks,
engines, agricultural machinery, and construction
machinery. Nevertheless, Kubota’s management
once ordered a “parachute jump” into new
business fields because expansion in existing fields
alone would not develop the company, thereby
unsuccessfully embarking on the computer businessand golf course management. I thought they’dbetter explore the terrain before diving.
		I tell young employees that they can makemistakes because they can learn lessons from their
mistakes, but the management is not allowed tomake mistakes.

Houkin: I agree. It’s difficult, but the management should
not take too large a risk. In golf, we say “Never up,
never in.” Those who know the situation well should
oversee the business to make sure that it does not go
in the wrong direction.
		Lastly, I am interested to know which areas
Kubota intends to concentrate its expertise on in
the years to come.
Kimata: Food, water, and the environment. Centering onthese areas, Kubota will promote smart autonomous
technology, resource circulation, and decarbonation
to provide differentiated products and solutions that
only Kubota can offer.
Houkin: Actually, those fields are the strengths of Hokkaido
University, and we have long been engaged in thefields of food, water, and air as field sciences. Hence,
the activities of our alumni at Kubota are inspiring
to our students.
		 Today, I was impressed by the idea ofglobalization. It’s essential to consider where yourcompany is in the world, and the same is true of
universities as well.
		
Thank you very much for your time today.

Centering on the areas of food,
The activities of our alumni

water, and the environment, we

at Kubota are inspiring to our

strive to provide differentiatedstudents.

products and solutions that only

– Dr. Houkin

Kubota can offer.
– Mr. Kimata

18

HOUKIN Kiyohiro

KIMATA Masatoshi

President, Hokkaido University

Chairman of the Board, Kubota Corporation

Born in Hokkaido in 1954. Graduated from Hokkaido
University School of Medicine. Doctor (medicine) (HokkaidoUniversity). Worked for Hokkaido University Hospitaland other facilities since 1979. After working as a visiting
researcher at the University of California, Davis, became
an assistant professor at the Hokkaido University Graduate
School of Medicine in 2000, professor of Sapporo Medical
University School of Medicine in 2001 and professor of the
Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine in 2010.
After becoming the director of Hokkaido University Hospital/vice executive of Hokkaido University in 2013 and the
director of Hokkaido University Hospital/vice president of
Hokkaido University in 2017, assumed the present positionin October 2020.

Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1951, Masatoshi Kimata graduated from Hokkaido University’s School of Engineeringand joined Kubota Tekko K.K. (currently Kubota Corporation) in 1977. He was transferred to the U.S. in 1988. After returning to Japan in 2001, he served as the GM of the
Tsukuba Plant. He then assumed the posts of Director andManaging Executive Officer in 2009 and President of Siam
Kubota Corporation, Kubota’s subsidiary in Thailand, in
2010, among other positions. He was appointed as President
and Representative Director in 2014, before taking up thepost as Chairman of the Board and Representative Director
in 2020. He assumed his position as the Chairman of theBoard until March 2023 and is currently Special Corporate
Advisor.

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

19

Refining: Cell Physiology

Dr. Amano has been promoting the commercialization of a diagnostic technique developed by Professor Ohba. Theirinitiative has garnered significant public interest, culminating in them being bestowed the highest award by the New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) TCP* in March 2021.
*TCP stands for Technology Commercialization Program. It supports researchers with an entrepreneurial mindset. Their initiative, Opto-diagnostics
Pickles to bring light to every patient’s future, received the highest award at NEDO TCP.

Department of Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University

AMANO Maho

OHBA Yusuke

Maho Amano, a Doctor of Agriculture, completed her Ph.D.
at the Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate
School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University ofTokyo. She was appointed to the position of Specially Appointed
Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Advanced Life Science,
Hokkaido University, in 2007. She then became a University
Research Administrator, a role that enhances and supports
research activities; and thereafter an Assistant Professor at theFaculty of Medicine in 2019. She assumed the position of Lecturer
in 2020, and was interviewed for this article during this period.
In April 2023, she assumed the position of Specially Appointed
Associate Professor.

Yusuke Ohba, a Doctor of Medicine, specializes in cell
physiology and bioimaging. He completed his Ph.D. in
Pathological Science at the Hokkaido University Graduate Schoolof Medicine. He started his basic medical research as a researcher
at the International Medical Center of Japan Research Institute.
After working as an Assistant Professor at Osaka University and
The University of Tokyo, he became Associate Professor at the
Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicinein 2006. He
was appointed to his current position in 2012.

Lecturer

20

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

Professor

Day 1
1. Isolation of
CML cells

Day 2
3. molecular targeteddrugs treatment

2. Introduction of Pickles
into the CML cells

CML cells

Day 3
4. Imaging

5. Image
analysis

6. Determinationof drug efficacy

FRET efficacy

Fluorescence diagnostic technique
Shining light on the future of chronic
myeloid leukemia (CML) patients

Successful deployment of groundbreaking research
results in society
Physiology is the study of the basic functions and mechanismsof the body. In particular, physiology is aimed at elucidating
the mechanism of homeostasis, the ability to maintain theinternal milieu, which is a requisite for people to stay alive.
Our bodies are known to be made of 60 trillion cells. Cell
physiology seeks to find answers to the question: How is thehomeostasis of each and every cell maintained?
Once homeostasis is disrupted, the risk of diseases increases.
For instance, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a bloodcancer that develops when an abnormal chromosome known
as the Philadelphia chromosome forms in hematopoietic stem
cells, and the protein BCR-ABL appears in the cells.
While molecular targeted drugs are considered effective forthe treatment of CML, it takes months or even more than ayear to determine the efficacy of the drug in each patient after
the treatment was started. If the drug was found ineffective,
different drugs must be used. To solve this problem, Dr.
Yusuke Ohba, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, developed
pre-treatment diagnostics for CML therapeutics utilizing
fluorescence diagnostic technique, and Dr. Maho Amano, a
Lecturer in the faculty, has worked to deploy the diagnostics
in society.
Professor Ohba has been engaged in medical biology
research since 2012 in the Department of Chronophysiologyof the Hokkaido University Graduate School of
Medicine(currently, Department of Cell Physiology, Facultyof Medicine). Previously, he had been engaged in research at
International Medical Center of Japan Research Institute theInternational Medical Center of Japan Research Institute;
Osaka University; and The University of Tokyo, following
his graduation from Hokkaido University’s School of
Medicine. One of his research focuses has been fluorescencebioimaging, with the goal of applying it to clinical testing.
Fluorescence diagnostic technique enables highly sensitiveand quantitative measurement of protein interactions andstructural changes in living cells by visualizing them using
fluorescent protein. Professor Ohba used the fluorescentprotein—for which Dr. Osamu Shimomura won the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry in 2008—to perform fluorescencebioimaging, and applied that technology to clinical testing
for CML. He then developed the opto-diagnostic techniquecalled Pickles (Pickles: Phosphorylation indicator of CrkL
en substrate), which allows the evaluation and prediction of
the efficacy of molecular targeted drugs for CML, enabling
the pre-treatment determination of a drug’s efficacy against
specific CML cells. CML cells are isolated from a patient’s
bone marrow and Pickles is applied to them; when these cells
are treated with different molecular-targeted drugs, CML
cells for which the drug is effective appear blue and thosefor which the drug is ineffective appear yellow. The timerequired from bone marrow sampling to the determinationof drug efficacy is about three days, enabling significantly
accelerated confirmation of drug efficacy compared with thecurrent methods. This revolutionary technology makes it
possible to verify the efficacy of drugs at a glance—but theunprecedented nature of the technology left clinical testing
companies uncertain.
Under these circumstances, to ensure the successful
deployment of the opto-diagnostics developed by Professor
Ohba in society, Dr. Amano launched a startup at Hokkaido
University: Horizon Illumination Lab Optics, Co. Ltd., aka
HILO. She had first learned about the research on optodiagnostics while investigating medical research seeds in her

Day 0
0. Bone marrow
sampling

Sensitive

Resistant

Cell number

Determination of drug efficacy using the opto-diagnostics Pickles. CML
stands for chronic myeloid leukemia, and FRET stands for Förster Resonance
Energ y Tra nsfer (a lso, Fluorescence Resona nce Energ y Tra nsfer), a
fluorescence diagnostic technique.

role as a University Research Administrator. She reminisces:“I found it puzzling that this remarkable research seed had
not seen any progress toward commercialization, so I visited
Professor Ohba. I realized that the social application of thetechnology would require the establishment of a company,
but no one was available to take the lead as president. I
instinctively wanted to give it a try myself.” She established
HILO in August 2021 and serves as its president. At present,
she is kept busy with her duties as a university Lecturer as wellas business owner.
Thoughts embodied in the company’s name
HILO is the acronym of Horizon Illumination Lab Optics.
Professor Ohba and Dr. Amano say they are aiming to createa society where imaging technology will shine light on eachpatient’s future and enable them to receive treatment withpeace of mind. They are seeking to obtain regulatory approval
from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare within five
years, and continue on this path toward tailor-made medicine,selecting the optimal treatment for each CML patient.

HILO lab, located in the incubation facility Hokkaido University
Business Spring, in the University’s Northern Campus. The lab
has two researchers. They engage in technology development
through collaborative research.

Professor Ohba enjoys playing
mu sic a l inst r u ment s. St a f fmembers at the Department of
Cell Physiolog y say that he isalso good at cooking and DIY
carpentry.
Dr. Amano likes reading books on non-work-related topics on
holidays and before going to bed.

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21

Using the power of painting to bringpeople closer to nature while listening to
the voices of forests and the workers
A lumniw
Inter vie

At the Department of Forest Science, it came to me as ashock when I learnt about mycorrhizal fungi. While forests
support human life through the respiration of trees andthe production of wood, it is fungi that support forests.
Mushrooms are to fungi what flowers are to plants; the main
body of fungi consists of hyphae, which spread around treeroots and in the soil. Fungi have a symbiotic relationship withtree roots. When hyphae extend to other plants, nutrients canbe transported to distant trees through the hyphal network.
In this respect, forests are a lifeform with interconnecting
hyphae under the ground. My excitement at the realizationthat fungi support the flow of energy throughout the entire
earth led me to decide to study mycorrhizal fungi.
While at university, I was impressed by a scene in a virginforest in the Daisetsuzan Mountains. The forest was full of“corpses,” which was contrary to my childhood impressionthat forests are full of life and therefore exciting, which
I probably developed because my parents often took me
camping. In forests, new trees keep growing on top of deadtrees over hundreds of years. It was great to feel the endlesscycle of death and rebirth.

Hirata’s works
are posted on the
Hokkaido Regional
Forest Office website.

Yes. I also considered a career in research, but my desire toraise public awareness of the charms of forests, including
fungi, led me to work for the Forestry Agency. In my second
year there, I was appointed as a forester to patrol and survey
the national forests. I was assigned to the Forestry Agency’s
first project to promote forestry while protecting the naturalenvironment, together with local residents and members of anature conservation organization in the Akaya Forest locatedon the border between Gunma and Niigata prefectures. The
project involved many people who were familiar with themountains, and the best I could do was to draw illustrations.
Gradually, people began to use my illustrations, and I felt that
illustrations could be my weapon.
—Is there anything you keep in mind when you draw
illustrations?
I make a point of gathering information on site, as far as
possible. I also have a specialist, such as a professor at Hokkaido
University, take a look at my rough sketches whenever I can.
In the beginning, many mistakes were pointed out, such as“Rabbits’ ears face forward when they run.” While it may bechallenging to replicate everything precisely, the insights I
acquired from visiting field sites myself continue to shape myunderstanding today.

HIRATA Misako

Manager, Management and Planning Section, Planning Division, General Affairs and Planning Department,
Hokkaido Regional Forest Office, Forestry Agency| School of Agriculture – Graduate School of Agriculture Graduate |Misako Hirata aspires to become an “interpreter” and“cheerleader” of forestry using her illustration and cartooning
skills based on her frontline experience as a forester at theForestry Agency. The bold composition of her illustrations isfascinating, and her cartoons with humorous dialogue warm
the hearts of readers. She works earnestly as a cartoonist at theForestry Agency, and discussed her interests since her school
years and her motivation to continue drawing illustrations
and cartoons in an interview.
— What was your childhood like?
When I was a child, I loved reading The Insect World of J.
Henri Fabre and drew insects and various other pictures.
When I was in the first grade of elementary school, mydrawing of a fire engine was chosen to represent my class in a22

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

sketching contest. As a girl who had rarely been praised, thisincident made me decide to become a painter (laughs).
In high school, I had a sense of inferiority, because it was astruggle to study and manage the brass band I headed. Evenso, my passion for creativity remained.
—What made you enter the Department of Forest Sciencein the School of Agriculture at Hokkaido University?
What did you learn there?
In high school, I was in two minds on whether to become apainter or a biologist. Having studied painting on my own,
I decided to study ecology at university and entered the
School of Agriculture. There, I was blessed with classmates,
70 percent of whom were from outside Hokkaido, and wehitchhiked across Hokkaido.

—In relation to your earlier account of mycorrhizal fungi,
I wonder if the broad compositions of your illustrations
are due to your experience of seeing forests, including theunderground, more extensively than most people.
That may be so. I would like to serve as an interpreter
highlighting the relatively unknown but commendable partsof forests.
—What do you mean by “interpreter”?
I would like to spread the word about the functions of fungi
and forestry. I want people to know that forests in Japan arepreserved by those working in mountains. I also want forest
workers to know the charm of forests and the fact that urbanlife cannot be sustained without forests. I draw illustrations in
the hope that I will become a cheerleader who helps to create
more cheering parties for forestry.
—How did you acquire the skills to use novel perspectives,
such as bird’s-eye view illustrations?
I have no idea. Someone who looked at my illustrations told
me that they had never thought of such angles, but theseangles come to my mind effortlessly. This may be because I
had once read that Fabre used to crawl on the ground to watch
insects.
—After completing graduate school, you joined theForestry Agency, didn’t you?

—What are your career aspirations
for the future?
My goal in life is to draw an illustrationthat will remain 100 or 200 years into
the future. Even if I, the illustrator,
become anonymous, I want to leave
one that shows the relationship between
living beings and forests. To achieve thisgoal, I will continue to study and draw
illustrations.

Hirata’s study in her house.

—Finally, what thoughts or insights would you like toshare with the students of Hokkaido University?
Despite the prevalence of online communication, it isimportant to value in-person interactions. I believe my
ongoing pursuit of what I love is what has led me to where
I am today. I hope that Hokkaido University students will
never be afraid to share what they love and value.

PROFILE
Misako Hirata was born in Hokkaido in 1978. After graduating from the
School of Agriculture at Hokkaido University in 2002 and completing amaster’s course at the Graduate School of Agriculture in 2004, she joined theForestry Agency. She worked as a forester in Gunma and Shizuoka prefectures,and then in the Forestry Agency’s Public Relations Office in Tokyo, before beingtransferred to the Hokkaido Regional Forest Office. She has also worked as a
cartoonist for the Forestry Agency to spread the appeal of forestry to the public.

Litterae Populi Spring 2023

23

From

Korea/USA

Letters from Ambassadors and Partners

A bridge between Hokkaido University and the world
This issue features contributions from Dr. Jong-Sup Park, who is active as a Hokkaido University ambassador
in Korea, and Dr. Alexander Pettitt, who is active as a Hokkaido University partner in USA.

1

2

1

2

Dr. Alexander Pettitt

Dr. Jong-Sup Park

Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy faculty at California State University Sacramento

Emeritus Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Chungbuk National UniversityAmbassadors play an importantrole in diplomacy, representing
their own country and communicating its intentions to their host country. I believe my responsibility as a
Hokkaido University Ambassador
is to lead the internationalization of
Hokkaido University; I encourage
many young Korean people to pursue
their dreams at Hokkaido University
by promoting it in South Korea. I feel
truly honored to be able to serve as an
Ambassador because I want to do all
I can for the development of Hokkaido University, where I worked from1987 to earn my Ph.D.
I have given the students at
Chungbuk National University,where I work, promotional materials about Hokkaido University that
I receive from the Hokkaido University Seoul Office. In interviews, I
have also told them what a wonderfulplace the University is. I have taught
Japanese to students in my spare time
for about 10 years. Some of my students have since gone on to study
or enroll in short-term programs inJapan, and are now teaching at Japanese language schools. Increased

interest in the Japanese language andshort-term programs in Japan among
Korean students will motivate more
students to study in Japan. The goalof Korean students studying abroad is
to become university professors or researchers at research institutes when
they return to Korea. To get a job
at a university or research institute,
they need to publish many papers inworld-class academic journals andaccumulate various research results. I
hope Hokkaido University will provide more support for international
students so that they can accumulate
and publish many research results
while studying in Japan.
I believe that the successful internationalization of Hokkaido
University will require more robust
people-to-people exchanges. It will
be easier to solve problems by communicating in-person than by phoneor e-mail. My meeting in Seoul with
President Kiyohiro Houkin and Atsushi Yokota, Executive Vice President in charge of international affairs
management, in November 2022,
was truly instructive for me to help tointernationalize the University as an

Ambassador. In my opinion, arranging regular meetings for Hokkaido
University Ambassadors in different countries to engage in dialogue
would solidify the collaborative
framework for the development of
the University.
I live in Cheongju City, an inland city located in central South
Korea, where snow rarely falls. As thecapital of North Chungcheong Province, the city has long been known
as a city of education. The popular
Korean dish of samgyeopsal is said tohave originated in Cheongju’s Seomun Market in the 1950s.
There are two adages that cometo mind: “All things under the sun
eventually converge like flowing
rivers” and “While one can change
one’s nationality, the history of one’s
alma mater can never be changed.” I
hope that international students who
studied at Hokkaido University willremember the University, where they
pursued their dreams, forever. I urge
everyone at Hokkaido University tounite with me in pursuit of its enduring development.

I

museum for a drink after work with
ISP* colleagues, meeting my fiancée by the river at Central Lawn forlunch in the sunshine, and trying
the tasty food at the Hokudai-sai(Hokkaido University Festival) aresome of the more personal memories
that spring to mind.
Sapporo and Sacramento areboth capitals of their respective regions (Hokkaido and California),
but both make the pace of life lesshectic than other more bustling metropolises. They are also very wellconnected to nature, with nearby
mountains, lakes, and countryside.
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) has lots of trees on
campus, which makes for lovely Fall
scenes, and both cities are also famous for the wide variety of foodavailable, with Sacramento being
called the “farm to fork” capital of
America. The winters aren’t as cold
here, though the locals still manage
to celebrate Christmas with great
enthusiasm, and you can readily
buy real Christmas trees (picture
included with our cat!). The sum-was very pleased to be asked
to continue to be a part of the
Hokkaido University family. It has
been an important part in my academic career and I’m very happy togive back in some form. During the
pandemic, I’ve had little chance to
do much as an HU Partner but, inthe future, I would like to investigate the possibility of establishing a
student exchange between our universities. I know there is a great dealof interest for students in the U.S. tospend some time in Japan.
While in Sacramento, I’ve continued to collaborate with students
and staff in the astrophysics department at Hokkaido University.
We discuss our ongoing simulation
work on galaxies and aim to better understand their properties. I
also have many fond memories of
my time at Hokkaido University.
It was the first time I had supervised student work, the first time I
had taught at the university level,
and the first time I was able to start
my own fully independent research
program. Going to the University’s

1. With students on the campus of Chungbuk
National University.
2. Get-together with members of a delegation led by
the President of Hokkaido University (November2022).
3 & 4. Activities of the Korea International
Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Ethiopia andVietnam.

3

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Litterae Populi Spring 2023

4

mer is much hotter though, andas I’m from England I’m also notvery used to temperatures above 40
degrees; it’s been one of the harder
things to get used to.
In Fall 2021, when I moved
to CSUS, they were beginning
the transition back to in-person
instruction. However, the largest
classes still had to be virtual, which
was quite unfortunate for the students in my astronomy classes —for example, we couldn't provide
classes that were supposed to beheld inside a planetarium.
The last few years have been
tough on everyone but try to be as
open to trying new things as possible! If given the chance to break outof your comfort zone a bit, do it.
Travel somewhere new, meet someone from a different walk of life —it is experiences like this that shape
you and your outlook on life.
* Integrated Science Program: an English-language Bachelor's and Master's degree program inscience for international students at Hokkaido
University.

1. CSUS campus in the Fall.
2. Exploring Old Folsom, a historic region of greater
Sacramento famous for the gold rush prospectors in
the 1800s.
3. Famous riverboat hotel and restaurant moored on the
Sacramento River.
4. Alexander Pettitt with his family cat, Freyja, in frontof a real Christmas tree.

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25

Hokkaido University Archives

140 yearsof
Challenge

6

SCENE-18

1914-1926
Establishment of the
School of Medicine

1

2

3

7

8

1. Professor Yutaka Kon (around 1926)
2. Professor Haruo Yamazaki (around 1926)
3. Clinical lecture by Professor Benzo Hata (around 1926)
4. The main buildings and garden of the School of Medicine(the latter 1920s)
5. Professor Kaoru Ohguro (around 1926)
6. Paradise Hütte in Mt. Teine (around 1932)
7. Distant views of the main buildings of the School of Medicine(around 1923)
8. Lecture of the Course of Nursing Law held in a lecture theater(around 1934)

4

5

Sanae Takata, was an old friend of President Sato’s dating back totheir time in Tokyo Eigo Gakko [Tokyo English School], before
There were diverse opinions about the independence of theSato entered Sapporo Agricultural College. Takata expressed her
Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University as an Imperial
support for independence as Hokkaido Imperial University by
University consisting of two colleges by founding another college
establishing a medical college. In September 1916, the Cabinet
in Sapporo. Eventually, by around 1916, consensus was reachedapproved a budget of 1.46 million yen, which had to be raisedin favor of establishing a medical college. At the time, Sapporo
continuously over a period of eight years, to establish a medical
Ward Hospital (located in the area of today’s Kita 1-jo Nishi 8college on condition that it would not put a strain on the public
and 9-chome in Chuo Ward) needed to be reconstructed due topurse. The budget bill was passed at the 39th session of theaging of the buildings, a lack of space inside the facilities, andImperial Diet held in July 1917.
the need to upgrade equipment to cope with infectious disease
The budget bill totaling 1.46 million yen included donations
outbreaks. In light of the discussions on the establishment of aof 100,000 yen from the Hokkaido Government, one million yen
medical college, some members of the Sapporo Ward Assemblyfrom Sapporo Ward, and over 300,000 yen from private firms.
argued that the ward hospital that would be reconstructed should
Sapporo Ward played such a significant role in this movement
eventually be reorganized as a medical clinic affiliated with thethat the local Hokkai Times newspaper even published a
medical college. Kyushu Imperial University in Fukuoka andreader’s letter to the editor insisting that the university should
Tohoku Imperial University in Sendai had both establishedbe named Sapporo Imperial University instead of Hokkaido
medical colleges by repurposing the organization and buildings
Imperial University. Although the proposed reorganization ofof local hospitals and medical schools. The proposal to utilize the
Sapporo Ward Hospital as a university-affiliated medical clinic
ward hospital bolstered the university independence movement
did not materialize, the establishment of a medical school andthrough the establishment of a local medical college.
Dr. Shosuke Sato, President of the Agricultural
College of Tohoku Imperial University, had initially“This university-affiliated clinic was situated at the northern edge
focused on establishing a science and engineeringcollege, but in light of the local movement, heneighborhood. After it opened, however, the area was transformed
decided to ask the Ministry of Education to
the public had for the clinic.” (History of Hokkaido Imperial University)
approve the establishment of a medical college forreasons including the need to nurture Bachelors
independence as Hokkaido Imperial University would not haveof Medicine in Hokkaido. President Sato also reasoned that the
been possible without the support of local residents, including
establishment of a medical college was essential for an Imperial
those in Sapporo Ward.
University because the other Imperial Universities all had a
medical college. For years, he had considered it his mission to
Establishment of Hokkaido Imperial University School
develop the Sapporo Agricultural College into a comprehensiveof Medicine
university. His vision was to first establish Hokkaido Imperial
Hokkaido Imperial University was founded on April 1, 1918,
University independently of Tohoku Imperial University,achieving the long-pursued goal of independence as a university.
consisting of two colleges of agriculture and medicine, and then
Shortly thereafter, the term “college” was renamed “school,”to develop it into a comprehensive university by gradually adding
and on April 1, 1919, Hokkaido Imperial University establishedcolleges of science, engineering, law, letters, and so on.
the School of Agriculture and the School of Medicine. In
1919, students aiming to enter the School of Medicine joinedPowerful local support
the preparatory course. Three years later, in April 1922, thePresident Sato worked with Hokkaido Governor Magoichi Tawara
inaugural class of 67 students joined the School of Medicine.
and Unohachi Abe, Director-General of Sapporo Ward, as he
Earlier, in November 1921, the School of Medicine’s Medical
negotiated with the Ministry of Education. The then Minister ofFaculty Clinic became operational. Prior to the opening of the
Education in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma,

Movement to establish a medical college

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9

Medical Clinic, the Course of Nursing Law was established in
September 1920 to start training nurses. The Course of Nursing
Law is the predecessor of today’s Department of Health Sciencesin the School of Medicine.
The faculty members of the School of Medicine when it
opened in 1921 were Eiji Arima(internal medicine), Benzo Hata
(surgery), Haruo Yamazaki (anatomy), Hyonosuke Miyazaki(physiology), Kaoru Ohguro (medical chemistry), and Yutaka
Kon (pathology). Benzo Hata, who was transferred from the postof director of Sapporo Ward Hospital, was appointed as the Deanof the School of Medicine. Eiji Arima served as the first directorof the Medical Faculty Clinic. The faculty consisted of young
academics, including Hata, 44, the eldest, and Ohguro, 30.

Fruits of establishing the School of Medicine

The establishment of the School of Medicine triggered a range ofchanges to Hokkaido University. The heart of the campus used
to be around Kita-8 jo, from the Main Gate to the School of
Agriculture building, and further north to around Kita 11-jo,
where Keiteki-Ryo Student Dormitory was located. The buildingsof central Sapporo, in a once sparsely populated
into a vibrant urban hub, revealing the high hopesof the School of Medicine spanned what is now Kita 13-jo
Street, with the main buildings to the south of the street and theaffiliated Medical Faculty Clinic to the north. The campus thus
expanded significantly to the north. Many outpatients visiting
the Medical Faculty Clinic increased the flow of people, thus
facilitating the formation of a town outside the North 13 Gate.
The faculty members appointed to the School of Medicine also
breathed new life into the campus. These up-and-coming new
faculty members had recently been abroad and understood theatmosphere of the culture emerging in Tokyo in the 1910s. They
stood in stark contrast to faculty of the School of Agriculture,most of whom had graduated from Sapporo Agricultural College
or the Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University andcarried the air of old traditions and customs since the Sapporo
Agricultural School years. For instance, Haruo Yamazaki andSeishichi Ohno (obstetrics and gynecology), who joined the

9. Distant view of the School of Medicine’s Medical Faculty Clinic(around 1926)

10

10. Unohachi Abe, Director-General of Sapporo Ward (around 1913)

School of Medicine in 1924, enjoyed mountain climbing andmountain skiing. They contributed greatly to the developmentof a mountaineering culture in Hokkaido through their activities
in the University’s mountaineering and skiing clubs, building
mountain huts for mountain climbers, and writing related books.
Hokkaido Imperial University decided to establish its third
school, the School of Engineering, as early as 1919. The University
followed the path leading to a comprehensive university just as
Shosuke Sato, who had become President of Hokkaido Imperial
University, envisioned.
Ho k k a i d o Un i ve r s i t y

HISTORY
1914-1926

1914 November						
1916 August						
September 22			1917 July					1918 April 1
1919 April 1
			
September			
1920 June
September1921 April 23
			May
September			
October			November
1922 April
1926 March			The Hokkai Times newspaper causes a stir when it reports on
the reconstruction of Sapporo Ward Hospital in relation to anindependent Hokkaido Imperial University.
President Shosuke Sato, Hokkaido Governor Magoichi Tawara,
and Unohachi Abe, Director-General of Sapporo Ward, visit the
Ministry of Education in Tokyo for negotiations.
The Cabinet approves a budget bill for the establishment of a 		
medical college.
The Imperial Diet passes the budget bill for the establishment of
a medical college.
Hokkaido Imperial University is established.
Hokkaido Imperial University establishes the School of 		
Agriculture and the School of Medicine.
Students aspiring to enter the School of Medicine join the 		preparatory course.
The School of Medicine Main Building is completed.
The Course of Nursing Law is established.
The Medical Clinic affiliated with the School of Medicine is 		
established.
Benzo Hata becomes the Dean of the School of Medicine.
The main building of the Medical Clinic affiliated with the 		
School of Medicine is completed.
Eiji Arima becomes the Director of the Medical Clinic 		
affiliated with the School of Medicine.
The School of Medicine’s Medical Faculty Clinic opens.
The inaugural class of 67 students enter the School of Medicine.
The first commencement ceremony of the School of Medicine isheld.

Hokkaido University Archives
This facility collects, classifies and preserves historical documents andrecords of Hokkaido University. It also conducts investigations andresearch on its history.
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To p i c s
A banner for HokkaidoMelbourne Joint ResearchWorkshops Fund.

President Houkin delivers aspeech.

Completion ceremony held for the Ushiomaru III, a training ship of the School ofFisheries Sciences
On November 4, 2022, a ceremony was held at the Hakodate
Research Center for Fisheries and Oceans in Hakodate City
to celebrate the completion on October 31 of the Ushiomaru III, a training ship of the School of Fisheries Sciences.
At the ceremony, after an address by Kiyohiro
Houkin, President of Hokkaido University, there wasa congratulatory address by Takakuni Ikeda, DirectorGeneral of the Higher Education Bureau in the Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(read on his behalf by Masahiro Okui, Deputy Director of
the Technical Education Division in the Higher Education
Bureau), followed by a progress report on the ship’s buildingby Professor Toru Mukai, who chairs the Subcommittee on
Ushio-maru Substitute Ship Construction in the Schoolof Fisheries Sciences. These speeches were followed by aribbon-cutting ceremony by eight concerned officials at thequay where the Ushio-maru III was moored, and then atour of the vessel led by Captain Keiichiro Sakaoka of the
Ushio-maru.

The newly completed Ushio-maru III is significantly
larger than its predecessor, the Ushio-maru II, with an
overall length of 45.62 meters, a breadth of 8.20 meters,a gross tonnage of 262 tons, and full complement of 33
persons. The ship has increased safety and weather resistance,
reduced hull motion, improved accommodations for female
passengers, and reduced environmental impact throughincreased fuel efficiency. It is equipped with state-of-the-art
instruments for advanced oceanographic research, and has
reinforced sound and vibration control measures to prevent
interference with precision acoustic instruments such as
quantitative echosounder and sonar.
The School of Fisheries Sciences will continue its
research and human resource development using the
Ushio-maru III as a practical platform for comprehensive
education and research in fisheries sciences, which pursue
the sustainability of marine ecosystems, and their related
fields.

Delegation led by Hokkaido University
President Houkin visits the University of
Melbourne
Hokkaido University (HU) delegates visited the Universityof Melbourne (UoM) in Australia between November 21
and 24, 2022. The delegates included President Kiyohiro
Houkin, Executive Vice President Atsushi Yokota,
Executive Vice President Takao Masuda, and faculty
members representing the fields of zoonosis control,
science, Ainu and indigenous studies, and environmental
and health sciences. In June of the same year, Hokkaido
University welcomed a delegation from UoM led by ViceChancellor Duncan Maskell, and strengthened universitywide collaboration between the two institutions.
During the visit to UoM, the universities concluded a
Research Partnership Agreement on Hokkaido-Melbourne
Joint Research Workshops Fund, and also renewed the InterUniversity Exchange Agreement and the Memorandum ofUnderstanding on Student Exchange. The above-mentioned
fund was established earlier, in March 2022, to support
the organization of joint research workshops, with both
universities contributing matching amounts to the fund.
HU and UoM agreed to fund workshops for the following
two years.

Through the fund, the scope of research collaboration
between the universities has been broadened to include
geriatric medicine, philosophy, residential environments,and mechano-pharmacology, in addition to long-standing
collaborations in zoonosis control and electronic science.
Dialogue between researchers of both universities have also
begun in areas of common interest to both universities,
including indigenous studies and food science.

Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskellof the University of Melbourne
and President Kiyohiro Houkin of
Hokkaido University.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony by concerned officials.

After the Meeting on
Interdisciplinary Research
Collaborations.
The Ushio-maru III on the day of its completion ceremony.

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Campus Landscapes

The season of beginnings
Photographer: Hiromi Terashima

a

b

c

d

e

Snow begins to melt, and one can feel the warm sunshine.
The entire campus is ready to welcome new students.
This spring marks the birth of a new research building on the University’s
Northern Campus.

a. School of Medicine

With more new buildings to come, transformation of the University
continues, but the “Be ambitious” ethos never changes. With yoursupport, we will continue moving forward as we approach the 150th
anniversary of the University.

d. Centennial Hall

Note: For videos showcasing the natural splendor of the campus in different seasons, please
visit the University website.

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b. Administration Bureauc. Creative Research Institution
e. Baseball Field

Videos ofcampus views
QR codeMain
Gate

North13
Gate

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

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