Spring 2020

A news magazine presented by Hokkaido University

Litterae Populi Spring 202001

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

03

Feature: Nurture

14

Talking with a pioneer

20

Refining: Earth and Planetary Science

22

Alumni Interview

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.”

04 University Library
10 Center for Natural Hazards Research
12 International Internship Program

Akira Suzuki
University Professor, Professor Emeritus

Yukihiro Takahashi
Professor, Faculty of Science

Tadahisa Fujimura
Executive Director
Hokkaido Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (HTB)

Feature:24

Letters from Ambassadors and Partners

26

140 Years of Challenge

28

Topics30

NurtureHokkaido University will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its
foundation in 2026.
The university has followed its basic philosophy since theopening of its predecessor, Sapporo Agricultural College, andCampus Landscapes

has produced a wealth of talent who have played active roles
around the world over its long history.
Under the theme of “nurture,” this feature highlights three
initiatives undertaken to fulfill the university’s missions—
namely, education, research and regional contribution.

Litterae Populi Spring 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 Furukawa Hall

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

Photo of the Hokkaido University Museum

Litterae Populi Spring 202003Base for the exchange

and creation of knowledge

Reading room on the fourth floor of the Central Library.

University Library04

Litterae Populi Spring 2020

University library where knowledge is accumulated.
The library serves as a place for the exchange and creation of knowledge
through learning support for students, preservation and presentationof the university’s research results, support for lifelong education of thegeneral public and other activities.

Litterae Populi Spring 202005

Feature: Nurture

Nurture | University LibraryStudents studying in the Global Floor on the third floor of the North Library.

A library with 6,149 books was established at the same timeas the opening of Sapporo Agricultural College in 1876.
This is where the history of the Hokkaido University Librarybegan. The first director was Nitobe Inazo. The tile-roofed
white library building (currently registered as a tangible
cultural asset by the national government) constructed in
1903 was used until 1965 when the current Central Library
was built. In 1969, the Branch of General Education (present
North Library) was newly built.
The library was renamed the Hokkaido University
Library in 1947 after World War II. The library currently
manages the Central Library near the front gate of the
Sapporo Campus, the North Library near the Institute forAdvancement of Higher Education and 16 departmental
libraries in departments, faculties and research centers,
which house approximately 3.78 million books and 55,000
electronic books/journals in total.
Based on the university’s four basic philosophiesof “Frontier Spirit,” “Global Perspectives,” “All-round
Education” and “Practical Learning,” the mission of
the Hokkaido University Library is to promote social

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contribution and internationalization while improving its
support for education, learning and research. The library ismaking various efforts to fulfill its mission during this timein which there is a growing tendency for university students
to not read books and society is becoming increasingly
information-intensive and digitized.

Nurturing students
One important role of the University Library is to provide
support for education and learning. The library is conducting
various projects and seminars in cooperation with otherdepartments in the university.
The Academic Skill Seminar offers seminars andsupplementary classes for undergraduate students incooperation with the Learning Support Office, which
provides learning support and career consultation forstudents. One of its programs, the Study Skill Seminar
aimed at teaching new students how to take classes andwrite reports, was held 34 times in AY 2018, with a total
participation of 520 students.

The English Tadoku (extensive reading)Marathon is a project enabling students
to learn English while having fun. Eachparticipant reads English books at his/herown pace and records the book titles, numberof words and other details in the system withthe goal of reading one million English
words. This improves the motivation ofparticipants, with graphs of the total numberof words read and rankings that can be seen
at a glance. The total number of participants
since the launch of the project in AY 2013 hasreached 1,780, with 322 participating in AY
2019. So far, 36 students have read more than
one million words. The Central Library, theNorth Library and the library of the Schoolof Fisheries Sciences have English Tadoku
Kyozai (graded English readers) sections toprovide an environment where students canstart extensive English reading easily and at
any time.
The University Library also focuseson information literacy education. It
offers education to improve informationcollection skills through programs such as
Introduction to Library Information classes
for first-year undergraduate students andthe Literature Collection Seminar for thirdyear undergraduate and first-year master’s
students.
The library is also active in the digitizationof library materials in cooperation with theAccessibility Services Office of the Student
Advice and Counseling Center, and had
digitized approximately 400 items by the end of AY 2018,
to ensure that students who have difficulty in reading due
to visual, physical and other impediments have the “right toread.”Such education and learning support activities are also
linked with the support for active learning that is emphasizedin university education, and provide the support necessary
for students to pursue learning by doing their own research
and autonomously performing the preparation of reports/
theses and other processes. Environments for discussions
and joint projects among students, such as the open areaand media court in the Central Library as well as the active
learning floor and global floor in the North Library, arealso available. The library provides support for nurturing
students and enabling them to learn and independently
solve challenges, while complementing classroom lessons.

which has been operated since 2006, makes academic papers
and other documents written by researchers, graduate school
students and other members of the university accessible tothe public by making them available online. The numberof documents available is approximately 63,000 and thetotal number of downloads has reached approximately 78
million. “I firmly believe that the library’s role as a baseof knowledge and a supporter for the accumulation andcreation of knowledge will become even more importantin the future, considering that the sharing of knowledge
as open science will raise the standard of knowledge acrosssociety and lead to the creation of innovations,” says Ko
Hasegawa, Executive Vice President & Director of the
University Library.
There is also an attempt being made to establish asystem that enables the management and presentation of theuniversity’s research data jointly with the National Instituteof Informatics. As “it truly represents the enterprising spiritof the Hokkaido University Library, for its contribution
as a new open science to the enhancement of knowledge
functions that should be provided by the library” according
to Hasegawa, expectations for its future development of
the system are high. To ensure substantial education andresearch support, the library staff themselves must improve“Karafuto Nayoro Souotona Monjyo (Yaenkoro Ainu Monjyo)” (collection ofscrolls containing records of the Karafuto Ainu, replica.)
Also available through the Northern Studies Collection Database (in Japaneseonly) on the Library website.

Knowledge sharing
Another important role of the library is to preserve the resultsof the university’s education and research activities andbroadly share them with society. The Hokkaido University
Collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers (HUSCAP),

Northern Studies Collection reading room of the Central Library.
The collection displayed in this room includes books written by Takeshiro
Matsuura, who gave Hokkaido its name.

Litterae Populi Spring 202007

Feature: Nurture

Nurture | University Library

Also serving as the leader library of the Open
Access Committee established in the Japan
Association of National University Libraries, the
Hokkaido University Library is expected to play aleading role in the promotion of progress in open
science and open access by university libraries.

Identity of Hokkaido University

Media Court in the Central Library.
This open space serves as a place of relaxation for students.

their expertise through exchanges with advanced libraries
and other activities. A staff exchange project based on the
conclusion of an inter-library exchange agreement has been
conducted with the University of Massachusetts Amherst,
whose connection with Hokkaido University dates back to
the days of Sapporo Agricultural College. The Hokkaido
University Library sent staff members to Amherst in
2015, and then invited staff members of Amherst in 2017.
Hasegawa has expressed his willingness to provide support
that transcends the boundaries between researchers andlibrary staff for further promotion of ambitious researchand survey activities by the library staff, such as the surveyof advanced cases of university libraries overseas and thelaunch of a project aimed at the acquisition of research
grants.

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The Hokkaido University Library has a numberof precious items in its collection representing thehistory of Hokkaido, accumulated over the more than
140 years since the opening of Sapporo Agricultural
College. It has provided many materials for TV
programs and publications. Its collection, including
the “Karafuto Nayoro Souotona Monjyo (Yaenkoro
Ainu Monjyo)” (collection of scrolls containing
records of the Karafuto Ainu) designated as animportant cultural asset by the national government
in July 2019, the Shinkotoni Tondenhei Village
Records designated as a tangible cultural asset by
the Hokkaido government, and a number of photos,
figures, documents and other materials concerning
Hokkaido in the Meiji era, has been displayed in
the Library, as well as in the Hokkaido University
Museum and Hokkaido University Archives. Digitalarchiving of these materials is also under way.
“These materials serve as the foundation for
the identity of Hokkaido University, along withmaterials in the Hokkaido University Archives.
The role of the University Library is to support thisfoundation,” emphasizes Hasegawa.
Hasegawa, who also serves as the director of
the University Archives, has expressed his hope tostrengthen the partnership between the University
Library and University Archives toward the150th anniversary of the university’s foundation.
Compilation of the university’s 150-year history,
linkage of networks and databases and facilitationof information dissemination in society will bepromoted jointly with the Archives. Ways to present
the university’s knowledge to society are also beingsought by using the entire campus as a museum

Entrance of the Central Library, which is usually open
until 22:00 on weekdays and 19:00 on Saturdays, Sundays
and public holidays.

through cooperation among the University Library,Archives, Museum and Botanic Garden.

Together with the local community
Dissemination of knowledge to the local community is not
only being carried out through the display of materials.
The University Library also holds a variety of events forthe general public. In August 2018, Professor Hiroshi Ishii,
who is the associate director of the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology Media Lab and a graduate of the School ofEngineering of Hokkaido University, was invited to hold aworkshop entitled “The Future Woven by Digital Archives:
Remembering the Future with Prof. Hiroshi Ishii, MIT.”At the workshop, digital archive activities of the University
Library, Museum and Archives were presented in addition
to the lecture given by Professor Ishii. In September of thesame year, Emeritus Professor of Tokyo University Motoyuki
Shibata, known as a scholar of American literature andtranslator, gave a special talk entitled “Attraction of 200
years of American literatures” in which he conveyed theallure of American literature through comments on theworks of J.D. Salinger, Mark Twain and other writers. Bothevents attracted many participants from within and outside
the university.
The University Library will undertake various initiatives
to support the lifelong learning of the general public as auniversity open to the local community.

Aims of the University LibraryWith the progress of digitization and sharing of information
through networks, academic materials handled by the
University Library are expanding from books, magazines

Automated stacks storage station in the basement of theCentral Library.
Approximately 300,000 books are stored here.

and other paper media to electronic books/journals, digitalarchives and research data. By managing and providing
diverse materials based on such changes, the University
Library is making efforts to continue serving as a knowledge
base that contributes to the training of human resources
and advancement of learning. Hasegawa says, “I want toconvey the attraction of the library to the faculty members
and students of the university, as well as to locals, while
maintaining this knowledge base” and adds, “I really justwant people to use and enjoy the library.”
The University Library is committed to continuing
on its path with the history of the university, as a place forlearning human knowledge and nurturing creativity.

Lane collection on the third floor of the North Library.
This room houses the collection of Dr. Harold M. Lane, who taught English in the days of the former Hokkaido Imperial
University.

Litterae Populi Spring 202009

Center for Natural Hazards Research
If the lifeline system of a snowy area is damaged by an earthquake, orif a river is dammed by a pyroclastic flow following a volcanic eruption
and thereby causes a flood, what should be done to proceed with rescue
efforts and the recovery of livelihood in the stricken area? The Center
for Natural Hazards Research has started operations as a base for theprevention and mitigation of complex disasters.
Typhoons, heavy rain, heavy snow, earthquakes, tsunamis,
eruptions or other natural disasters may occur consecutively,
or cause avalanches, landslides, ground liquefaction, floods,
facility damage, traffic hindranc.es or other secondary
disasters. Multiple natural disasters causing serious lossof lives and assets as well as damage to logistics and theeconomy are called widespread natural disaster withmultiple hazards. For example, when three typhoons hit
Hokkaido in the span of a week in August 2016, rivers
overflowed and inundated farmland. At the time of theTokachi-oki Earthquake in March 1952, drift ice carried
by a tsunami caused houses to collapse.
The Center for Natural Hazards Research wasestablished in April 2019 to find ways to prevent andmitigate such widespread natural disaster with multiple
hazards. Its predecessor was the Laboratory of National
Land Conservation, which was an endowed course of the
Research Faculty of Agriculture. At the Center led by its
director, Professor Takashi Yamada, 26 members including
three full-time teachers and other teachers from the Facultyof Engineering, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of
Science, Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences andArctic Research Center get together and engage in R&D,

Preparedness for natural disasters in Hokkaido

disaster prevention education, provision of technical advice
to local governments and other activities.
Widespread natural disaster with multiple hazards cause
social problems, such as the collapse of social infrastructure,
economic stagnation associated with disturbances inlogistics and the outflow of population from the stricken
area, in addition to damage caused directly by the disasters.
Their influence may not be limited to the stricken area,
instead spreading to all parts of the nation and even to
the world through supply chains that involve industries
in the stricken area. Therefore, the Center addresses
research subjects related to a wide range of academic
fields, such as public policy and economy, in addition to
the elucidation of the disaster occurrence mechanism andthe development of disaster-prevention technologies. The
ability to externally provide practical disaster prevention
and mitigation measures is one advantage of the university
having researchers from such varied fields. On campus,
General Introduction of National Land Conservation andGeneral Introduction of Risk Management on Sudden
Complicated Disasters are included in inter-graduate
school classes. Teachers from the Center specializing indifferent fields take turns giving lectures characterized byFighting against the threat ofwidespread natural disaster withmultiple hazards together with thelocal community

Shallow landslides caused by the Hokkaido Eastern
Iburi Earthquake on September 6, 2018
(Atsuma Town, Yufutsu-gun, photographed on
August 20, 1019).

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multi-faceted approaches. Off campus, the Center conducts
outreach activities in cooperation with local governments,
including symposiums and site visits to look back on the
Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake and discuss futuredisaster mitigation and recovery.

Natural disasters are increasingly intensifying throughout
the nation. Since Hokkaido has had relatively few largescale disasters, it has little experience with heavy rain andmeasures are insufficient in many aspects. It is necessary to
make preparations for disaster prevention and mitigation,
including the preparation of hazard maps and otheractivities during normal times, preparation to respondpromptly to emergency rescue needs immediately after
disasters and planning for recovery and reconstruction
assistance based on a long-term vision.
Disaster-prevention efforts are being made byuniversities and other institutions throughout Japan. In
Hokkaido, its vastness and cold climate are importantelements when considering disaster-prevention measures.
While its vastness is advantageous for agriculture andother key industries, it also poses major challenges, suchas securing traffic access from the starting points of rescue
missions (e.g., adjoining cities, ports) to the stricken area
and overcoming long travel distances. It is also necessary toconsider aging and depopulation issues that are progressing
at a faster pace than elsewhere in Japan. Maintenance of themutual assistance ability of local residents is also an issue,
as it is necessary until they are rescued after a disaster.
“We have to know our enemies first,” says Director
Yamada. Combinations of possible difficulties that may becaused by the consecutive occurrence of multiple disasters
vary greatly depending on the stricken area’s topographical/
geographical features and seasons. “It isn’t easy to prevent
disasters in such varied combinations.” According to
the director, a realistic approach is to first seek measuresfor disaster mitigation. A questionnaire survey for allmunicipalities in Hokkaido was conducted in September
2019. Potential hazards of disasters expected in thosemunicipalities, what residents expect from the university
and other findings of the survey are currently being
analyzed.

Together with the local community
For the development, dissemination and implementation ofdisaster prevention/mitigation measures, it is important
to cooperate with municipalities and other government
authorities, private companies, local residents, mass media
and other parties. As activities in normal times, the Center
provides consultation services, including referral to experts
for the review of Sapporo City’s hazard map. Preparations
are also being made to dispatch teachers with expertise fromthe Center as a team to offer advice to local governmentsfrom scientific and technical viewpoints in the actual eventof a complex disaster. In addition, technical development

to monitor the scale of damage early on using artificial
satellites and drones is also conducted for mountainous
areas that are difficult to access, as it is necessary to collectinformation to get the full picture of a disaster.
“We want to know what the local community reallyneeds and get the word out about the presence of the Centerby responding to such needs,” says Director Yamada.
Development of guidelines on planning for the mitigationof widespread natural disaster with multiple hazards incooperation with relevant government authorities is a major
goal of the Center. Furthermore, there is a plan to establish
a universal model and export it overseas as a disasterprevention package. The germ of cooperation with local
governments and residents is growing steadily toward theoutreach of the Center’s achievements.

Logo of the Center designed by Associate Professor Takashi
Koi.
The logo features rain, wind, snow and seismic waves inmountainous areas (top), meandering rivers and sea waves(bottom) and living spaces (i.e., houses; the square surrounding
the CNHR logo and the triangle (roof) on top), snowy
Hokkaido mountains on the edge and a black background
representing outer space (monitoring from a satellite).

Director Yamada explaining the flow status of collapsed
sediment to local residents (Symposium and site tour held
jointly with Atsuma Town).

UAV used for disaster investigation and research: Phantom 4
RTK of DJI Co., Ltd.
By communicating with a base station in real time, aerial
photo data with location information can be obtained andhigh-precision topographical data can be created.

Litterae Populi Spring 202011

who is mainly in charge of finding new acceptancedestinations. Although it is a very demanding task
to develop plans suited to individual students,
countries and companies, knowhow has been
accumulated and the organic link between theuniversity and alumni is becoming stronger.

Evolving “training” programsGroup photo taken after the meeting to report on the results of international internships.

International Internship Program

Provision of Epoch-Making andPractical Career Education
A custom-made education program developed in an attempt to “run after two hares” by combining the
dispatch of students overseas with internships. By making the most of the alumni network, the program
has grown to foster human resources capable of playing active roles around the world.
In 2016, a new education program was introduced as aresult of opinion exchanges between the university and the
Hokkaido University Federation of Alumni Association(predecessor of the Hokkaido University Elm Alumni
Association). This is an “international internship” programin which students engage in internships for several weeks at
the overseas locations of companies and other organizations.
This program aims to nurture a high level of professionalawareness by enabling students to experience jobs related totheir specialties and future career paths as well as to acquirea cosmopolitan outlook and leadership skills in different
societies and cultures. Training at overseas locations isprovided to undergraduate students in their second andthird years and to master’s students for two to six weeks
during the summer holiday. The number of participating
students, which was four (3 locations in 3 countries) in thefirst year in AY 2016, steadily increased to 19 (14 locationsin 7 countries) in AY 2017, 50 (39 locations in 10 countries)
in AY 2018 and 73 (49 locations in 14 countries) in AY
2019. The types of business students engage in at overseas
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locations vary widely, including manufacturing, wholesale/retail, information, consulting, logistics, finance andtrading.

Support by alumni
Alumni play an important role in the implementation of the
program. Vice President Junji Yamaguchi who is in chargeof the program says, “Many of the accepting destinations
are global companies and organizations where alumni ofthe university are members of top management, and the ties
among alumni serve to support the program. The program
has further expanded and improved in recent years throughthe alumni network. Alumni are involved in not only
finding accepting destinations but also matching between
the destinations and students and providing guidance forstudents. The existence of the program is only possible
with the tremendous support received from alumni.” Thecustom-made program was established in cooperation withmany alumni, including Visiting Professor Shuhei Inoue

Briefing sessions are held by inviting students twice
between January and April. Explanations are givenon the destinations, period, content of training,
acceptance conditions, expenses and other details,
and applications are accepted at these sessions. Then,after the screening of documents and interviews,
successful candidates are matched with accepting
destinations. Acceptance was limited to studentsof Nitobe College in AY 2016, but has been expanded toall students of the target years since AY 2017. “As there aremany excellent students at Hokkaido University, whether
they are part of Nitobe College or not, we want to giveeveryone an opportunity to apply for the program,” says
Vice President Yamaguchi. Overseas locations that had only
been in Asian countries were expanded to include Finland,
Hungary, Australia and Canada in AY 2019, enabling the
global-scale provision of diverse programs for students of all
twelve undergraduate schools.
Five classes on attitude toward training, corporate
research, manners during training, local research andsafety education are given between May and July before
overseas training. In these classes, students learn the needsof accepting destinations, such as the meaning of accepting
trainees for companies and other workplaces and what is
expected from trainees, as well as basic knowledge about
destination countries, such as their history and relationshipwith Japan, and potential overseas risks. In the fifth class,students are interviewed individually to confirm their goals
and preparation status. Thorough preliminary education isprovided to dispatch the students as representatives of theuniversity.
In overseas training, programs based on actual
corporate activities are provided with a focus on “assignment
setting/solution proposal,” “observation, activity experienceand problem identification,” “provision at manufacturing
sites” and other patterns. Teachers do not accompany thestudents, making it a true on-the-job “training” experience

Environmental measurement in the surrounding area ofa construction site (Cambodia, Obayashi Corporation).

Presentation at the meeting to report the results of international internships.
The meeting was attended by approximately 200 participants, including
teachers and students of the university, as well as those from cooperatingcompanies and high school students.

where problem-solving and selfmanagement abilities that students haveacquired are tested in an environment
with a different language and culture.
After overseas training, a meeting toreport the results of these international
internships is held for students toreport on their respective learning andwork experiences. Many students have
said, “finishing the overseas internshipgave me increased confidence” or “theexperience was highly valuable for myfuture.” Because they have survived in anenvironment totally different from theirown, the feeling of accomplishment is
all the more remarkable.

Quality inspection ofprocessed products(Thailand, Sinfonia
Technology Co., Ltd.).

To achieve new heights
During the growth of the program through repeated trial
and error, challenges in the management aspect have been
revealed. One is risk management for students, which is amajor issue especially in areas without sufficient networks
with overseas. “We are constantly aware of safety andmeasures to take when something actually happens,” says
Professor Inoue. It will be necessary to strengthen theflexible support system to keep up with the rapidly changing
international situation.
Another challenge is the reduction of financial
burden on students. At present, all participants canreceive scholarship support from the Hokkaido University
Alumni Association and, if they meet the requirements,
other scholarships and aid for travel expenses. However,enormous financial burdens may be imposed on students
depending on the period and destination of travel, thereby
making more substantial financial support necessary.
“There are still problems to solve, but this international
internship is an education program that will definitely be amajor feature of Hokkaido University. I want students toimprove themselves by taking advantage of this program,”says Vice President Yamaguchi. This program that has
grown thanks to the cooperation of the alumni at its core istraining talented professionals who will one day play activeroles in the international field.

Litterae Populi Spring 202013

Talking with a Pioneer

Guest

Akira
SuzukiUniversity Professor, Professor Emeritus

It has already been ten years since Hokkaido
University Professor Akira Suzuki received theNobel Prize in Chemistry. During this decade,the university has steadily promoted university
reform to contribute to the solution of global
issues as a base for creation, transmission anddemonstration of knowledge. Researchers at theuniversity who lead this reform talked about thepresent and future of the university with Akira
Suzuki who is still active in lecture activities bothin Japan and abroad.

Exploring the possibilities of
Hokkaido University
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Litterae Populi Spring 202015

Kuroiwa: Today, I’m going to proceed with the discussion
under the themes of education, research, andregional contribution, which are the missions of ouruniversity.

It’s a shame because they are not at all inferior totheir counterparts around the world.
Ito: In my lab, graduate students in the doctoral course
are sent overseas to study and research for several
months. This enables them to communicate freely
in English and gain extensive experience.
Suzuki: It’s wonderful to give them an opportunity likethat.
Ito: It’s a real pity that success in job hunting is the ultimate
goal of college life for many students.

Progress made towards the internationalizationof education
Kuroiwa: First, let’s talk about “education.” In these timesof rapid internationalization, Hokkaido University
offers a diverse range of education programs. Dr. La
Fay, you are engaged in international education as
an advisor to the president. What kind of classes doyou usually teach?
La Fay: I teach international exchange subjects whereinternational and Japanese students can take classes

Asato Kuroiwa
Professor, Faculty of Science
Doctor (agriculture). Specializes in biological science. Graduated fromthe School of Agricultural Science, Nagoya University. After completingthe doctoral course of the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Science at
Nagoya University, served as a special researcher with the Japan Society
for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Appointed to be a lecturer at theCenter of Advanced Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, in
2003. Appointed to current position in 2016. Now promoting public
relations activities of the university as Advisor to the President (in chargeof the Executive Committee for Public Relations).

Akinori Takaoka
Professor, Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM)
Doctor (medicine). Specializes in immunology. Graduated from the
School of Medicine and completed the doctoral course of the Graduate
School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University. After serving as an
assistant professor and lecturer at the University of Tokyo, appointed
to be professor of the Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM), Hokkaido
University (current position) in 2007. Served as the Director of the IGM
for four years from 2012. Is active in contributing to society throughvarious activities, including lecture visits to kindergartens.

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together in English. In group discussions held
during these classes, students with different cultural
backgrounds and points of view exchange various
opinions.
Suzuki: It’s very important for both international andJapanese students to raise their levels of cultural
understanding.
La Fay: Our program “Nitobe College” is also very
appealing.
Suzuki: What is it like?
La Fay: It is a cross-departmental education program
offered by Hokkaido University. It aims to give
students the ability to play active roles as true
leaders in global society by studying overseas
and engaging in dialogue with alumni who haveextensive international experience.
Suzuki: It sounds intriguing. I would love to be part of that
program if I was younger.
Takaoka: It’s an outstanding program. All four basic
philosophies of the university: “Frontier Spirit,”“Global Perspectives,” “All-round Education” and“Practical Learning” can be achieved by studying
at Nitobe College. It’s such a good curriculum thatit should be open for all students of Hokkaido
University.
La Fay: Since students participate and study in groups withstudents from other departments, they can engage
in discussions transcending the framework of theirown specialties.
Takaoka: It’s a perfect example of “cross-coupling” ofdepartments.
Suzuki: Japanese students are shy like I was back in theday. It’s great that they study earnestly and are very
enthusiastic, but they are shy and lack aggressiveness.

Suzuki: It’s always been like that.
Ito: I don’t like the phrase “cost performance.” Spending
your time at college with the idea of taking as few
classes as possible and getting good grades withas little effort as possible seems to be a waste in
the long run. I want students to realize that theuniversity can bring them life-enriching knowledge
and encounters.
La Fay: I want them to have room to breathe withoutworrying too much about “cost performance.”
Takaoka: It’s a problem on the student side, but teachers
also need more ingenuity and should consider how
to make college life more attractive. They have toprovide the proper environment for it.
Suzuki: Having broad-minded ideas leads to thedevelopment of creativity. I hope students will makethe most of the university’s education programs andimprove themselves with such ideas.

Toward the future of interdisciplinary research

Takaoka: Exactly. Interdisciplinary research is incredibly
important. In that sense, our university has anadvantage. Since almost all departments arecentrally located on one campus, it is easy to sow
the seeds of interdisciplinary research. I hold crossdepartmental symposiums to facilitate exchange
among researchers. The number of participants
is increasing every year, and they are actively
exchanging opinions.
La Fay: It’s useful for expanding networks of not only
students but also researchers.
Suzuki: Hokkaido University is tremendously privileged tohave an environment that facilitates the provision of
new types of education and effective research. This
presents us with a wide range of possibilities.
Kuroiwa: I study the mechanism of how the sex ofMichelle Kay La Fay
Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences

Kuroiwa: Let’s move on to the next theme, “research.”
The Institute for Chemical Reaction Design andDiscovery (ICReDD), for which Dr. Ito serves as
deputy director, is one of the world’s foremost
research projects being promoted by the university.
Could you tell us about this project, Dr. Ito?
Ito: It was launched in October 2018 as a project under
the World Premier International Research Center
Initiative (WPI) of the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
Partly thanks to Dr. Suzuki, institutes in Japanand other countries have formed a team focusedon “chemistry,” which is one of the strengths of ouruniversity; and are taking on research that merges
the three academic fields of computational science,
information science and experimental science.
Takaoka: Research styles have changed greatly fromthe days when Dr. Suzuki was in active service.
Twenty to thirty years ago, big discoveries were liketreasures which remained hidden and the main goal
was to find them. However, now that most treasures
have already been discovered, it is important for us
to think about how we can connect these treasures
to make new discoveries.
Ito: Joint research and diversity are very important.

Doctor (philosophy). Specializes in religious studies. Graduated from
McPherson College (USA). Completed the doctoral course of Hokkaido
University Graduate School of Letters. After serving as an associate
professor of Hokkaido University of Education, appointed as a speciallyappointed associate professor of Hokkaido University Graduate Schoolof Letters (present Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences) in 2014.
Appointed to current position in 2016. Promoting internationalizationof the university as Advisor to the President (in charge of the Center forInternational Education and Research).

Hajime Ito
Professor, Faculty of Engineering
Doctor (engineering). Specializes in organic chemistry. Graduatedfrom the Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University. After completingthe doctoral course at the university’s Graduate School of Engineering,worked as a assistant professor at Tsukuba University and the Institutefor Molecular Science of the Okazaki National Research Institutes.
Appointed as an associate professor of the Hokkaido University Facultyof Science in 2002. Appointed to current position in 2010. Conducting
world-leading research as the Deputy Director of the Institute for
Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD).

Litterae Populi Spring 202017

animals is determined. Unlike other animals,
the sex and gender of humans are closely related.
However, since gender is not my specialty, I teachinter-graduate school classes with teachers fromhumanities departments. Our future goal is thefusion of humanities and sciences in research. Thismay be possible at our university.
Takaoka: Globalization is necessary, but localization is also
crucial. I believe it is vital to go out into the world
after solidifying a firm base.
Ito: We can be influenced by reserchers from different fields
and gain new ideas by talking with them. We may
still be able to find treasures that have remained
buried.
Suzuki: I was in the United States for a little over two
years, but the research that won the Nobel Prizewas conducted exclusively at Hokkaido University.
Since I studied for nine years as a student of the
School of Science before becoming a teacher, I
benefited significantly from Hokkaido University. I
want it to be a university that is not only recognizedin Japan but also internationally, and one that is
capable of making global contributions.

education and research to be involved in the
education of children.
Kuroiwa: I sometimes teach high school and junior highschool students in lecture visits and lab visits, but
not children in kindergarten or daycare centers. I
think it’s a very novel approach.
Suzuki: It’s a fascinating effort. I hope this will lead tochildren entering Hokkaido University in the
future.

Encounter with two books“Pursue your originality making
the most of our favorable
environment on the campus”
Takaoka: I think students and researchers are highly
inspired by the achievements of Dr. Suzuki.
Suzuki: I’m very pleased to hear that. I think everyone has afair chance to win the Nobel Prize. Since Hokkaido
University has excellent researchers and students aswell as an environment to promote interdisciplinary
research, I hope they will pursue unprecedented
research.

Significance of the university’s existence

Akira Suzuki
University Professor, Professor Emeritus
Doctor of Science. Graduated from the School of Science and completed thedoctoral course of the Faculty of Science of Hokkaido University. Appointed to
be an assistant at the School of Science of Hokkaido University in 1959. After
serving as an assistant professor at the School of Engineering, appointed to bea professor at the School in 1973. Active in lecture activities both in Japan andabroad even after retiring from Hokkaido University in 1994.
Received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010 for studies on the Suzuki Cross
Coupling chemical reaction for binding between organic materials using apalladium catalyst and a base (1979). Suzuki Coupling has contributed greatly tothe development and mass production of familiar products in daily life, such as
drugs and pesticides, as well as liquid crystal and organic electroluminescence (EL)essential for IT devices.

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

Kuroiwa: Let’s move on to the next theme, “regional
contribution.” I want to hear a story from Dr.
Takaoka, who is engaged in a unique activity.
Takaoka: I make lecture visits to kindergartens and daycare
centers. What inspired me was a report that I cameacross in 2015 about an international survey onlearning achievement levels called PISA* promotedby the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD). PISA assesses competencies
of first-year high school students in three areas
every three years: reading, mathematical literacy,
and scientific literacy. In that year, Japan was clearly
number one.

Kuroiwa: Japanese high school students have a goodunderstanding of science.
Takaoka: Unfortunately, however, in the survey on thelevel of interest in science, Japan ranked seventh
from the bottom out of about 70 target countries.
Suzuki: You would think they find it interesting.
Takaoka: I view it as the effect of cramming for entrance
exams. I think many students learn just to passexams without having much real interest.
That’s why I started going on lecture visits, thinking
it would be good to teach impactful and interestingscience to four-year-old children who will remember
what they learn and still have flexible brains. It is
the training of “super-young talents” rather than“young talents.”
Suzuki: Are the children interested?
Takaoka: They really are. They are so excited. As theycannot read yet, I show them 70 slides, which you
can tell they enjoy from the stars in their eyes.
Suzuki: That’s effective!
Takaoka: Part of the significance of our university’s
existence is based on the extent to which we cancontribute to society. I think it is important foruniversity teachers who actually engage in quality

Kuroiwa: What were you like when you were child, Dr.
Suzuki?
Suzuki: I’ve liked mathematics since my childhood. I liked
the simplicity of there only being one answer toa question. I wanted to study mathematics in the
School of Science and become a math teacher. I thinklife would have been just as fun if I had followedthat path. But a book titled Organic Chemistry that
I found when I entered university made me decideto change my career path to chemistry.
La Fay: I know that book. It’s a very thick one.
Suzuki: It is a very famous book in the United States.
All students were studying with this book. Then,after I became a teacher at Hokkaido University, I
found a book titled Hydroboration at a bookstore.
It was a book about how to make organic boron
compounds, which are compounds of boron andother organic molecules. I read the book and foundit to be very interesting. I stayed up all night to readit. It is actually the only book I have stayed up allnight to read in my life. Then, I decided to study
under the author, Dr. Brown, and entered Purdue
University (Indiana, USA). If I hadn’t encounteredthese two books, I wouldn’t have chosen a career inchemistry or received the Nobel Prize.
Kuroiwa: Those are wonderful encounters. I admire yourability to take action and start studying overseas
because of a book.
Ito: It signifies Dr. Suzuki’s strong will to pursue originality.
Suzuki: It is up to yourself to decide how to pursue
originality.
Kuroiwa: Lastly, could you leave us with a message forstudents?
Suzuki: When I was a student, there were no opportunities
to talk to people from other countries unless youwere studying overseas. Today, there are many
opportunities to communicate with international
students. I hope students will value their encounterswith others and take advantage of various
experiences to make the most of their college life.
Kuroiwa: Thank you very much for today.

* Programme for International Student Assessment

Litterae Populi Spring 202019

Refining:
Earth and Planetary Science

Leading the next generation of industrial innovation

World’s Most Advanced Spectral Measurement
Technology
Remote sensing using the world’s most advanced
spectral measurement technology

Yukihiro Takahashi
Professor, Faculty of Science

Doctor in Science. Specializes in earth and planetaryscience. Dropped out of the doctoral course of the
Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science,
Tohoku University. After serving as an assistant, teacher
and associate professor at the Graduate School of Science,
Tohoku University, he was appointed as a professor of
the Faculty of Science of Hokkaido University in 2009(current position). Further activity as a leading researcherof earth and planetary science is expected in the future.

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

Technology to observe the shape and nature of an object
in a non-contact manner from a remote location is known
as remote sensing. When an object is irradiated withelectromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light, infrared ray,microwave), some or all of the waves are repelled (reflection).
The object itself may also emit electromagnetic waves into
space. Characteristics of electromagnetic waves reflectedor emitted from the object to explore depend on the statusof the object or types of materials composing the object.
Therefore, it is possible to determine the shape and natureof the object by receiving electromagnetic waves reflected oremitted by the object using a sensor on an artificial satellite,
aircraft or vehicle and analyzing their properties.
While remote sensing is applicable in a wide rangeof fields, an especially important example of application
is “the observation of various global environments.” By
receiving and analyzing electromagnetic waves reflectedor emitted from the ground surface, it is possible, forexample, to observe sea water temperature and forested
areas on a continuous basis and monitor the progressof global warming. By focusing on remote sensing withsuch characteristics and making use of the world’s mostadvanced spectral measurement technology, Professor
Yukihiro Takahashi of the Faculty of Science is addressing
the development of technologies for farm crop growth andpest diagnosis using remote sensing.
“I became interested in astronomy when I read agakushu manga (comic book for study). I decided to be an
astronomer when I was in the third grade of elementary
school,” says Professor Takahashi. After graduating froma high school in Chiba Prefecture, he entered Tohoku
University. “I decided to enter Tohoku University when
I was in junior high school. After entering the university,
I became interested in studies of auroras and selected ageophysics laboratory.” After that, he entered the doctoral
course of the university’s graduate school and stayed at theShowa Station in Antarctica for one year as a member ofthe wintering party of the Japanese Antarctic Research
Expedition. He observed auroras there and wrote his thesis
based on the data. Professor Takahashi then became ateacher at Tohoku University and encountered a research
theme that motivated him to engage in the field of remotesensing. It is a phenomenon called “sprite.” In his words,“Thunder is a discharge phenomenon that occurs between
clouds and the ground. Sprite is an almost synchronous
phenomenon in which the emission of light occurs slightly
later above the thunder, at a height of 40 to 90 km. An
attempt to observe sprite occurring above the clouds fromthe sky above using an artificial satellite was planned.”
Professor Takahashi began to develop an artificial
satellite for sprite observation. “Observation with the firstsatellite ended in failure, but the second one launchedafter that succeeded in various challenges. Of those, anachievement worth mentioning is the establishment of highprecision spectral observation technology by developing acamera (sensor) that can scan electromagnetic waves (visible
light rays, near infrared rays) in a 1-nm wavelength step
width. The camera itself is not especially new, but it was thefirst one for space in the world and I think its performanceis the best in the world in terms of spectral measurementfrom space,” says the professor.

Toward the creation of an innovative remotesensing project
Following his research activities at Tohoku University,
Professor Takahashi was appointed to the Faculty of Scienceof Hokkaido University in 2009. “A teacher who was part©️JAXA/NASA

The moment when DIWATA-1, the first small satellite of the Philippines
developed jointly by Hokkaido University and Tohoku University, waslaunched from the International Space Station (ISS).

of the same lab at Tohoku University moved to Hokkaido
University. Since he was going to create a large telescope forobserving planets and invited me to take part, I took a postat Hokkaido University,” says Professor Takahashi about
the course of events. Since his appointment, he has been
actively engaging in projects making use of high-precision
spectral observation technology from past observations.
One such project is the project on “Creation of innovative
remote sensing based on spectral library’ by utilizing thespectral measurement technology of Hokkaido University,”
which was adopted as a Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT).
In this project, accurate spectral measurement is achieved
at a super-low cost by combining a spectral measurement
method using a portable measuring instrument and a drone
with the world’s highest-class performance spectral camera
on a satellite. By using these, a spectral library that covers
combinations of sunshine angle and camera direction willbe established to significantly improve the accuracy of farm
crop growth and pest diagnosis and increase observation
frequency in actual operations.
By considerably improving cost effectiveness in thisway, it is expected to be a feasible project. “It is a strategy
to improve the quality of solution services by establishinga spectral library for all incident and output angles andrealizing a spectral library platform by which data can beobtained by simply pointing the camera at any angle,” says
Professor Takahashi. He will continue to address the world’s
most advanced research toward the creation of an innovative
remote sensing project by making useof high-precision spectral
observation technology.

A moment withhis beloved cat !
Professor Takahashi works at the university away from his family
home in Kofu, Yamanashi. Playing with his beloved cat when hereturns home on weekends provides a moment of relaxation awayfrom work.

Litterae Populi Spring 2020

21

Alumni Interview

Pursuing “Fun” by Valuing His Own Intuition
Creative Power Nurtured by the University’s Liberal Atmosphere and Experience

Japan, and often went out drinking with them around Kita 24jo or 18-jo. I ended up repeating a year, but it was the best timeof my life.
Why did you join Hokkaido Television Broadcasting Co.,
Ltd. (HTB)?
One of my seniors from Hokkaido University’s rugby club who
had joined HTB asked me to take a part-time job there if I had
the time, and I ended up going to various reporting locations
carrying a tripod as a camera operator’s assistant. I found the job
interesting and took the entrance exam. Come to think of it, it
seems my seniors from rugby clubs have determined everythingthat has happened in my life.
What did you do after joining the company?
I had imagined I would be able to go to various places, but I was
first assigned to a department to calculate ratings and moneyat the Tokyo branch. Although I found being a working adultboring, Tokyo was very convenient for outdoor activities, and I
spent all my wages on camping, mountain climbing, canoeing
and other activities. I think my experiences from those days
were beneficial when I later traveled to different areas for Suiyo
Dodesho.

In front of the Suiyo
Dodesho Festival in
Sapporo 2019 display
at the head office ofHTB.

person like this is also important. I was constantly saying on set
that I wanted to realistically convey this point.
When do you unwind?
I don’t particularly need time to unwind because work is like myhobby in a way. If I had to answer, however, it’s when I travel
on an airplane.
What do you want to do in the future?
Not so long ago, someone from a publishing company
recommended that I write a novel, and now I feel like writing.
In the future, I want to spend three years writing a book thatwill win the Naoki or Akutagawa prize.

Tadahisa Fujimura

Executive Director, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (HTB)| School of Law Graduate |Mr. Tadahisa Fujimura is the creator of Suiyo Dodesho (HowDo You Like Wednesday?), a TV program with fans all overJapan. Mr. Fujimura, who continues to actively engage inthe production of both DVDs and dramas, talked about histhoughts on work and college days.
I hear you are from Aichi Prefecture. What kind of boy
were you?
I liked to bring the whole class together, and served as classpresident when I was in elementary school. I especially liked
play that involved making our own rules, and took the lead indoing so. My childhood friends often say that I’m still doing thesame thing.
What was your school life like in junior high and highschool?
I played rugby in junior high and high school. I continued toplay for six years as I enjoyed being part of a team with members
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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

that had different physiques and physical abilities. More thananything, I delighted in the company of diversity.
Why did you enter the School of Law at Hokkaido
University?
One big reason is that I couldn’t forget the magnificent scenery
I saw during a trip to Hokkaido with my grandfather when I
was in elementary school. Since I also agreed with Hokkaido
University’s motto, “Boys, be ambitious,” I became interested in
Hokkaido and Hokkaido University. I entered the School of Law
as I wanted to become a politician that acted as a community
organizer, such as the mayor of a city or town.
What do you remember best about your college life?
Many of the seniors from my high school rugby club were at
Hokkaido University. They told me to join the rugby club andmade me participate in practice from the day after the entrance
ceremony. I practiced rugby with teammates from all over

How did Suiyo Dodesho come to be?
When I was transferred to the Production Department five
years after joining the company and put in charge of a program,
I made up my mind to make the most interesting show andstarted Suiyo Dodesho. It’s fun if there are little accidents that
happen along the way during a trip, isn’t it? So, I thought of ashow where accidents would happen while on a trip. However,funny moments don’t necessarily happen even if we try. We
don’t know if something will turn out to be funny until we
actually do it. In that sense, I’m just having fun where I am andfollowing my instincts. Cast member Yo Oizumi said to me,“This is not a TV program. It’s just filming something about
ourselves.” He was probably right.
What do you think about the cast?
Four people of different ages were placed on a team, went toplaces they wanted to go and had fun using their own words andexpressions rather than acting out a script written by someone
else. That gained support from viewers. They are like teammatesparticipating in a game who never retire.
The movie you directed, Channel wa Sonomama! (Stay
Tuned!) won the grand prize in the TV Drama Categoryof the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association Award.
Congratulations. Was there anything you kept in mind
during the production of this movie?
Ensuring I had a correct understanding of the character of
Hanako Yukimaru, who is the leading character in the original
book, and instilling that on the set. Yukimaru is the kind of
person who says, “Sure, I understand” and just starts runningwith it even if she can’t organize her thoughts, but sometimes
breaks through the barriers with passionate action. I guess a

What was good about graduating from Hokkaido
University?
I am really thankful to Hokkaido University for allowing a
student like me to run wild on that expansive campus. The ties
I made with such a diverse group of people from all over Japan
ended up becoming a lifelong asset for me.
Lastly, please leave us with a message to your juniors
studying at the university.
I want them to value free thinking. This is a liberal university
where the phrase “Boys, are you ambitious?” is in the air. I wantthem to enjoy their campus life to the fullest by exchanging
different opinions while passing on and preserving suchliberality and openness.

Inside Mr. Fujimura’s editing room
The shelves are crammed with recorded videos.
PROFILE
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1965. After graduating from the School of Law
of Hokkaido University in 1990, joined Hokkaido Television BroadcastingCo., Ltd. (HTB). After working at the Programming and Administration
Department of the Tokyo Branch, transferred to the Entertainment
Department of the Headquarters and created Suiyo Dodesho (How Do You
Like Wednesday?). Won a number of drama awards for Mieruhi (ComingHome) (2009) and Channel wa Sonomama! (Stay Tuned!) (2019), which helater directed. Currently active as a fellow of the Hokkaido University Facultyof Public Policy and Graduate School of Public Policy.

Litterae Populi Spring 2020

23

From

Palestine/Zambia

Letters from Ambassadors and Partners

This issue features contributions from HU Partner Reem AbuKmeil, Technical coordinator of JICAPalestine Office, and HU Partner Walter Muleya, Lecturer/Researcher of University of Zambia.

1

2

1

Ms. Reem AbuKmeil

Dr. Walter Muleya

Technical coordinator, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) by February 2020,
Appointed as a Hokkaido University Partner in November 2016

I

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

Lecturer, Researcher, Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia,
Appointed as a Hokkaido University Partner in February 2017

HU really felt like home.
I got a position to work for theJapan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) Palestine Office,where I reflect the knowledge andconfidence of HU to lead environmental projects in Gaza, Palestine.
My education at HU was the reason I
became who I am now: confident andrealistic. So, from the bottom of myheart, I hope I can help in facilitating many other talented Palestinians
to experience the amazing chance of
HU, which stands as one of the top
universities in the world. I will continuously encourage many young
people in Palestine to enroll in graduate studies at HU.
Education at HU empowered me
to realize the control and direction I
can instill once back in my country.
Holding a master’s degree in environmental engineering, I was a minority
in Gaza. I have been working in asector that many think I am unable
to endure with its kind of work environment. My first big mission was tolead the medical waste management
project in Gaza through the JICAPalestine Office. I was the only female
working in this field. I want to change
the stereotype of women in the workforce in my community and show thatwomen do well in leading society.
HU is a charming place withmagnificent nature. I come fromt was a sincere honor to be selected as a HU Partner. I cannot
express enough how grateful I am
to my supervisor Prof. Naoyuki Funamizu for his solid leadership andsupport during my stay at HU. Being a HU Partner is a great chance
to disseminate my HU story andwhat I have done after coming backto many passionate young people in
my hometown, Gaza, who strive foreducation having different academic
backgrounds.
I am a Palestinian from Gaza.
We are eleven in total, six sisters,
three brothers and my parents. I got
my bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the Islamic University in Gaza in 2012. I travelled toJapan in April 2013, enrolled in e3
program*, and got my master’s degree
in environmental engineering from
Hokkaido University in 2015. This
program succeeded in giving me abreak from the monotonous research
life by enjoying various events. Such
events help me to promote international exchanges between foreign andJapanese students. I acted as a financial manager for the e3 social activities for one year. This opportunity
gave me a strong bridge to formulate
friendships with many international
students. It was a unique experience
communicating with different cultures and backgrounds. My stay at

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Gaza where it is considered one of
the most crowded areas in the world.
Once I arrived in Hokkaido, I was
absolutely amazed by the power ofnature. I heartily consider Sapporo
as my second home town.
There are remarkable differences between my current city, Gaza,and Sapporo. As a semi-arid region,
in Gaza, we never experience thesnow, whereas Sapporo is really cold
in winter and very snowy. It was aunique experience for me to enjoy
the astonishing Sapporo snow festival each year. My city is locatedalong the coast of the Mediterranean
Sea. The terrain of Gaza is flat withthe highest point being only 105
meters above the sea level, whereas
Sapporo is surrounded by a numberof mountains, as well as many rivers.
Both Sapporo and Gaza have amazing tastes in sea food, but in Gaza we
don’t eat raw fish. Sushi in Sapporo
has an exceptional taste. It is very
fresh and tasty hontoni oishi.
I believe learning is the weapon
we should equip ourselves with. So, I
invite you to explore the many possibilities in the engagement of Palestinian universities with HU.

I

ever the school was different from
Kyokushin karate which is my current
style of preference after I came to Japan.
After graduation, I have been
involved in several collaborative projects with HU particularly with the
Research Center for Zoonosis Control such as the SATREPS* projectand JICA project. I have closely collaborated with Prof. H. Sawa, who
was my PhD supervisor. I had been
to Nagasaki University’s School of
Tropical Medicine and Global Health(TMGH) for three months attending
a course in public health and global
epidemiology. My most recent stayin HU was in 2019 for 3 months. I
appreciate the support by the JTS (Japan Science and Technology Agency)
and JICA for all of my visits to Japan.
I think HU is a very nice andprestigious university with very wide
spaces and very beautiful in spring.
Japan is a nice and neat place overall
but it required me a bit of time to getused to the cool weather, customs,
etc. But, after you get used to Japanand its culture, it becomes a kind of
addictive place to live in because we
don't have to worry so much aboutt was an honor to be considered apartner for such a prestigious university.
I was born in Kitwe town, Copperbelt province, Zambia. I am thesecond last born in a family of seven.
I have two brothers and four sisters. I
am married and have three children.
After my undergraduate studies at
the University of Zambia, I joined
the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Hokkaido University in 2009, and I
graduated with a PhD in September
2013. Prior to commencing my PhD
studies, I also took a certificate course
in Zoonosis control at HU.
I came to Japan mainly due tocuriosity. I thought Europe would
not be so different from my country
especially in terms of some culture
because Zambia was previously a
British colony and have a lot of influence from Europeans. In short, I
wanted to have a different experience.
Japan was kind of mysterious forme and I was particularly interested
in Japanese culture. On top of that,
I had always been interested in theJapanese martial arts karate. Before
coming to Japan, I had some priortraining in karate in Zambia. How-

things like crime due to its high safety records.
I would like to continue promoting HU in my country so thatmany Zambian people may also havethe chance to experience what I did
while studying at HU. HU produces
cutting edge research and is a very
attractive place for everyone to study
new innovative things.
Sapporo and Lusaka (my current
city of residence) are totally different.
Lusaka has no snow during winterand only experiences two weather
patterns namely; hot and rainy (Octto April) and cold and dry (May to
September). In terms of size and population, Lusaka and Sapporo have
similar population sizes however
Sapporo, with an area of 1,212 km 2
is larger than Lusaka, whose area isonly 418 km 2 .
Greetings from Zambia and it isa pleasure to be part of this diverse
community. Continue doing what
you do best and best regards.
* Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable
Development. It is a Japanese government program that
promotes international joint research which based on
the needs of developing countries. The program aims toaddress global issues and lead to research outcomes ofpractical benefit to both local and global society.

* English Engineering Education Program: Degree programin English for postgraduate level education to cover almost
all fields of engineering. At present, about 250 courses areavailable in English for 203 students from 43 countries
including Japan.

4

1. View of Gaza Beach (Credit: Ministry of
Tourism & Antiquities, Gaza City by Rashed
AlHelou).
2. Graduation Ceremony of Islamic University
in Gaza (Credit: Islamic University of Gaza,
Palestine).
3. Workshop on the Entrepreneurs Experiencein Japan, Gaza 2017.
4. Field Trip to a mine site with the E3 program,
Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido
University.

1. Entrance to the School of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Zambia.
2. 40 th Hokkaido Kyokushin Kaikan Karate
Championship Tournament (September2013).
3. Celebrating a student’s achievement at a
karate examination.
4. Rabies research with a colleague and research
partner from Zimbabwe.

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Litterae Populi Spring 202025

Hokkaido University Archives

140 yearsofchallenge
SCENE-12

1899-1907
Birth of the “Keiteki-ryo”
dormitory

8

1

1. Cover of “Dormitory Records No. 1,” April 8, 1905, journal of dormitory affairs byboarding students (1905, University Archives collection).

72

2. Interior of Room no. 18 of the Keiteki-ryo dormitory (1905, University Archives
collection).
3. Yoshimaro Tanaka, who wrote the dormitory song Ittai Yuruki (1907, University
Archives collection).

6

4. Room arrangements contained in “Dormitory Records No. 2,” October 9, 1905
(University Archives collection).
5. Commemorative photo of new boarding students in front of the entrance of the newdormitory (1906, University Archives collection).
6. Photo taken in front of the dormitory to commemorate the holding of the Carlyle
workshop mainly by boarding students (1907, University Archives collection).
7. Masanobu Takamatsu, who composed the music of the dormitory song Ittai Yuruki (ca.
1907, University Archives collection).
8. Keiteki-ryo dormitory as seen from the southwestern side (1908, University Archives
collection).
9. Mimeographed sheet music and lyrics of the dormitory song Ittai Yuruki distributed
to all boarding students (“Records of Dormitory Affairs, June 1906,” April 4, 1907,
University Archives collection).

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4

Relocation of the dormitory of Sapporo Agricultural
College5

year student of the regular course), who played a central rolein dormitory management in those days, about the selection
process for the dormitory name and song.

The campus of Sapporo Agricultural College situated near
Kita 1-jo of downtown Sapporo was to be relocated to the area
Diary of Yoshimaro Tanaka
around Kita 8-jo where there was an extensive farm facility ofMarch 26: Candidate songs and names of the dormitory were
the College. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new college
presented and referred to the committee by a majority vote.
building was held on the new campus in 1899, the building
March 31: We visited Assistant Professor Shoko (Atsujiro) Nii,
was completed in July 1903 and the campus was relocated.
and asked for potential names for the dormitory, receiving theConsequently, the dormitory of Sapporo Agricultural Collage
following four:at Kita 1-jo was closed in the same month. A new dormitory
猶興 (Yuko)（雖無文猶興）
building was constructed in the area around the present School
有隣 (Yurin)（徳不孤必有隣）
of Education and School of Humanities and Human Sciences
有恒 (Yuko)（有恒難哉）(near Kita 11-jo Nishi 7-chome) in November of that year, and恵迪 (Keiteki)（恵迪吉）
the opening ceremony was held in April 1905.
I tried to draft a song with seven passage for the dormitory at
The new two-story wooden dormitory was a square building
night. I spent several hours but didn’t get very far.
surrounding a courtyard and had its entrance on the west side.
April 2: The dormitory song and name selection committee
The housemaster’s office, reception room and night-duty room
meeting was held at night. Mr. Otake came a little late. After
were on the side of the entrance, and the east side opposite
discussions, it was agreed to choose Yuko or Keiteki for thefrom the entrance housed the cafeteria and kitchen. The parts
dormitory name, but when it came time to choose from the two,of the building facing north and south were called the north
there were different opinions and it was not easy to decide. We
and south dormitories, respectively, and there were nine rooms
each facing the corridors on the firstand second floors. Excluding the room
The Ishikari River gently meanders through the area. Its distantof the person in charge of dormitory
five colors is the glory of summer in Teine. Infinite grace is there,affairs, cooking committee room,
reading room and meeting room, there
Autumn prospers amidst wafting yellow sand. Yellow leaves fall
were 32 residential rooms in total. The
field with a roar making elm trees look magnificent. Infinite
dormitory capacity was 132 students.
Boarding students in those days spokeat last decided to use the name “Keiteki-ryo” as Yuko is currently
very highly of the new dormitory, saying, “If one were to list
used as the name of a group in the national political arena.
the benefits of the dormitory, including the convenience for
We had more difficulties when it came to the song. It waspractical training, use of the library, convenience for exercise,decided to use the song I drafted in advance based on three
not to mention the complete equipment, cleanliness and ordercandidate songs as the outline and make some corrections.
in the building, the list would be longer than that of the benefits
Finding good phrases was more difficult than finding pearls. Itof medicine.” (Bunbukai Newsletter, No. 45, May 1905). Unlike
was impossible to complete one passage even after one hour andthe old dormitory that was basically for regular students only, theMr. Otake left as it was late. Mr. Takamatsu and Mr. Hayakawa
new one accepted students in the preparatory, civil engineeringleft to start composing music. That left just Mr. Okubo, Mr.
and forestry courses.
Toriumi and myself. We sat and stared at each other without
In January 1907, students in the dormitory were invited tosaying anything. Time passed in vain, and even after midnight
come up with a name and song for the dormitory. The following
we had not yet completed the song. We adjourned the meetingis an excerpt from the diary of Yoshimaro Tanaka (second26

Litterae Populi Spring 2020910

to be continued tomorrow.
April 3: In the morning, I worked on the correction of thedormitory song with Mr. Okubo again after last night.
In the afternoon, I met with Mr. Okubo again to work on
the correction of the dormitory song and finished it a little later.
In the evening, I worked with Mr. Takamatsu and Mr.
Hayakawa on the music of the dormitory song in the musicroom.
April 4: The music of the dormitory song was completed thanks
to the efforts of Mt. Takamatsu and others (the music we madeyesterday was changed completely as many were against it).
In the afternoon, I mimeographed the dormitory song (andthe sheet music) with Mr. Hayakawa and distributed it to allboarding students.

Determination of the dormitory name and song

For the dormitory name, Assistant Professor Atsujiro Nii, who
was in charge of Chinese classics in the preparatory course,
proposed four ideas (Yuko, Yurin, Yuko and Keiteki) from a bookin classical Chinese. Of those, the selection committee of thedormitory decided to name the dormitory “Keiteki-ryo.” It was

10. Diary of Yoshimaro Tanaka “Mio Shuki II,” March 31, 1907 (University Archives
collection).
“Keiteki” and other ideas were proposed by Assistant Professor Atsujiro Nii.

regular course), but Mr. Takashi Okubo (second-year student of
the regular course) and Mr. Jiro Toriumi (third-year student of
the regular course) were involved in the fine-tuning of the lyrics
and Mr. Naose Hayakawa (first-year student of the preparatory
course) helped with composing the music and Mr. Harutaka
Otake, who graduated in September of the previous year andnewly became an assistant professor at the college, also provided
assistance.
The Sapporo Agricultural College dormitory introduced
a self-governing system, was relocated to a new building andits name and first dormitory song were selected in those days.
Sapporo Agricultural College itself was promoted to imperial
university status as the College of Agriculture, Tohoku Imperial
University. Boarding students were about to develop their
dormitory culture in the new Keiteki-ryo. The dormitory song
Ittai Yuruki is still sung by students in Keiteki-ryo, and thebuilding is exhibited at the Historical Village of Hokkaido(Atsubetsu Ward, Sapporo).
Ho k k a i d o Un i ve r s i t y

HISTORY
1899-1907

source is covered in mist. The evening glow inwhere our college stands.
on the expansive ranch. Snow blows across thegreatness is there, where our dormitory stands.
taken from a phrase in a Chinese classic titled “Shokyo (Book ofDocuments),” meaning “If you follow the right path, you will
gain good results.”
Three candidates wrote lyrics for the dormitory. From
those, selection committee members mainly worked onpolishing up the lyrics written by Mr. Yoshimaro Takaka.
Mr. Tanaka’s diary shows that they had heated discussions.
The music was composed in the same way, and the music once
completed had to be significantly modified. The first dormitory
song of Keiteki-ryo, which starts with the phrase Ittai Yuruki,
is known to be written by Mr. Yoshimaro Tanaka (lyrics) andMr. Masanobu Takamatsu (music, fourth-year student of the

February 1899			June		
1899
			
September 1899

Relocation of Sapporo Agricultural College to the Kita 8-jo campus
decided.
Groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new college
building on the Kita 8-jo campus.
The self-governing system of the dormitory commences.

July		
1903 Agricultural College relocated to the Kita 8-jo campus and the old			dormitory closed.
November 1903 The new dormitory constructed.
April		

1905 The opening ceremony of the new dormitory.

April		1906 The first anniversary ceremony of the opening of the dormitory 					(Beginning of the dormitory festival).
January
1907
April		1907			September 1907
			

Invitation to name the dormitory and write the dormitory song begins.
The dormitory named “Keiteki-ryo” and the first dormitory song Ittai
Yuruki presented.
Sapporo Agricultural College promoted to imperial university status as
the College of Agriculture, Tohoku Imperial University.

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 Spring 202027

To p i c s
At the press conference for acquisition of
EAEVE accreditation held at the Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology on December 13, 2019.
From left, Acting President Kasahara of
Hokkaido University, President Okuda
of Obihiro University of Agriculture andVeterinary Medicine, President Oka of
Yamaguchi University and President Sanoof Kagoshima University.

Establishment of the Hokkaido University
Entrepreneurship Development FundOn December 2, 2019, the Institute for the Promotion ofBusiness-Regional Collaboration established the Hokkaido
University Entrepreneurship Development Fund as part of
the Hokkaido University Frontier Fund to further improve
entrepreneur education. The seven founders include Junichi
Kaneko (Deputy Director of the Institute for the Promotionof Business-Regional Collaboration) and Chairman
Tsutomu Tsuchida of Seraph, Inc. (Tokyo), who graduatedfrom Hokkaido University and is active in fostering andsupporting young entrepreneurs.
Hokkaido University is taking part as a collaborative
institute in a program (responsible institute: Tohoku
University) adopted for the Exploration and Developmentof Global Entrepreneurship for NEXT Generation(EDGE-NEXT) by the Ministry of Education, Culture,

Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in AY 2017.
During the implementation of the program, the university
became the first in Japan to introduce DEMOLA, which
is a Finnish platform to solve corporate challenges. In
addition, a team of students from the university made theremarkable accomplishment of winning the international
preliminary round of the Hult Prize (2019), the world’s
largest entrepreneurship contest, becoming the firstJapanese university to do so. The fund was established tocontinue fostering talents with entrepreneurship skills in
the future.
The fund will be used for improvement of entrepreneur
education and support of venture businesses from Hokkaido
University.
We look forward to your support and cooperation.

Hokkaido University

E nt repreneu r sh ip
De velopment Fu nd

School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University
and School of Cooperative Veterinary Medicine,
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary
Medicine acquired the accreditation from the European
Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education(EAEVE)On December 11, 2019, School of Veterinary Medicine,
Hokkaido University and School of Cooperative Veterinary
Medicine, Obihiro University successfully acquired the
EAEVE accreditation for the joint veterinary medicine
program between the two schools.
The EAEVE evaluation system ensures the quality andEU’s standard of veterinary educational establishments.
Veterinary establishments consider this accreditation as an
authorized evaluation by the third party organization.
Hokkaido University and Obihiro University ofAgriculture and Veterinary Medicine have jointly run the
School of Cooperative Veterinary Medicine since AY 2012.
Hokkaido University has advanced teaching environment
in the fields of companion animals, infectious
diseases and life sciences, while Obihiro Universityof Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine does in theareas of industrial animals and food hygiene. The
joint education system provides larger scale education
programs which only single school can never achieve.
This comprehensive educational system is attracting
attention from universities both in Japan and Europe.

Further cooperation is expected for delivering advanced
veterinary education at the international standard. The
valuable experience we had this time through the EAEVE
site visitation would surely contribute to globalized
veterinary education of Japan.
This accreditation is one of the achievements ofa collaborative project of four national universities(Hokkaido University, Obihiro University of Agriculture
and Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University and
Kagoshima University). The Joint Graduate School of
Veterinary Medicine of Yamaguchi University and
Kagoshima University have also acquired EAEVE
accreditation on the same day.

The group photo of the final screening for the EAEVE accreditation
conducted by eight veterinarians from European countries. (centerin the second row: Executive Vice President Hasegawa, fourth fromthe right in the second row: Professor Horiuchi, Dean of the Schoolof Veterinary Medicine.)

Inquiry: sangaku@research.hokudai.ac.jp
EAEVE site visitors inspecting the skills lab.

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020

Litterae Populi Spring 202029

Campus Landscapes

Coming of Spring
Photographer: Akihito Yamamoto

a

b

c

d

e

In March when the snow begins to thaw and the arrival of spring feels like it is just aroundthe corner, many students will make their way into society once again this year.
This issue’s feature story covered international internships and the efforts of many
graduates to train their juniors were once again recognized. Graduates who have just takena new step will play active roles in society by at times receiving support from their seniors
as members of the Hokkaido University community.
In Spring, a new pages open with new students on the nature-rich campus.

30

Litterae Populi Spring 2020a. Graduate School of Engineeringb. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciencesecd. Community Hall Enyu Gakusha
d

b

Main
Gate

c. HU Co-opae. Graduate School of Agriculture
N

North13
Gate

Litterae Populi Spring 202031

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

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Litterae Populi Spring 2020