[Hokkaido University in Sapporo] National University That Large Trees Grow Is Like Naiotnl Park

Hokkaido University Botanical Garden

Botanic Garden Hokkaido University (北海道大学植物園) is a botanical garden in Chuo ward, Sapporo city. The official name is Hokkaido University Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere Agro-ecosystem Research Station Botanic Garden (北海道大学北方生物圏フィールド科学センター耕地圏ステーション植物園). It was established by Dr. William Smith Clark’s suggestion in 1886. * The W. S. Clark is the first president of the Hokkaido University. About 4,000 types of plants are planted, and historical buildings have been maintained and preserves the condition from those days. The area is 133,000 m2, and I suppoese that it takes about 2 hours to look around carefully on foot. The botanical garden is well-known as a green oasis of the downtown of the Sapporo. The distnace is about 1 km away from main buildings of the Hokkaido University, so be careful not to make a mistake. Besides, here is also famous as a good place to see fall foliage, and the best time to see it is from mid October to late October. Admission fee is JPY 420. A parking lot is not provided. By the way, here is open to the public for free on May 4 (Greenery Day (National Holiday). Read More

Sapporo Clock Tower

Sapporo Clock Tower (札幌市時計台) is a historical building built in 1978 in Chuo ward, Sapporo city, and has been designated as a national important cultural property. It is well-known as a symbol of the Sapporo, and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Sapporo. The clock tower is next to Sapporo City Hall (札幌市役所), Hokkaido Newspaper Head Office (北海道新聞本社) and Sapporo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (札幌商工会議所), and is also near Odori Park (大通公園) and Sapporo Sosei Square (さっぽろ創世スクエア). The appearance is lit up in the evening. Admission fee is JPY 200. A parking lot is not provided. Read More

SAPPORO

Sapporo (札幌) that about 1,960,000 people live is the largest city in Hokkaido. Although there are various theories, its origin of the name is “Dry Big River (乾いた大きな川)” in Ainu language. A population of the Sapporo is the 4th largest city after Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya in japan, and the population accounts for 36 % of Hokkaido’s population! So the Sapporo has been flourished as the center of the Hokkaido. The area of the Sapporo is 1,121.26 km2, and is about as big as Hong Kong, and is the 7th largest city in the Hokkaido. The Sapporo is also famous as a tourist city, and about 15 million people come. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 25 degrees in a summer, but it is easy to live without moisture. I always feel a little cool. It is cold that temperature falls to nearly -10 degrees in a winter, and amount of snowfall sometimes has more than 1 m. Read More

Hokkaido University Museum

The Hokkaido University Museum is a sightseing facility using a building built in 1929. A part of 4 million specimens, documents and art works gathered by the Hokkaido University is open to the public. Here is one of a few facilities that common people can enter, and exhibits for children are provided, too, so family tourists can enjoy themselves. Museum Shop and a cafe open a buiness at the building, too. Admission free.

The museum is 3-story building, and Museum Laboratory, Intellectual Hub (知の交差点), Special Exhibition Room, History of Hokkaido University (北大の歴史), Exchange of Intellect Hall (知の交流ホール) and Cutting-edge HU (北大のいま) are on the 1st floor, and Interactive Zone (感じる展示室) and the Cutting-edge HU are on the 2nd floor, and Storehouse Treasures (収蔵標本の世界) are on the 3rd floor.

At the Cutting-edge HU on the 1st floor and the 2nd floor, 12 departments introduce their education and research. A stuffed polar bear and a mammoth model are personally fascinating. When I visited here, some high school students looked at exhibitions carefully, and I guessed that they took thought of their interests and future paths.

A lot of exhibitions at the Storehouse Treasures on the 3rd floor stimulate my interest. I was surprised by the size of dinosaur fossils, and was sick of a medical specimen. Visitors can express their feelings to their own liking. A school boy looked at a biological specimen carefully, so I think collection mania spends an blissful time.

The historical building attracts notice, too. The outward appearance is a modern gothic-style building decorated with dark brown scratch tiles and terra‐cotta tiles, so I think that it is just a university building. The ceiling of stairwell is a white dome called “Einstein Dome”. But it is not clearly handed down up till the present why it is the Einstein.

Central Lawn

The Central Lawn is a lawn with sparse trees, and the Sakushu-kotoni River flows through the lawn. Here is well-known as a place to relax by Sapporo Citizens and university students, and a lot of people enjoy basking in the sun or having lunch. Here is also a water source of the Sakushu-kotoni River through the university grounds. By the way, the Sakushu-kotoni means “The river nearest Toyohira River in all rivers in a basin of the Sapporo” in Ainu language. Admission free.

Bust of Dr. Clark

Bust of Dr. Clark is a statue of the upper body of Dr. William Smith Clark, the first vice president of Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University), as a memory, and was made by Mr. Sekiro Tajima (田嶼碩朗) in 1926. But it was was taken over by the Empire of Japan in World War II. Current bust was remade in 1948, and was too much popular with tourists, so its popularity obstructed school management. In order to solve this problem, the Statue of the Dr. Clark called “Dr. Clark on Hill (丘の上のクラーク)” has been built since 1976 at Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill (羊ヶ丘展望台). By the way, the Dr. Clark stayed in the Sapporo only during 8 months. I think that he is amazing because he has his name up in a short time of his stay.

Ono Pond

A pond has been called “Ono Pond” because Dr. Kauzo Ono (大野和男), an engineering professor, suggested that a marsh with bad smells turned into the pond. At present, the Sakushu-kotoni River flows into the pond, and the pond has rose. A wooden path is built around the pond, and benches are provided, too. Sapporo Citizens and university students use here as a place to relax. In an early summer, trillium can be enjoyed, and water lily can be enjoyed in a summer, and fall foliage can be savored in an autumn. I happened to see a birdwatcher when I visited here, so wildbirds seemed to come.

Poplar Trees Lined Path

Poplar Trees Lined Path (ポプラ並木) is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Hokkaido University. 67 poplar trees grow along the both sides of 250 m length path. The trees were planted in 1903, so an idyllic scenry such as a typical Hokkaido view was born. But some poplar trees were fallen by a typhoon in 2004, so visitors may feel disappointed. Flowering Tree Garden (花木園) is built beside the Poplar Trees Lined Path. By the way, Heisei Poplar Trees Lined Path (平成ポプラ並木) grow in some other place, too.

The Monument in Honor of Dr. Inazo Nitobe, a pond and walks are built at the Flowering Tree Garden. The garden is known for Yezo Black Lily Colony, and the best time to see is late May.

Cherry Trees Lined Path

The Cherry Trees Lined Path grow in front of the medical department. About 30 double cherry trees are planted along walks. Most of the trees are 2-3 m height, so a tunnel of cherry blossoms appears if the cherry blossoms are full in bloom, and visitors are moved by the view. If the walks is covered with fallen cherry blossoms, the view becomes more photogenic. The best time to see is mid May.

Sapporo Agricultural College Farm No.2

Sapporo Agricultural College Farm No.2 is a sightseeing spot in the north part of the university, and is one of a few facilities that common people can enter. Here is known as the birth place of stock raising in the Hokkaido. Buildings such as a barn for a dairy farmer were established as the first practical farm that Japanese were unfamiliar with dairy management and livestock farming in the Hokkaido based on Dr. Clerk in 1876. At the university grounds, a group of the buildings is oldest, and has been designated as a national important cultural property since 1969. Farm Office (事務所), Bull Barn (種牛舎), Miliking-cow Barn (牝牛舎), Model Dairy Barn with Dairy Cow Production Room (産室) and Cow Room (雑牛追込所) and Farm Horse Room (耕馬舎), Corn Barn (穀物庫), Harvest Room (収穫室) and Threshing Room (脱稃室), Weighing Chamber Plant (秤量場), Food-processing Plant (釜場), Milk-processing Plant (製乳所), a pond and a restroom are built at the site. Admission free.

When I visited here in mid May, dandelion flowers were in full bloom. The blue sky, green grass and yellow flowers let me feel a typical Hokkaido scenery. Sparse trees were also good. Some groups of tourists or local families came, so I knew that here was popular.

The Corn Barn is a 2-story wooden building built in 1877, and was designed by Professor William Wheeler that designed the Sapporo Clock Tower. A raised-floor-style to prevent a rat has a feature. The building is allowed to enter, and 180 Japanese hoes gathered all over the Japan are displayed on the 1st floor, and 20 agricultural equipments are displayed on the 2nd floor.

The Model Dairy Barn is a 2-story wooden building built in 1877, and was designed by the Professor William Wheeler. The building is largest in the Sapporo Agricultural College Farm No.2. The building is allowed to enter, and the Dairy Cow Production Room can be seen on the 1st floor, and harness is displayed on the 1st floor, and rare old imported farm tools are displayed at Dry Hay Warehouse on the 2nd floor.

The Miliking-cow Barn is a 2-story wooden building built in 1909, and is allowed to enter. 55 types of tractors and farm working machines on the 1st floor.

The Bull Barn is a 2-story wooden building built in 1878, and was designed by Professor William Penn Brooks. Unfortunately, the building is not allowed to enter.

This place is so idyllic that you would not think that here is in the center of the Sapporo. Some cow figurines are set here and there, and those make visitors feel an atmosphere of the Hokkaido. Some tourists enjoyed selfies togethr with the cow figurines and green grounds, and those looked fun. I think that here is a little‐known good spot because time passes very slowly at this place near the Sapporo Station.

Lined Gingko Trees with Fall Foliage

Lined Gingko Trees with Fall Foliage in Hokkaido University (北海道大学イチョウ並木) is a beauty spot for fall foliage near Sapporo Station. It takes about 1 minute from Sapporo Subway Namboku Line Kita-12Jo Station (地下鉄南北線「北12条駅」) to here. The Hokkaido University is commonly called Hokudai (北大), and becomes popular nationwide. The total site area of the Hokkaido University include various forests used for research is about 660 km2, and is comparable with about 1/570 of Japanese land. It is very vast site. Read More