![131103 Hokkaido University Sapporo Hokkaido Japan07s3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/131103_Hokkaido_University_Sapporo_Hokkaido_Japan07s3.jpg)
, or , is a Japanese
national university
A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state.
Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...
in
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
,
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
. It was the fifth
Imperial University in Japan, which were established to be the nation's finest institutions of higher education or research. Hokkaido University is considered one of the top universities in Japan and was ranked 5th in THE Japan University Rankings. It was also selected as a "Top Type" university by the Japanese government's
Top Global University Project
is a funding project by the Japanese government that began in 2014. The project aims to enhance the globalization of the country's public and private universities so that graduates can "walk into positions of global leadership". The project is so ...
. The main campus is located in downtown Sapporo, just north of
Sapporo Station
is a railway station in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), and is also connected to the Subway Sapporo Station.
Sapporo Station is the starting p ...
, and stretches approximately 2.4 kilometers northward.
History
The history of the university dates to the formal incorporation of Yezo as Hokkaido into the Japanese realm. Director of the
Hokkaidō Development Commission
The , sometimes referred to as Hokkaidō Colonization Office or simply Kaitakushi, was a government agency in early Meiji Japan. Tasked with the administration, economic development, and securing of the northern frontier in what, at the time of e ...
Kuroda Kiyotaka
Count , also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was Prime Minister of Japan from 1888 to 1889. He was also vice chairman of the Hokkaido Development Commission ( Kaitaku-shi).
Biography
As a Satsuma ''samurai''
Kur ...
, having traveled to America in 1870, looked to the American model of settling the new lands. Upon return he brought General Horace Capron, a commissioner of agriculture who pushed for the adoption of new agricultural practices and crops in Hokkaido's colder clime. To achieve this an agriculture college was proposed, leading to the founding of in 1876 by
William S. Clark with the help of five faculty members and a first class size of 24 students. In September 1907, set up the faculty of Agriculture in Sapporo. Tohoku Imperial University ceded the Faculty of Agriculture to on April 1, 1918. It was one of nine
Imperial Universities
The were founded by the Empire of Japan between 1886 and 1939, seven in Mainland Japan (now Japan), one in Korea under Japanese rule (now the Republic of Korea) and one in Taiwan under Japanese rule (now Taiwan). They were run by the imperial gove ...
. The School of Medicine was established in 1919, at which time the Agricultural College became the Faculty of Agriculture. This was followed by the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science, and finally in 1947, the Faculty of Law and Literature. The current name of Hokkaido University also came into use in 1947. In 1953, the Graduate School was established.
Since 2004 the university has been incorporated as a
National University Corporation is a corporate body (legal entity) established under the provisions of the ''National University Corporation Act'' (2003) for the purpose of establishing a national university in Japan.
History
As part of promoting the reform of Japanese univer ...
under a new law which applies to all national universities. Although the incorporation has led to increased financial independence and autonomy, Hokkaido University is still partially controlled by the
Japanese Ministry of Education
The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community. ...
.
In 2014 the university was selected under the
Super Global Universities
is a funding project by the Japanese government that began in 2014. The project aims to enhance the globalization of the country's public and private universities so that graduates can "walk into positions of global leadership". The project is so ...
program that began as an initiative of Prime Minister
Shinzō Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
who stated its aim was to help more of Japan's universities rank in the top 100 worldwide. Under the program, it is listed in the top university category or Type A—(Top Type) The Top Type is for world-class universities that have the potential to be ranked in the top 100 in world university rankings. Each Type A university will receive ¥420 million ($US 4.2 million) annually until 2023.
In June 2020, Hokkaido University president Toyoharu Nawa was dismissed by Japanese education minister
Koichi Hagiuda for abuse of power at the workplace, becoming the first national university president to be dismissed since national universities became independent in 2004. He was succeeded by former neurosurgeon and director of
Hokkaido University Hospital
is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...
Kiyohiro Houkin.
Faculties and graduate schools
Faculties
Graduate schools
Postgraduate degree programs in English
The following departments offer postgraduate degrees taught entirely in English
* Agriculture
* Chemical Sciences and Engineering
* Engineering
* Environmental Science
* Life Sciences
* Science
* Veterinary Medicine
Both international and domestic students may apply for graduate programs taught in English. Competitive scholarships are available for all graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in English degree programs, which range in amount from tuition discounts to full funding.
Special degree programs for international students
The university offers two programs aimed exclusively at international students: One, four-year undergraduate degree program, the Modern Japanese Studies Program (MJSP), and one, five-year degree program comprising both undergraduate- and graduate-level study, the Integrated Science Program (ISP). As with other English-based degree programs at the university, competitive scholarships are available for all graduate and undergraduate students, which range in amount from tuition discounts to full funding.
Modern Japanese Studies Program (MJSP)
The Modern Japanese Studies Program is a bilingual, bachelor's degree program that aims to educate students about the history, culture, society, and political economy of modern Japan while raising them to fluency in the Japanese language. The program offers two majors, one in History and Culture and one in Society and Political Economy. The majors share coursework, so whichever of the previous specializations a student does not choose as their major becomes their minor.
Integrated Science Program (ISP)
The Integrated Science Program is a multifaceted degree program that aims to provide students with a bachelor's degree in either biology, chemistry, or physics followed by their immediate enrollment in one of Hokkaido University's graduate schools. Through the unique, accelerated methodology of the program, students are able to graduate with a master's degree in five years (made up of three-and-a-half years of undergraduate study and one-and-a-half years of graduate study and research). It also aims to strengthen students' knowledge of English due to its importance as a scientific language.
Institutes
The university's Institute of Seismology and Volcanology was founded in 1998 in collaboration with several seismological observatories around Hokkaido. The institute is represented on the national
.
[Organizations with ties to CCEP]
CCEP, accessed 2011-03-19
In 2016, the university launched the Hokkaido Summer Institute, a three-month-long program from June to August which offers a variety of classes for both undergraduate and graduate students. Guest lecturers are invited from all over the world to share their expertise for the courses, which usually run for 1–2 weeks and grant students a small amount of academic credit. Both Japanese and foreign students participate in this unique program, which is conducted entirely in English.
Campus
Sapporo campus
![Gingko Ave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Gingko_Ave._in_Fall.jpg)
The main Sapporo campus is located just north of Sapporo Station, in the heart of Sapporo City. The entirety of the campus measures approximately 180 hectares and houses academic and administrative buildings, research laboratories, student dormitories, and farmland. The main academic buildings are found along a 1.5 kilometer stretch of road that runs from the Main Gate to the Kita 18 Gate, roughly encompassing the distance between Kita-Juni-Jo and Kita 18-jo subway stations on the
Namboku Subway Line. A campus-wide bus service runs regular routes between the southern and northern end of the university, although access is restricted to university staff only.
The abundance of accessible green space has continued to be popular not only among students, but also the general public, who can often be seen using the campus area in a similar way to a public park. Walking tours of the campus for interested foreign and domestic tourists are provided by several businesses in Sapporo, although no tour is needed to visit the campus. Fall is an especially popular time for campus visits, with tourists and Sapporo residents flocking to get a view of the golden ginkgo trees that line Ginkgo Avenue.
Hakodate campus
The campus is located in
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
, a city located in the southern part of Hokkaidō. The Faculty and Graduate School of Fisheries Science are located there. However, students of Fisheries Science start their education at the Sapporo campus in order to complete three semesters of compulsory liberal arts education courses and move to the Hakodate campus from the second semester of their sophomore year. As the minimum requirement to study at the Hakodate campus is only one year of a four-year bachelor's program, the turn-over rate of students entering and leaving the Hakodate campus is fairly high. To provide students in the Faculty and Graduate School of Fisheries Science with practical hands-on experience, the university has two fully operational research vessels, the ''Oshoru Maru'' and the ''Ushio Maru'', based in nearby Hakodate harbor. Graduate students and professors also use these vessels to carry out their research.
Overseas satellite offices
In order to raise awareness of the university internationally, as of June 2018 Hokkaido University was operating eight satellite offices worldwide. After opening its first overseas satellite office in Seoul, South Korea, Hokkaido University has also established satellite offices in Helsinki (Finland), Beijing (China), Lusaka (Zambia), Bandung (Indonesia), Quezon City (Philippines), Kamphaeng Saen (Thailand), and a special China Office in Beijing. Interested parties can not only obtain information regarding the university at these offices, but prospective students can also take university entrance exams there, a procedure which previously was only offered in Japan.
Educational philosophy
*
*
*
*
Academic rankings
General rankings
In 2017, the
CWTS Leiden Ranking
The CWTS Leiden Ranking is an annual global university ranking based exclusively on bibliometric indicators. The rankings are compiled by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (Dutch: ''Centrum voor Wetenschap en Technologische Studies'', ...
ranked them at 120th in the world and 6th in Japan.
In 2018,
QS World University Rankings
''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
ranked Hokkaido University at 122nd in the world (7th in Japan).
In 2019, the
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
(THE) Japan ranked them 5th in Japan.
Also in that year, they ranked as 6th or 7th in Japan according to the
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ...
(ARWU), and between 151st and 200th in the world.
In 2013, their highest score in QS Ranking was for Faculty Student Score (88 out of 100). Their lowest was for International Faculty Score (13.5 out of 100).
In an effort to boost their International Faculty Score, Hokkaido has recently been selected to be part of Japan's
Super Global Universities
is a funding project by the Japanese government that began in 2014. The project aims to enhance the globalization of the country's public and private universities so that graduates can "walk into positions of global leadership". The project is so ...
Program. This program provides special funding to hire international faculty.
Research performance
According to
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation ( ) is a Canadian multinational media conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where it is headquartered at the Bay Adelaide Centre.
Thomson Reuters was created by the Thomson Corpora ...
, Hokkaido is the 6th best research university in Japan.
Its research standard is especially high in Materials Science (7th in Japan, 86th in the world), Chemistry (8th in Japan, 52nd in the world), and Biology & Biochemistry (6th in Japan, 104th in the world).
[ (this ranking includes non-educational institutions)]
''Weekly Diamond'' reported that Hokkaido has the 10th highest research standard in Japan in terms of research funding per researchers in the
COE Program.
According to the
QS World university rankings
''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
in September 2012, Hokkaido University was placed 135th (worldwide) and 6th (in Japan) for general standards in engineering and technology.
It also has a good research standard in Economics, as
RePec ranked Hokkaido as the 16th best Economics research university in Jan 2011.
The Nobel Prize
As of 2021,
two alumni and faculty members have won the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...
. The university received attention in 2010 when Professor
Akira Suzuki won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry jointly with
Richard F. Heck and
Ei-ichi Negishi
was a Japanese chemist who was best known for his discovery of the Negishi coupling. He spent most of his career at Purdue University in the United States, where he was the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor and the director of the Negis ...
.
Benjamin List
Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...
, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is the principal investigator at the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery of the Hokkaido University. Also,
Ei-ichi Negishi
was a Japanese chemist who was best known for his discovery of the Negishi coupling. He spent most of his career at Purdue University in the United States, where he was the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor and the director of the Negis ...
, special invited professor at the Institute for Catalysis (ICAT) of the Hokkaido University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry as well.
In addition, the Hokkaido Imperial University alumni Kōichi Ichikawa (市川 厚一) completed the first artificial induction of cancer in history in 1915 and discovered the cause of cancer, but in 1926 the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...
was awarded to Johannes Fibiger. A few years later, everyone discovered that Fibiger's research was completely wrong. Until the middle of the 20th century, Japanese scientists missed the Nobel Prize many times because of racial discrimination.
Alumni rankings
Graduate school rankings
Hokkaido Law School was ranked 6th in 2010 (8th in 2009) in the passing rate of Japanese
Bar Examination
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...
.
Eduniversal Eduniversal is a university ranking business by the French consulting company and rating agency ''SMBG'' specialized in Higher Education. Founded in 1994, one of the main goals of Eduniversal is to provide a tool, for students all around the world, ...
ranked Hokkaido as 2nd in the rankings of "Excellent Business Schools nationally strong and/or with continental links " in Japan.
Popularity and selectivity
Hokkaido is one of the most selective universities in Japan. Its entrance difficulty is usually considered one of the top in Japan.
Notable alumni
*
Uchimura Kanzō
was a Japanese author, Christians, Christian Evangelism, evangelist, and the founder of the Nonchurch Movement (Mukyōkai) of Christianity in the Meiji period, Meiji and Taishō period Japan. He is often considered to be the most well-known Japa ...
, Christian evangelist, founder of
Non-church Christianity Movement
*
Akira Ifukube
was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise.
Biography Early years in Hokkaido
Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshimi ...
, composer
*
Nitobe Inazō
was a Japanese people, Japanese author, educator, agricultural economist, diplomat, politician, and Protestantism, Protestant Christians, Christian during the late Meiji (era), Meiji era.
Early life
Nitobe was born in Morioka, Iwate, Morioka, ...
, the author of ''Bushido: the Soul of Japan'', a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
*
Ryuzo Yanagimachi
is a Japanese-born, American-based scientist. He has made numerous key contributions to the study of mammalian fertilization. He is a pioneer of assisted fertilization technologies such as in vitro fertilization and direct sperm injection into ...
, assisted fertilization and cloning pioneer
*
Mamoru Mohri
, AM is a Japanese scientist, a former NASDA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions. He is the first Japanese astronaut who was part of an official Japanese space program. The first Japanese person in space, Toyohiro Akiy ...
, astronaut
*
Takeo Arishima
was a Japanese novelist, short-story writer and essayist during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. His two younger brothers, and , were also authors. His son was the internationally known film and stage actor, Masayuki Mori.
Early life
Ari ...
, novelist
*
Riko Muranaka
is a medical doctor, journalist and recipient of the 2017 John Maddox Prize for fighting to reduce cervical cancer and countering misinformation about the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine dominating the Japanese media, despite facing safety thr ...
, medical doctor and journalist
*
Hiroshi Ishii, computer scientist
*
Junko Ohashi
is a feminine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Junko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean any of the following:
*純子, "pure, child"
*順子, "order, child"
*淳子, "pure, child"
*潤子, "rich/favor/wet, child"
...
, pop singer
*
Akira Suzuki,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
in Chemistry (2010)
*
Yuichiro Miura, alpinist, the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest
*
Juhn Atsushi Wada
Juhn Atsushi Wada (March 28, 1924 – April 22, 2023) was a Japanese–Canadian neurologist known for research into epilepsy and human brain asymmetry, including his description of the Wada test for cerebral hemispheric dominance of language fu ...
, neurologist, described the
Wada test
The Wada test, also known as the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP), establishes cerebral language and memory representation of each hemisphere.
Method
Medical professionals conduct the test with the patient awake. Essentially, th ...
Points of interest
*
Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens
The are botanical gardens operated by Hokkaido University. They are located at North 3, West 8, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and open daily; an admission fee is charged.
The gardens were established in 1886 as part o ...
Notes
References
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
.
OCLC 58053128
External links
Hokkaido University official website
Hokkaido University LibraryHokkaido University International Students Association (HUISA)*Hokkaido University (March, 2005) ''Handbook for International Students''
{{Authority control
Educational institutions established in 1918
Japanese national universities
National Seven Universities
Universities and colleges in Sapporo
Super Global Universities
Hokkaido American Football Association
1918 establishments in Japan