The Hokkaido University Museum reopened with new exhibits

On July 26, the Hokkaido University Museum was reopened after refurbishment. The museum was established in 1999 to collect and archive scientific specimens as well as studying them and displaying them to the public. In recent years, the museum has attracted some 100,000 visitors annually – one of the largest numbers among university museums in Japan. It was temporarily closed for earthquake reinforcement in 2015, and has just opened again to the public with redesigned exhibits.

One of the new exhibits highlight research at the university’s 12 undergraduate schools, and special sections are devoted to research projects unique to the university, such as Arctic Research and Food & Medical Innovation (FMI). To make the museum even more accessible to the public, a newly added feature is the Interactive Zone, where visitors can touch exhibits, such as ore, rock and zoological specimens. New facilities also include the Museum Laboratory, where visitors can observe behind-the-scenes research activities in paleobiology, archaeology, cosmochemistry and other fields. The reopened museum also exhibits the large collection of fossils, moulages and other specimens for which the museum is renowned in disciplines such as geology, taxonomy and archaeology. A café was also opened inside the museum so that visitors can take a breather before they continue to explore.

The ceremony held on July 26 to mark the reopening of the museum was attended by Dr. Keizo Yamaguchi (President of Hokkaido University), Dr. Mitsuhiro Nakagawa (Director of the Hokkaido University Museum, Mr. Shuzo Ishimori (Director of the Hokkaido Museum), Dr. Itaru Koizumi (first Director of the Hokkaido University Museum), Dr. Hideki Takahashi (Deputy director of the Hokkaido University Museum) and other officials. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a private viewing of the museum.