The Graduate Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences at Hokkaido University will be holding a gallery talk and lecture titled "War, the symbolism of plants and animals, and memory as seen through cigarette packaging" on November 9th, in conjunction with the Shoka no Mori special exhibition.

From September to December 2025, we will be holding related events (gallery talks and lectures) in conjunction with the special exhibition "Tobacco Packaging that Engraves Memories," which is being held at Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences Shoka no Mori.

Why cigarette packaging? How were the materials collected? Why was the bat (golden bat) renamed to the golden hawk and the cherry renamed to the cherry blossom? Why did the dove, a symbol of peace, appear even during wartime? Associate Professor Hisai, the project representative, will explain cigarette packaging from a cultural history perspective, sharing his thoughts and struggles about the exhibition and some anecdotes. All exhibitions are open to the general public. Participation is free.

For more information, please click here. *You will be redirected to the Hokkaido University Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences website.