Hokkaido University Museum will hold its first Saturday Citizen Seminar of the 2026 academic year, titled "The Future Beyond 'Toilets': Creating New Forms of Water and Sanitation with Children."

For the first session, we will have Professor Taro Yamauchi of the Graduate Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, who will be taking up the position of Director Hokkaido University Museum from 2026.

[Seminar Content]

Sanitation (water and hygiene) is an essential foundation for our health, but it's not simply a matter of technology or toilet installation. In this lecture, we will introduce co-creation initiatives around the world from the perspective of viewing sanitation as a "chain of values" within local communities.
In Zambia, children visualized local issues through photographs and drawings, and in Indonesia, they built a circular model that transforms human waste into a resource. In Japan, high school students are participating in activities to protect water infrastructure in depopulated mountain villages.
We will explore the process by which young people and children, who will lead the next generation, take on challenges as their own responsibility, work together with researchers to create solutions, and together we will consider ways to protect the planet and our health.

Date and Time: Saturday, April 11, 2026, 13:30 - approximately 15:00 (Doors open at 13:00)

Venue: Hokkaido University Museum 1st Floor Hall, "Exchange of Knowledge"

Lecturer: Taro Yamauchi

Director of Hokkaido University Museum

Director, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences Hokkaido University

Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences Hokkaido University

Admission: Free (Doors open at 13:00, first-come, first-served basis. Approximately 70 seats are available.)

Click here for more information. *You will be redirected to Hokkaido University Museum website.