CoSTEP, the Science and Technology Communication Unit of the Educational Development Center, Organization for Educational Innovation, Hokkaido University, will hold a public talk, "Anobent Reflection Talk," on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Trees cut down on the Hokkaido University campus have been transformed into benches.

The Ano Bench Project is an art project commemorating the 150th anniversary of Hokkaido University, in which benches are created and installed using timber from Hokkaido University. Under the planning of CoSTEP, two groups of creators with different approaches, Kono Meiboku-ten and 621, each took on the challenge of creating one bench.

Why did you choose that particular tree? What kind of scenery did you imagine while carving it? What did you want to imbue this bench with?

To commemorate the creation of the bench, we will be holding a public talk featuring the two teams that created it, along with Shinya Kono from Oklahoma, who is passionate about the sustainable use of wood in Hokkaido. The entire journey leading up to the creation of the bench will be revealed at this event.

We will all think together about how to continue this bench at Hokkaido University.

For more details, please click here. *This link will take you to the Hokkaido University Educational Innovation Organization website.