This land where Hokkaido University is located is a place where the Ainu, the indigenous people, have lived and made their living for a long time.

This time, we commissioned Mr. Toru Kaizawa, a craftsman from Nibutani, Biratori Town, Hidaka region, to create a monument to promote Ainu culture, which was installed in the entrance hall of the university's main library on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The monument is made from Japanese ash wood cut from the university's Uryu Research Forest, and depicts a Blakiston's fish owl, the guardian deity of "kotan" (meaning "settlement" in Ainu), holding a salmon and about to take flight with great force. At its feet are carvings depicting the life of the kotan in this land and the scenery of the Sakushukotoni River, which brought abundant blessings.

The title of the work is "Yaikotan Funara" in Ainu, which means "Searching for One's Own Homeland" in Japanese, and "Seeking One's Place" in English. This title has two meanings. First, it encourages both members of Ainu descent and other members to re-examine their connection to the land on which the campus stands today. Second, it encourages us to consider the future and what kind of campus and society we will build.

Our university hopes that "Yaikotan Funara" will continue to quietly prompt each visitor to consider what their homeland means to them and what kind of society they want to pass on to the next generation, and that it will also serve as a watchful presence over such a place.

Please check this out for details. *You will be redirected to the Hokkaido University core website.