Sapporo Clock Tower is a historic building located in Kita 1-Jo Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido. Important cultural property (designated on June 17, 1970).
The official name is called “Old Sapporo Agricultural School Ensemble”. It is now known as “Sapporo Clock Tower” or simply “Clock Tower” and has become a tourist attraction.
Overview
The building has a distinctive appearance with a large clock mounted on a triangular roof.
The planner was William Wheeler, the second principal of the Sapporo Agricultural School, and was built under the design and supervision of the Hokkaido Bureau of Industrial Development, including Yoshiyuki Adachi, for the purpose of training for the northern guard, It is a two-story wooden structure with a balloon frame structure (excluding the clock tower). The roof is iron-plated, the height is 19.825m, and the total area is about 760m2.
Since it is the birthplace of Hokkaido University, it is closely related to Hokkaido University, and the exhibition room on the first floor displays many materials stored in the Hokkaido University Library. In addition, it is often used as an event venue for the university, and even today, public seminars such as the Clock Tower Salon are held. The first-floor stand also sells Hokkaido University-related goods.
The second floor also has a function as a hall for rent, and events such as concerts are frequently held.
Once used as a library in Sapporo City. Introduced the designated manager system from 2008 (2008).
Along with the former main building of the Hokkaido Government (Red Brick Government Building), it is a famous tourist spot in the center of Sapporo City, and is a symbolic building of Sapporo City that is also used as a design for the country sign of Sapporo City. Outside of Hokkaido, it is often used as a symbol of Hokkaido as well as Sapporo, as it is often used as a signboard for Sapporo ramen shops and posters for sightseeing in Hokkaido.It is also used in the lyrics of the support song of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. .
Although the walls are painted white, a survey conducted during preservation and repair conducted in 1995 revealed that the walls were painted gray and the columns and window frames were painted brown at the beginning. The wall was sometimes painted green, and the wall was painted white in 1953. During the preservation and repair mentioned above, the color of the wall is not returned to the original gray color, but rather the white color that has been used for a long time.
History
The clock tower has been around here for over 130 years since its foundation, and has watched the evolution of the city of Sapporo and the changes in civil life.
Clock tower, official name is “Old Sapporo Agricultural School Enjoujo”
Sapporo Agricultural School was opened in 1876 (Meiji 9) with the aim of developing leaders in the development of Hokkaido, the predecessor of Hokkaido University. The demonstration hall (clock tower) was constructed in 1878 (Meiji 11) as a central auditorium for agricultural school students’ ceremony training, entrance ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, etc. according to Dr. Clark’s recommendations.
Development of Hokkaido and construction of Sapporo agricultural school
Immediately after the Meiji Restoration, in 1869 (Meiji 2), a pioneer was set up within the Meiji government, and full-scale pioneering in Hokkaido and urban development in Sapporo began. In 1871 (Meiji 4), Deputy Secretary of State Kiyotaka Kuroda visited Europe and the United States for a model of Hokkaido pioneering, and decided to seek the model of pioneering in the United States. At the same time, Mr. Horace Keplon, United States Secretary of Agriculture, came to Japan as a pioneering advisor. And asked for their consent.
Keplon came to Japan with his subordinate engineers in July 1871 and provided advice and guidance in various fields related to the development of Hokkaido as an advisor to the development. He proposed how to promote measures and industry related to clothing, food, and housing to settle pioneers from Honshu, who have migrated from Honshu in search of a new land, in Hokkaido, a region of cold snow. Based on these proposals, the pioneer promoted upland farming, dairy farming, fishery processing, beer brewing, and introduced Western-style architecture.
Keplon also urged the establishment of a specialized educational institution to train pioneer leaders. In response to this request, Kiyotaka Kuroda recommends to the government to establish a higher education institution in Sapporo and to hire teachers to ingest Western techniques and academics.
In 1872 (Meiji 5), a pioneer temporary school was opened in Shiba Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, and preparations were underway for opening in Sapporo. After quitting and re-recruiting all the students on the way, Sapporo School opened in 1875 (Meiji 8), and Clark and Wheeler, who arrived in 1876 (Meiji 9) the following day, welcomed teachers. Sapporo Agricultural School opened on August 14 (August 14 is Hokkaido University’s anniversary day). It is six months before the opening of the University of Tokyo (April 1877), which was established based on the academic system that took effect in 1905.
Opening of agricultural school and Dr. Clark
Sapporo Agricultural School spanned the current Kita 1-Jo Nishi 2-chome and Kita 2-Jo Nishi 2-chome. To gain Western knowledge and skills, the pioneer invited W.S. Clark, president of the Massachusetts Agricultural University, and W. Wheeler and D. Penharrow, teachers of the school.
Although the principal was a Japanese teacher, all aspects of education, such as agricultural school education policies and course subjects, were determined by Dr. Clark, the first principal. It offered a wide range of holistic education in agricultural practice, natural sciences and humanities, and was unique in incorporating biblical personality education into classes.
Dr. Clark, who spoke at the opening ceremony on August 14, stated that what his students wanted as his educational policy was “be gentleman! It’s just one word. No loud school rules needed. Everything is judged according to one’s own conscience. Encourage studying. ” Following a contract with the pioneering ambassador, Dr. Clark returned to Japan in April of the following year after eight months in office, but has produced many outstanding graduates and is a distinguished educator who has laid the foundation for the development of the subsequent Sapporo Agricultural School. Was
Martial arts concept
The Meiji government has opened Tondenheimura in various parts of Hokkaido based on the idea of “Ichiyo Hy 兵 n 農”. Tonden was responsible for the pioneering of Hokkaido and military defense. Against the background of Hokkaido’s development, Dr. Clark followed the example of his alma mater, Massachusetts Agricultural University, and introduced training for military training to Sapporo agricultural school students. Agricultural school students become commanders of Tonden soldiers in times of emergency, and they aim to develop strong physical strength as pioneer leaders. He recommended the construction of a military hall to carry out this training.
Construction of a demonstration hall
Dr.’s recommendation was accepted in accordance with the ideas of the Meiji government and the pioneering ambassador.
Dr. Wheeler, who succeeded Dr. Clark and became the second generation principal, made a basic plan, and the performance hall was set up by Yoshiyuki Adachi, chief architect engineer of the Bureau of Industrial Development, and the performance hall was set up in October 1878 (Meiji 11) It was completed on the 16th. The first floor is used as a laboratory, lecture room, and a specimen room for animals and plants and minerals. The second floor is used as a “ martial arts hall ” for military training and physical education classes, and as a central auditorium, entrance ceremony, graduation ceremony, exhibition hall Was used as The martial arts hall was a place for agricultural school students to take a step towards a new academic life, and was a sunny place to finish their four years of academic work and receive a degree.
Clock tower installation
When the theater was completed, there was no clock tower, and there was a small bell tower on the roof to signal the start and end of the lesson. It is said that the installation of a tower clock was decided by Secretary Kiyotaka Kuroda at the completion of the demonstration ceremony.
On October 25, 1878, Pope Wheeler ordered a tower clock from the Howard Clock Company of New York City, USA. A clock machine arriving in Sapporo around June 1879 (Meiji 12) was larger than expected and was found to be impossible to install on the bell tower. Since the installation of the clock tower required extensive renovation and cost, it was considered to install it in the Toyohirakan, which was under construction at that time, and other buildings. However, Wheeler persuaded Secretary Kuroda to emphasize the importance of attaching a tower clock to the stadium and keeping it in Sapporo standard time. The clock tower was rebuilt and the clock machine was installed on the recently completed theater. After performing astronomical observations and adjusting the time at the observatory (observatory) in the school grounds, on August 12, 1881 (Meiji 14), the tower clock notified the residents of Sapporo of the correct time with the sound of a clear bell. started.
Clock tower of Sapporo citizen
At the training hall during the agricultural school days, lectures were held occasionally and used as public halls for citizens. The tower clock was designated as a standard clock in Sapporo in 1888 (Meiji 21), and the sound of the bell that echoed in every direction has been popular among citizens as the “large clock of agricultural school”.
When the agricultural school was relocated in 1903 (Meiji 36), the performance hall was rented to Sapporo Ward at the time.
From this time, the stadium was called the “clock tower”.
In 1906 (Meiji 39), Sapporo Ward bought a clock tower and pulled it 100 meters south with the clock tower on for road maintenance. This is the location of the dormitory of the agricultural school, but this area will be the safe place for the clock tower.
At present, a stone monument of the “Demonstration Hall” is standing on the sidewalk near the original place at the time of its foundation. (This monument was built by one citizen in 1962 (Showa 37). Is based on a brush written by Yuzo Hoshino, Hokkaido University professor.
From 1911 (Meiji 44) to 1966 (Showa 41), the clock tower was used as a library, library, and public hall for reading, studying, literature, and political economy, except during and after the Pacific War. , As a venue for academic and other lectures, played a central role in citizen education and cultural activities.
In the previous chapter of the Sapporo Citizen Charter enacted in November 1963, we were told that we are citizens of Sapporo with the clock tower bell, and the clock tower is a symbol of Sapporo, Has been loved as a symbol of hometown consciousness.
After being designated as the first tangible cultural property of Sapporo City in 1961, it was rewritten in 1970 as a typical Meiji Western-style wooden building in Hokkaido. Designated as one of Japan’s Important Cultural Properties, and in 1996 (Heisei 8) was selected by the Environment Agency’s “100 Selections of Soundscapes in Japan”. In 2009 (Heisei 21), the Tower Clock was ) Certified by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers as the 32nd “Mechanical Heritage”.
Building structure
The clock tower is a wooden Western-style building built in the early Meiji era built by the pioneer, the Sapporo Agricultural School Farm Model Farm and Grain Storage (now in Hokkaido University No. 2 Farm), the Toyohirakan (now in Nakajima Park), It is a valuable historical building that remains in Sapporo City with the Industrial Bureau Government Building (currently in the village of Hokkaido).
The exterior walls are clapboard cladding (there is a British preview), and the appearance with little decoration is also called “Carpenter Gothic”. Because the clock tower was added later, the front view is said to be “head-sized” and is said to be unbalanced, but on the contrary, this unique figure makes you feel familiar.
It was thought that the clock tower did not use thick pillars, but as a result of an investigation during the previous repair work, the structure was closer to the traditional Japanese frame construction method using thick timber for pillars, beams and girders. It turned out to be. However, the second-floor stadium uses a Western-style hut and is tied with a thin tie bar to prevent the walls on both sides from spreading, creating a large space without columns and beams. Based on the impression of the space on the second floor, it is thought that the balloon frame construction method that was popular in the mid-western American era was adopted.
The clock tower leads to the so-called colonial architectural history that transmitted Western European architectural styles via the United States, but it is structurally an unprecedented style in Japan. This was because there were no European or American engineers or agricultural school teachers invited by the pioneer, and there were no architects, so the pioneer technicians of Adachi Yoshiyuki and others were able to use Western style books (style books). Based on this, he taught himself that he took in Western-style building technology and designed and constructed it. Yoshiyuki Adachi and others who had a high level of wooden construction technology as carpenter’s ridges, but it is clear that the pain of incorporating Western-style construction technology was not one.
The clock tower’s bell still tells the clock exactly 130 years later, because the building and the clock tower have not been significantly distorted. If the floor on which the clock is mounted is not horizontal, the time of the pendulum tower clock will be incorrect and stop. It can be said to be a gift of wonderful technology by Yoshiyuki Adachi who worked on the construction of the clock tower.
How the clock works
The clock on the clock tower keeps running day and night without a break, and the bell rings every hour on the hour, the number of times, 156 times a day.
The source of the clock’s moving force is the force by which the weight goes down, which rotates the gears. However, as it is, the gear only rotates continuously, so it is necessary to rotate this gear little by little at a constant rhythm. The device that plays this role is a device called an escapement (ankle and escape wheel) that uses the regular reciprocation of the pendulum to the left and right. The tip of the ankle enters the tip of the tooth of the gear called the escape wheel one time at a time, and the gear is turned little by little by moving away.
Conversely, when the tip of the ankle leaves, the tip of the ankle is pushed slightly left and right at the tip of the tooth of the escape wheel & pinion. This pushing force is transmitted to the pendulum, allowing the pendulum to continue swinging from side to side without stopping.
The second floor of the clock tower runs another Howard pendulum tower clock (there is no bell hitting device). Please take a look and see how the clock works.
Exhibition guide
The renovation work from 1995 to 2010 was completed and the museum has been maintained as a museum.
The second floor reproduces the scene of the auditorium at the time of the degree congratulation celebration of Shosuke Sato, Jiro Minami, and Kingo Miyabe, who were awarded doctoral degrees for the first time as a graduate of Sapporo Agricultural School in Meiji 32. At night, it is rented as a hall for concerts, lectures and weddings.