About ILTS

Greeting from the Director

Director

The Institute of Low Temperature Science (ILTS) was founded in 1941 as the first research institute affiliated with Hokkaido University. Since then, the ILTS has achieved development in the areas of basic studies on snow and ice, and natural sciences in the cryosphere and cold environments. In 2010, the ILTS was designated as a Joint/Use Research Center aiming for "Fundamental and applied researches of scientific phenomena in cold regions with climatic low temperatures" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. In April 2022, the designation as a joint/use research center was successfully extended.

We understand that role of a university-affiliated joint/use research institute is to launch unique, creative, and long-range research projects under cooperation with domestic and international partners. Considering the importance of cryosphere in the Earth climate system, we have conducted inter- and multi-disciplinary researches in the cold regions, including the Pan-Okhotsk Sea area adjoining to Hokkaido, the Antarctic and the Arctic. In addition, fundamental studies in low-temperature physics and chemistry, geochemistry, planetary science and biological environment science have produced unique and outstanding achievements. Considering the research fields that the ILTS covers, the size of the institute is not large enough. However, we aim to develop interdisciplinary researches irrespective of conventional study fields, to promote research projects with domestic and international partners, and to create new research communities. We would appreciate your further supports and encouragements.

April 2024

Director of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Naoki Watanabe

History

The Institute of Low Temperature Science (ILTS) was founded in 1941 as the first research institute affiliated with Hokkaido University to promote interdisciplinary studies on various natural phenomena occurring in the cryosphere. The ILTS owes its establishment to the achievements of Professor Ukichiro Nakaya, the first person in the world to create artificial snow crystals. In 1995, the ILTS was reorganized as a nationwide joint-use institute to promote the fundamentals and applications of various natural phenomena occurring in the cryosphere. The ILTS was reorganized again in 2008 and is now composed of three research divisions (Water and Material Cycles Division, Frontier Ice and Snow Science Division and Environmental Biology Division), Joint Research Division and Pan-Okhotsk Research Center. In 2010, the ILTS was approved as a nationwide joint-use institute and a networking hub of academic exchanges with various research communities.

see also: Low temperature science: the past, present, and future

1941 Establishment of ILTS as the first research institute of Hokkaido University
Opening of Physics, Meteorology, Biology, Medical, Applied Physics and Oceanography Sections
1963 Opening of Section of Snow Disaster Science
1964 Opening of Frost Heaving Section
1965 Opening of Monbetsu Sea Ice Laboratory
1966 Opening of Section of Frost Injury in Plants
1968 Relocation to the present site completed
1970 Opening of Snow Hydrology Section
1973 Opening of Biochemistry Section
1975 Expansion of a research building
1981 Opening of Section of Snowfall Mechanism
1991 Closing of Section of Snowfall Mechanism
Opening of Section of Cryo-climatology
1995 Reorganization of the ILTS as a nationwide joint-use institute
Opening of Marine and Atmospheric Science Section, Cryospheric Science Section, Basic Cryoscience Section, and Boreal Environmental Sciences Research Section
1997 Completion of a new laboratory building
2000 Completion of a new research building
2003 Start of renovation of old buildings
2004 Closing of Monbetsu Sea Ice Laboratory
Opening of Pan-Okhotsk Research Center in Sapporo campus
2008 Completion of renovation of old buildings
Organizational reformation of the ILTS
Opening of Joint Research Division, three research divisions (Water and Material Cycles Division, Frontier Ice and Snow Science Division, and Environmental Biology Division)
2010 Approval as a nationwide joint-use institute and a networking hub of academic exchanges with various research communities

International Exchanges

Countries Counterparts Concluded
GermanyCenter for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität MarburgNovember 27, 2023
GermanyFaculty of Life Science and Technology, Berlin University of Applied SciencesFebruary 17, 2023
UkraineSumy State UniversityJuly 13, 2020
South KoreaKorea Polar Research InstituteJune 24, 2019
FranceObservatoire de ParisMarch 20, 2019
PortugalInstituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de LisboaFebruary 5, 2019
GermanyLeibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, WarnemündeNovember 30, 2018
ChinaCollege of Bioscience and Biotechnology at Yangzhou UniversityJuly 19, 2018
NorwayThe Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of OsloJuly 13, 2017
U.S.A.The Department of Chemistry at the University of Hawaii at ManoaFebruary 6, 2017
U.S.A.The Regents of the University of California on behalf of its San Diego campus's Scripps Institution of OceanographyMarch 17, 2016
SpainAgencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasJanuary 19, 2016
ItalyUniversity of Milano-BicoccaDecember 4, 2015
NorwayDepertment of Geosciences, University of OsloFebruary 16, 2015
RussiaPacific Geographical Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of SciencesMarch 7, 2014
RussiaFar Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research InstituteMarch 27, 2013
RussiaNorth-Eastern Federal UniversityApril 2, 2012
FranceCNRM - GAME URA 1357, Météo-France - CNRSMarch 26, 2012
DanmarkNiels Bohr Institute, University of CopenhagenJanuary 25, 2012
GermanyMax-Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyJanuary 19, 2012
SwedenFaculty of Science, Stockholm UniversitySeptember 20, 2010
GermanyUniversity of BremenFebruary 11, 2010
RussiaFar Eastern Branch Russian Academy of ScienceJuly 23, 2009
South KoreaCenter for Space-Time Molecular Dynamics at Seoul National UniversityJune 30, 2009
GermanyMax-Planck Institute for Marine MicrobiologyMarch 4, 2009
GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research March 3, 2009
AustraliaUniversity of TasmaniaJanuary 9, 2009
17 Universities and Institutions from 12 CountriesInternational Antarctic InstituteNovember 21, 2007
RussiaFar Eastern Federal UniversityNovember 12, 2007
SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)June 13, 2007
ChinaNankai University May 11, 2006
FinlandUniversity of OuluDecember 11, 2001
U.S.A.University of AlaskaDecember 20, 1986

Access

Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan

From Chitose Airport to Sapporo JR Railway Station

JR, Bus or Taxi.
Access Guide Site: New Chitose Airport Access Guide

by JR

From Chitose Airport Station, take "Kaisoku Airport" for Sapporo. It takes about 40 minutes and costs 1,150 yen for one way. It departs every 10 minutes during daytime.

by Bus

Airport busses run almost every 30 minutes during daytime between the center of Sapporo and the Chitose Airport. It takes about 80 minutes depending much on traffic conditions. It costs 1,300 yen one way.

From the Sapporo JR Railway Station

Subway or taxi.

by Subway

Take the Namboku Line bound for Asabu from the Sapporo subway station (N06), and get off at the 2nd station, the Kita 18-jo station (N04). It costs 210 yen one way.

by Taxi

About 1,200 yen, and takes about 10 minutes.

MAP

map

Contact us

Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido Univ.
Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan

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Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan
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