Hokkaido University occupies a large, attractive campus in central Sapporo and grew from the Sapporo Agricultural College, founded in 1876 with strong American influence. It was one of Japan's first modern institutions of higher education and played an important role in the development of Hokkaido. The campus retains several historic buildings, including the Sapporo Agricultural College Farm, and has broad tree-lined grounds that make it pleasant to explore on foot. The Hokkaido University Museum provides more background on the university and its scientific collections.

Hokkaido University , or Hokudai (北大), is a public research university in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1918, it is the fifth-oldest government-authorised university in Japan and one of the former Imperial Universities. The university finds its roots in Sapporo Agricultural College, which was a pioneer in the country's modern agricultural education and research, founded in 1876. The university's motto is 'Boys, Be Ambitious', which is said to be the parting words of the American dean of the Agricultural College, William S. Clark. The university has 12 undergraduate faculties and 21 postgraduate schools. The university mainly operates on two campuses: the main campus is located in downtown Sapporo, just north of Sapporo Station, and the other campus is located in Hakodate, primarily used by the Faculty of Fishery Sciences.