BY KOHKI WATANABE

The president's room at Sapporo University has recently entered a new phase of its life. Since a president's room is normally a symbol, as it were, of academic authority, can you imagine such an office stripped of its massive desk and executive chair? Now, one wall of the president's room has been removed, and the room contains neither cabinets nor comfortable sofas. What meets our eyes is a simple table and some wooden chairs in the center of the room, a small bookshelf, a TV set, a CUD player, and a telephone. Instead of academic memorabilia, the walls are hung with picture as if it were a room in an art gallery or museum. Masao Yamaguchi, the President of Sapporo University, calls this room "The President's Exhibition Space."

Since his inauguration as president of Sapporo University, Professor Yamaguchi has continued to innovate, introducing various activities new to the university, especially in the world of the arts. For instance, in July, 1999, not long after he took up his post, President Yamaguchi invited Hideyo Harada, now enjoying the life of a concert pianist in Germany, to give a recital in the lobby of the Central Building. I was a member of the audience which greatly appreciated the concert. Not only students and teachers but members of the general public, too, were able to share in this wonderful experience. In addition, the president has invited many lectures, foreign as well as Japanese, to speak about their special interests.

"The President's Exhibition Space" was opened last December, and at the time of writing various artists have exhibited works there. Have any of my readers seen any of the works on display at these exhibition? Most wonderful is that a party is held when the exhibition opens and the artist himself, or herself, is present at the party. At the moment, we can enjoy an exhibition of 25 engravings and 11 watercolors by Jun Hatanaka: these pictures illustrate "The Imaginative World of Kenji Miyazawa." Among the exhibits that deserve our attention are illustrations of such masterpieces as Miyazawa's "Night Train to the Stars" and "Matasaburo of the Wind": the engravings vividly and artistically depict scenes from these tales.

"The President's Exhibition Space" is not used only for exhibitions, however. Last December, the movie, "Buena Vista Social Club" was screened. And in April this year, Yoshihiro Masamura sang traditional folk song to his own guitar and harmonica accompaniment. In addition, President Yamaguchi has uses the room for his seminars and has offered the room to professors of Sapporo University who may wish to use it for their own performances or presentation.

The space, however, is not a teachers' preserve; the exhibitions and the events held in the room are organized and managed by students, who prepare and chair the exhibitions and events alternately. The room serves as a place where students can express themselves, and a notebook and a box questionnaires are provided so that the people who visit the room can express their own feelings freely. The notebook and the box probably contain many impressive messages. At the same time, "The President's Exhibition Space" is also a valuable place for the general public, and it has become a symbol of the revolution that has occurred at Sapporo University and is an indication of the university's intellectual prosperity. I absolutely recommend that you visit "The President's Exhibition Space" on the second floor of the Central Building.