2025·R7.9.20 I knew the memorial tower had already been demolished, but when I visited "北海道開拓の村", I couldn't help wondering about the area around its former site, so I stopped by for the first time in 30 years. This is about 30m from the former site of "北海道百年記念塔". The "stone bearing the title 「大地の手」" is easy to spot, but the 「大地の手」 monument itself and the surrounding 「大地の手広場」 are set slightly back and blend into their surroundings, so please be aware that they're easy to miss unless you're looking for them. The first thing you notice is the title stone, with 「大地の手」 written in large, powerful characters. There's a small inscription at the lower right, probably the calligrapher's signature, but I couldn't fully make it out. However, the back reads, "Calligraphy: 中野北溟　Erected: 二〇十三年十月十三日." 中野北溟（なかの ほくめい,1923.7.31- ）is a Japanese calligrapher still active past 100, originally from Yagishiri Island and living in Sapporo; real name: 文也 "ぶんや". There are 2 kinds of explanatory signs for 「大地の手広場」, including the monument（① a white sign with black lettering directly ahead as you enter the plaza, and ② a sign with white lettering carved into black granite, directly behind ①, which catches your eye on the way back from the plaza's center）. Somehow, to me, they felt like the product of a sensitive background and the response to it（the title stone dates to 2013·H25, sign ① to 1995·H7, and sign ② to 1973·S48; both the chronology and the intervals feel odd, and the web information seems only superficial）. The first sign, ①, reads: "'大地の手' Plaza　The 'earth' is the essence of nature. The 'hands' marked here are precious tools that give concrete form to human wisdom. Now, stand in '大地の手' Plaza and consider the meaning of these two things. '大地の手' Plaza was completed on 一九七三年十月十日, after young men and women working and studying in Sapporo voluntarily advanced a movement to create and install it, with cooperation from many people. More than 五千三百 people from Japan and abroad contributed handprints, ranging in age from 二 months to 九十二 years. Many people participated in pursuit of boundless solidarity, including the indigenous Ainu people, who gave thanks for nature's blessings and deeply loved humanity, foreign athletes at the Sapporo Olympics, and young Chinese people living in Japan. If humans misuse their wisdom and make a mistake in how they use their 'hands,' the destruction of this 'earth' will advance further. Is now not the time to awaken to the solemnity of nature, recover a heart grateful to the 'earth,' and restore nature's harmony?　一九九五年九月　'大地の手' Executive Committee." The other sign, ②, reads: "'大地の手' Plaza　Everyone's plaza, made by everyone. Tools are extensions of people's two hands. Tools created for one's own benefit. The civilization these tools have brought about threatens humanity, and now threatens the earth too. We therefore began the '大地の手' movement to consider the meaning of these 'hands' and explore their direction. Here, with more than 五千 participants and co-participants, we succeeded in creating a plaza as a tangible culmination. In this plaza, we seek the existence of each individual and infinite possibilities, and, drawing strength from the 'words' inscribed alongside the 'handprints,' we will further develop the '大地の手' movement.　一九七三年十月." I completely agree with the line of thought that "both good and bad things are done by human hands; we should think very carefully before acting," but I felt I couldn't fully relate to the choice of the word "movement." Incidentally, in "森の自然教室", in the open underground area of the former memorial tower grounds, demolition material（part of the iron tower's outer wall）is quietly placed beside photographs and a plaque explaining the tower's origins and history. Also installed there is the memorial-tower version of 佐藤忠良's relief 「開拓」, formerly displayed inside the tower（partly different from the marble-wall version at the Hokkaido Government Office）. If you're interested, have a look along with "大地の手" Plaza. In various senses, I'd like to look forward to how this area will be used in the future. （I have absolutely no intention of discarding anything. I wished for a slightly more straightforward explanation. I'm looking forward to seeing this area after its reuse.）

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A monument near where 北海道百年記念塔 once stood. Completed in 1973, it has the handprints of 5300 people embedded in relief. If you look closely, each handprint is accompanied by various writings, such as names and messages. After 50 years, how many of the people who left their handprints are still alive? Where are they now, and what kinds of lives are they living? It makes me think about things like that. The centennial memorial tower has vanished without a trace, but I hope at least this monument survives for not just 100 years, but 200 or even 300 years.

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I went to see the memorial tower before, but now it's been demolished and the tower is gone, which makes me sad. The sight of the tower in the snow is still etched in my mind.

It's wrapped up in winter. （2026.3.1）

A monument whose meaning isn't clear at first glance. Please look at the wall.

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