Hokkaido
The 2024 meeting in Hokkaido reflected a soil classification community that is highly focused on refining and harmonizing the International Union of Soil Sciences World Reference Base (WRB) system while engaging with increasingly diverse and complex soil environments. The excursions across Hokkaido exposed participants to volcanic ash soils, Andosols, and cold-region soils, offering valuable insights into classification challenges in regions with strong volcanic influence and seasonal freezing. Discussions centered on improving diagnostic horizons and properties within WRB, particularly in relation to organic matter dynamics, volcanic materials, and hydrological features. The community also emphasized the importance of linking classification to functional soil properties and land use interpretation. There was a clear effort to integrate field observations with laboratory data and digital tools. Overall, the meeting reinforced the need for a globally applicable yet flexible classification system, while strengthening collaboration among international experts working on WRB updates.