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XVIII. ICA Congress 2016, Seoul, South Korea “Archives, Harmony and Friendship” Introducing Japanese Archives -Presentation Handouts- Prepared by the Japanese Speakers on September 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2016 at COEX National Archives of Japan

XVIII. ICA Congress 2016, Seoul, South Korea “Archives, Harmony … · 2016-09-09 · Mr. Tomohiro Akutsu, Ms. Saho Asaba and Ms. Shizuka Nagai Venue: Room 307A Registration is

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Page 1: XVIII. ICA Congress 2016, Seoul, South Korea “Archives, Harmony … · 2016-09-09 · Mr. Tomohiro Akutsu, Ms. Saho Asaba and Ms. Shizuka Nagai Venue: Room 307A Registration is

XVIII. ICA Congress 2016, Seoul, South Korea “Archives, Harmony and Friendship”

Introducing Japanese Archives

-Presentation Handouts-

Prepared by the Japanese Speakers on September 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2016

at COEX

National Archives of Japan

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Table of Contents Tue. September 6 09:00-12:30 Room 307A

Workshop: Restoration of Disaster-affected Documents in Japan The Latest Restoration Techniques in Japan .................................. 1 Ms. Maki TAKASHINA (for Ms. Mutsumi AOKI, Associate Professor at NIJL) Project Researcher National Institute of Japanese Literature

How to Restore Documents Damaged by Water ............................ 11 Mr. Tomohiro AKUTSU Chief of Conservation Section National Archives of Japan

Tue. September 6 16:45-18:15 Hall E 1+2

Challenges of Two Digital Archive Systems at the National Archives of Japan ............................................................. 15 Dr. Sumio HATANO Director-General Japan Center for Asian Historical Records National Archives of Japan Wed. September 7 09:45-11:15 Room 318

World-wide Spread of Conservation Using Japanese Paper ............ 24 Mr. Katsuhiko MASUDA Vice-President The Association for Study of Washi Culture Wed. September 7 15:00-16:30 Hall E 1+2

The Japan-Australia Bilateral Cooperation in Archival Processing for the Wartime Seized Company Records ........................................... 30 Ms. Junko AKIYAMA Archivist Sapporo City Archives Collaborative Research with;

Dr. Hanako WADA Mr. Daisuke ICHIKAWA Dr. Hisayuki OSHIMA Gakushuin University Hokkai Gakuen University Takachiho University Dr. Hideyoshi YAGASHIRO Dr. Masahito ANDO Senshu University Gakushuin University

Thu. September 8 11:45-13:15 Room 307

Records Management in the Digital Age ................................... 36 Mr. Hitoshi FUKUI Senior Vice-President National Archives of Japan

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ICA Congress Workshop Restoration of Disaster-affected Documents

Date: Tuesday, September 6 09:00-12:30

Program: Lecture (30 min.) by Ms. Maki Takashina, National Institute of Japanese Literature Practicum (180 min.) by the Conservators of the National Archives of Japan

Mr. Tomohiro Akutsu, Ms. Saho Asaba and Ms. Shizuka Nagai

Venue: Room 307A ◎Registration is required via the website of the ICA Congress 2016◎

Fri. September 9 09:45-11:15 Room 307

Panel Presentations Archives and Disasters: Japanese Strategies after Five Years from the Great East Japan Earthquake Cultural Property Preservation after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Nuclear Power Plant Accident – 5 Years since the Disaster

Mr. Hidefumi SAMPEI ........ 41 Chief Curator Board of Education, Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

Initiatives for Rescuing Damaged Official Documents – The Case of Rescue Team Dispatched by the National Archives of Japan ........ 58 Mr. Masaki KAKEHI Chief of the Planning and Legal Affairs Section General Affairs Division, National Archives of Japan

Fri. September 9 11:45-13:15 Room 318

Reconciling Japanese Archival Traditions with the New Demands of the Global Age: Focusing on Business Archives in Japan ...................... 61 Mr. Takeo KATOH President National Archives of Japan

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Workshop: Restoration of Disaster-affected Documents in Japan Ms. Maki TAKASHINA* Mr. Tomohiro AKUTSU Project Researcher Chief of the Conservation Section National Institute of Japanese Literature National Archives of Japan 【Abstract】

First, Lecture will be provided to give an introduction to the history of rescue activities and the changing treatment methods for disaster-affected documents in Japan. The focus will be on how the coping strategies were devised and subsequently improved during the two key turning points in Japanese disaster history (namely, the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 and the Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011), as well as on current rescue activities (first response, triage or prioritization, various forms of drying work, etc.). Future challenges in archive rescue work will be also discussed. After the lecture, demonstration and hands-on practice will follow with a purpose to give as many archivists as possible some experience with the basic techniques used in those methods. Demonstrations and practice session will involve the following: (a) Natural drying (air drying): This method involves placing the wet documents vertically, and drying them by air with equipment such as a fan. (b) Absorption drying: This method involves placing sheets of absorbent paper between each page to absorb water and dry the document. (c) Washing and air streaming: This method was devised by the Tokyo Document Recovery Assistance Force, a volunteer group formed to rescue documents damaged in the Great Tohoku Earthquake. The system incorporates cleaning and drying methods which had been used outside of Japan, and is designed to be carried out in the manner of flow production. (d) Prep work for vacuum freeze-drying: With this method, documents are frozen and then placed in a vacuum so that the water sublimates directly from a solid to a gas. Because this method requires the use of a vacuum freeze drying machine, in this workshop, participants will experience the pretreatment stage only.

【Biography】

Ms. Mutsumi AOKI Associate Professor at the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL). She has been playing

a leading role in projects to rescue records damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Her major focus of research has been archival preservation since she first joined NIJL in 1981. Her long-time contribution to enhance a better understanding on the importance of archival preservation brought her an achievement award from the Japan Society for the Conservation of Cultural Property in 2012. She also has rich teaching and training experience at various institutions including the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the Tokyo University of the Arts. She holds a bachelor's degree in history from the Rissho University. Mr. Tomohiro AKUTSU

Chief of the Conservation Section at the National Archives of Japan (NAJ). He joined NAJ in 2007, after he had finished a course on paper conservation at the Istituto per L'Arte e il Restauro, Palazzo Spinelli in 2005.

* Ms. Maki TAKASHINA will read the text prepared by Ms. Mutsumi AOKI, Associate Professor

at the National Institute for Japanese Literature.

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Workshop: How to Restore Documents Damaged by Water

1. Absorb Water and Dry

〈Mainly applicable to〉

Documents with minor water damage

〈Procedure〉

(1) Keep a Record and Take Photographs

・ Keep a record of information about the damaged documents, and take their photographs.

(2) Absorb Water and Dry

1) Put a piece of paper towel between the pages of a document.

2) In the same manner, put a piece of paper towel between all the pages that can be opened.

- You do not have to force open all the pages.

3) Press the entire document gently to absorb water with the paper towels.

4) Replace the paper towels with new ones.

5) Repeat the same process.

- If you are to treat more than one document at the same time, put paper towels in all the documents first and then come back to the first document to replace the paper towels.

(3) Arrange and Store

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2. Clean and Dry【*】

〈Mainly applicable to〉

・ Water-damaged documents severely covered with dirt

・ Especially the documents damaged by seawater

〈Procedure〉

(1) Keep a Record and Take Photographs

・ Keep a record of information about the damaged documents, and take their photographs.

(2) Dismantle and Number

1) If the document has cover sheets, take out the body text from the cover sheets.

2) Put numbers on each page of the body text.

(3) Dry-clean

Remove the dirt, sand, dust, and mold, etc. adhered to the surface of the document using brushes, microfiber cleaning cloths, and spatulas, etc.

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(4) Disinfect by Ethanol

Spray ethanol for disinfection on each page of the documents to dissolve molds.

(5) Wash

1) Prepare a vat filled with water and a plastic foam board.

2) Sandwich a page of the document between two mesh screens.

3) Place the document sandwiched between the mesh screens on the plastic foam board. Submerge the screens in water, and remove the dirt etc. using brushes.

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(6) Dry and Flatten

1) Remove the document from the mesh screens. Sandwich the document between non-woven cloth sheets. Use water absorption cloth to absorb water.

2) Sandwich the document covered by non-woven cloth sheets between two corrugated paperboards or paper filters.

3) Pile up the corrugated paperboards or paper filters. Apply wind from the side using an electric fan to air-dry.

(7) Arrange, Rebind and Store

1) Remove the pages of the document that are now dry and flat. Put them into numerical order.

2) If the document can be bound easily as a volume or in a file, bind the pages again. As for the documents in other forms, compile the pages and tie in a bundle with a string, or put them in an envelope for storage.

【*】This cleaning and drying technique was devised by “Tokyo Document Recovery Assistance Force,” a volunteer group that was set up in order to save the documents damaged by the tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake. This technique is designed to enable non-conservators to work safely. For details, please visit the following website of “Tokyo Document Recovery Assistance Force” (http://toubunq.blogspot.jp, accessed on March 19, 2016).

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Challenges of Two Digital Archive Systems at the National Archives of Japan Dr. Sumio HATANO Director-General, Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, National Archives of Japan 【Abstract】

The National Archives of Japan (NAJ) offers two digital archive services, the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) established in 2001 and the Digital Archives of NAJ (DA) which has begun to use in 2005 in accordance with the IT strategy of the Japanese Government.

Under the main mission of promoting “mutual understanding” between Japan and neighboring Asian countries, JACAR releases Asia-related records dating from the early Meiji era to the end of the Pacific war as digital data, come from holdings of Government agencies.

The two digital archives provide anyone the means to peruse, print, and download image-data of records at anytime, from anywhere, at no charge. NAJ is also putting the emphasis on substantiality of the cataloging function which searches for documents from digital contents, and it becomes possible to search for a catalog of all documents in DA.

NAJ holds many challenges about the development of a digital archive system. Much local archives is faced with difficulties such as budget limitation, shortage of specialists, long-term preservation of born digital in particular. While NAJ is tackling these difficulties, we believe that the future lies in development of a shared information infrastructure offering comprehensive access to documents held across Japan.

In line with long-term vision which contributes to a digital archive network about historical documents in East Asia, JACAR attempts to extend the coverage of database until the postwar era, and to collaborate with various digital archives in Japan through linking with other databases.

By sharing our experience and prospects for the future in our efforts, we hope to offer an useful information for discussion to the common problems and technical difficulties we, as digital archivists are facing around the world. 【Biography】

Dr. Sumio HATANO From April 2014, he has been working as the Director-General of JACAR (Japan Center for

Asian Historical Records, National Archives of Japan), and until recently he was Professor of Japanese Diplomatic History at the University of Tsukuba as well as Visiting Scholar at the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard University. His publications include many books and articles on WW2 and diplomatic history of modern Japan in Japanese and English such as coauthored “The End of the Pacific War:Reappraisals”(Stanford). He is also currently serving as the Chief Editor of “Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy” at the Diplomatic Archives of Japan,Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Challenges of Two Digital Archive Systemsat the National Archives of Japan

SUMIO HATANO(Director-General of Japan Center for Asian Historical Records,

National Archives of Japan)

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Introduction

JACAR - http://www.jacar.go.jp/ NAJ DA - https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/

Main Points:Challenges of the Two Digital Archives in the "Digital Age":-JACAR (est. 2001) & NAJ DA (est. 2005)-

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1. Why Are There Two Different Digital Archives?

(1) JACAR (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records)1994 PM Murayama "Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiatives"

・Historical recognition problems: For mutual understanding& trust with neighboring countries

・Japan was less advanced: Preserving & declassifyinghistorical records and training archivists

↓2001 JACAR was established

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1. Why Are There Two Different Digital Archives?

(2) NAJ DA (National Archives of Japan Digital Archives)2005 NAJ launched Digital Archives2011 NAJ began to accept & store electronic public records

↓Common Service Principles of the Two DAs:Historical records should be accessible"Anytime, Anywhere, to Anyone, Freely, and at No Charge"

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2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two Digital Archives

(1) JACAR (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records)Digital Records: Japan's public papers & other materials to record

Japanese relations with neighboring Asian countriesin modern times (1868-1945)

Record Holding Institutions: 3 major organizations (NAJ, Diplomatic Archives of MOFA, NIDS (National Institute for Defense Studies) of MOD)

Number: About 2 million files, 30 million pages (as of 2016)(=75% of Diplomatic Archives, 90% of NIDS)

2017~ Digitization of Post-WWII Asian historical records (up to 1972)

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2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two Digital Archives

(2) NAJ (National Archives of Japan)Digitization Project: For overall holdings of NAJ

(Basic documents of Japan (e.g. Constitution of the Japanese Empire), maps, paintings, "Cabinet Library" collected by the Tokugawa regime)

Digitized Index: Entire collections of NAJ (=1.39 million materials)Digitized Records: 0.18 million materials, 20.23 million pages

(=13% of holdings)

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2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two Digital Archives

05000

100001500020000250003000035000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Num

ber o

f Im

ages

( x

1000

)

Year

JACARNAJ Digital Archive

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Increase in the Number of Digitized Images of JACAR & NAJ DA

2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two Digital Archives

(3) Collaborations between the Two Digital Archives1. Maintaining Credibility of the Data① Identical to the Original Records:

All data classifications & names should be identical to originalmaterials to prevent misunderstanding of historical context

② Users can easily access original materials③ Digitized documents should not be selective but all should be

open to the public

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2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two DAs

(3) Collaborations between the Two DAs2. Improvement of Search Functions (JACAR)・Available for English search・Make initial 300 letters of

each record searchable in full-text→ significant improvement

for search functions

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2. The Accomplishments and Present Conditions of the Two Digital Archives

(4) System Integration of the Two Digital ArchivesRunning Two (Inter-connected but Independent) DA Systems:→ Problems: Running cost & Need for efficient maintenance

↓System Integration:・integrating DA system infrastructure

・introducing latest IT technologyApr/2016 NAJ launched the new (integrated) DA systemOct/2016 JACAR will launch the new (integrated) DA system

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3. New Challenges of the NAJ

(1) Preservation & Use of Electronic Public Records2011~ NAJ began to accept & preserve "born-digital" records→ Essential for governmental officials to understand

preservation process of electronic public records

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Search Result Display of Electronic Public Records

3. New Challenges of the NAJ

(2) Technical Support for Local Public ArchivesNAJ promulgates "Standard Specifications of Digital Archive Systems"to local public archives which have just limited human & financial resources

↓Create national & local Digital Archives network across Japan by technical support of standard specifications (now: 10 DAs)

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3. New Challenges of the NAJ

(3) Challenges for "Shared Infrastructure for Information Systems"・Hurdles to set up nation-wide information systems infrastructure・Lack of technology & staff for DA system in local public archives・Vulnerability of original records & DA system by natural disasters

↓Introducing a Cloud Computing System・Share common platform for DA system・Develop sustainable & durable information systems across Japan

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4. New Challenges of the JACAR

(1) Provide Links to Other DA System for More Accessible DatabaseLinkage Method: ・Import index data from other DAs into JACAR

・Link to digital images of other DAs from JACAR- University of the Ryukyus Library (2013)- Institute for Economic & Business Research, Shiga University (2016)- Hokkaido Prefectural Library (in progress)

(2) For Establishing the "Digital Archive Network" in East AsiaCan we build the "Digital Archive Network" to mutually connect with other leading Digital Archives in East Asia?

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Conclusions

Missions of Digital Archives as Historical Materials:→ Remove barriers to historical research for ordinary citizens

& encourage wider perspectives of history→ Bridge between different historical interpretations for mutual

understanding (= reduce bias & prejudice in historical facts)

Future Visions of the Two Digital Archives:・Build a nation-wide information system infrastructure in Japan・Establish the "Digital Archive Network" in East Asia

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World-wide Spread of Conservation Using Japanese Paper Mr. Katsuhiko MASUDA Vice-President The Association for Study of Washi Culture 【Abstract】

Japanese paper is now widely used as conservation material for archives around the world and is thereby contributing to extending the life of original paper-based records. This presentation aims to review how Japanese paper acquired this popularity as conservation material. As is well known in the art, Japanese historical paintings, documents, and mounting are inseparable. Many of Japanese paintings and documents are done on silk or paper which is too delicate for long term preservation and/or handling for display. This necessitated re-mounting about every 100 years. Accordingly, repeated re-mounting brought the development of conservation technique and selection of suitable paper materials for mounting such as Kozo, Gampi, and Mitsumata.

It was the flood in Florence in 1966 when Japanese paper was first spotlighted as material for archival conservation. European paper conservators who engaged in the rescue activity recognized its potential as good material for treating the water-damaged objects. Since the Florence flood, both Japanese and European conservators have contributed to spread the Japanese conservation techniques. In the international arena, International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) has organized many training sessions on Japanese conservation techniques since 1977. Numerous reference articles on conservation methods using Japanese paper were published in Europe and the US. Japanese paper suppliers have also played an important role for the spreading of Japanese paper to the world. Nowadays Japanese paper makers have developed new types of paper with traditional fibers and keep exploring new conservation techniques for documents.

As a result of various collaboration by conservators and institutions both in Japan and abroad, Japanese paper has successfully established its reputation as excellent material for conservation. 【Biography】

Mr. Katsuhiko MASUDA was born in Tokyo on 9th July 1942. Soon after his graduation with BA in Agriculture in 1965 at the Tokyo University of Education, he worked at the Endo Tokusuiken studio, Conservation of Japanese historical paintings and documents. From 1973 to 2000, he worked as a researcher and conservator at the Department of Restoration Technique, Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties. From 2000, the Showa Women's University, as a professor in charge of study on conservation of paper, paintings and documents. Has conducted 7 Japanese Paper Conservation courses with collaboration of ICCROM since 1992. His main interests are techniques in conservation and history of paper making and traditional mountings. The studies on ancient paper making in Japan "Technical Study on Paper Making in the Nara Period (7-8th CENTURY)" have clarified the characteristic of ancient paper which could not be reproduced by traditional technique of present day. The results of his study provides appropriate paper for restoration treatment of ancient paper document. "Micro dots adhering and transfer application of paste for paper conservation" provides semi-dry pasting for hinging and minor repairing.

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Worldwide Spread of Conservation Using Japanese Paper

Japanese paper is now widely used as a material in conservation methods for archives around the world and is thereby contributing to extending the life of original paper-based records. This presentation aims to review how, as a result of global interaction among conservation professionals, Japanese paper acquired this popularity as a conservation material. 1. Introduction

Flimsy materials, primarily silk or paper, are used as base materials and supports for Japanese paintings or documents. For this reason, Japanese paintings and documents are vulnerable to damage and require restoration whenever they are damaged. It is this regular work of restoration that makes it possible for paintings and documents to be preserved for posterity. In other words, there is a physical need that demands repeat restoration. I would therefore argue that such frequent restoration encourages the evolution of restoration techniques and, as a consequence, becomes a catalyst for new restoration techniques that stand the test of time.

Japanese paper (washi) is used for various types of restoration such as for hanging scrolls (kakejiku), folding screens (byobu), sliding doors (fusuma), papering, and so on. As it has so many different uses, Japanese paper comes in many textures and thicknesses. This gives Japanese paper a number of different properties. It is (1) always compatible with the paper of the area being reinforced/restored; (2) easy to apply and sufficiently softens when soaked with water; (3) transparent; and (4) strong when it is folded. As Japanese paper is basically a fiber mat made of loosely-tangled long strong fibers, it can be easily molded in a humid environment. When it is used in restoration, even thin, frail, and nondirectional Japanese paper such as Tengujoshi provides great benefits. Japanese paper blends seamlessly with the surface of a painting since the moderate amount of starch contained within it makes it adherent. Among with a host of traditional techniques performed by craftsmen in which water is frequently used, Japanese paper is of great use.

The other special characteristic of Japanese paper is that it is alkaline. To extract fibers for Japanese paper, natural alkaline materials such as wood ashes and lime, as well as chemical soda, are used. Their residues make the finished paper mildly alkaline. This, consequently, serves to deter acid deterioration which accounts for most of the chemical deterioration of paper, or deterioration prompted in the acid side. 2. Propagation of Japanese paper as a materialand Japanese techniques to the West

Before the World War II, some of the galleries and museums in the West which had trouble restoring paintings and documents from the Far East invited hyogu (mounting) artisans from Japan or other countries to do the work for them. However, their techniques seemed to have never become widespread among conservation specialists of paper art in the West. For example, The British Museum holds manuscripts and documents collected from Dunhuang, China. One of them was discovered to be lined with a thick piece of paper, apparently wrapping paper, which a Japanese or Chinese specialist would never do. This poor piece of restoration was obviously

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performed by some European specialist who had no knowledge of the techniques used with oriental paper.

In 1959, a shocking claim was made in the United States regarding the preservation and conservation of paper materials such as books and documents. In his book entitled “Deterioration of Book Stock, Causes and Remedies”, William Barrow warned that the acidic materials contained in the paper itself has a considerable impact on the life of books and documents, and that much of the human wisdom recorded in books would be lost in the near future. So when millions of items that were damaged by the flood of the Arno River in Florence, Italy in 1966, were rescued and restored, the acid paper issue had already become well known as a serious matter in Europe and the United States.

However, it wasn’t until 1980 that the issue of acid in paper became known to the Japanese public. Back in 1966, traditional Japanese restoration workshops were not yet aware of the issue. The Association for Conservation of National Treasures, a group of traditional restorers in Japan, sent Japanese paper to Florence but this was not because they had noticed its neutral to mildly alkaline pH.

I have no idea how the Japanese paper was actually used after being donated to Florence immediately after the flood. But imagine how useful it must have been for the Western restorers who had gathered at the site to have tons of hand-made paper with not only usable physical properties, but also neutral to mildly alkaline pH. I believe that the experts who were well aware of the problem of acid in paper must have really appreciated the benefits of Japanese paper: elastic but strong, usable, and acid-free. I really think that the 1966 flood in Florence was a landmark event that encouraged the spread of Japanese paper in the Western world following the realization by experts that Japanese paper is an excellent material for conservation as it frees from the problem of the acid found in other types of paper. 3. Propagation of Japanese techniques through technical training

Keiko Mizushima Keyes came to Japan and trained in hyogu techniques only a month after the Florence flood. She subsequently studied Japanese pictures of everyday life (ukiyo-e) with her husband, Dr. Roger Keyes, and published articles and books about restoration techniques based on what she had learned in Japan. In 1975, she opened an independent conservation studio for art on paper and taught seminars at several universities. Ms. Keyes was only 50 when she died a year after she gave a presentation entitled "Japanese print conservation, an overview" at the IIC Conference in Kyoto in 1988. She earned my undying admiration for how she provided technical training courses for more than twenty years and did so much to promote Japanese paper and Japanese techniques among paper conservators.

In 1976 and 1977, I gave demonstrations of the process of making folding screens in Rome,

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Italy. Subsequently from 1980 to 1981, I was sent to International Centre for Conservation Rome (ICCROM) in Rome to give practical training in Venice, Rome, and the United States. I taught some of the basic techniques during a three-week course for mounting hanging scrolls which could be applied to work with Western artworks.

I subsequently travelled overseas to provide practical training on a request basis. From 1992 with Mr. Kazunori Oryu, I taught technical training courses in Japan, which were hosted jointly by the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties (TNRICP) and ICCROM. In 2000, I became a university professor and have since lectured on conservation techniques for Japanese lacquerware and paperware every other year at TNRICP, which became the National Research Institute for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo (NRICPT), an independent administrative institution, in 2001. In addition, I have cohosted training courses and have dispatched lecturers to Latin America with ICCROM in order to further promote the techniques. In the meantime, Mr. Oryu, who is no longer with NRICPT, has given technical training courses in Germany and France. Training courses on Japanese conservation techniques have been constantly held inside and outside Japan to facilitate the renewal of a generation of conservation specialists who have mastered Japanese techniques. 4. Propagation of techniques through the publication of process records

In 1977, TNRICP published a book called “Science in Hyogu”, in which I illustrated the process of mounting hanging scrolls and the restoration process. This book was later translated into English in Canada.

In 1979, the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works published “Japanese Scroll Paintings: A Handbook of Mounting Techniques”, which was written by Masako Koyano.

The great surge in interest in the conservation techniques for art on paper came to a head in 1976 when “The Paper Conservator” was published. The journal was another platform for the work on paper materials that was being detailed in the existing journal, “Studies in Conservation”, which had been published by the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC). An article in its third issue picked up on three types of Japanese paper and dealt with the applications of their characteristics and usability.

The ninth issue in 1985 featured hyogu and introduced techniques for hanging scrolls as well as the karibari process, while the 30th issue, published in 2006, featured techniques from the Far East and covered the phenomenon of Japanese techniques being applied to Western collections, among with other reports from China and South Korea.

Materials used in the training, which began in 1992, were only in English. However, at NRICPT, training materials are now prepared in both Japanese and English and distributed to trainees.

As just mentioned, through our practical training courses, as well as the distribution of the records of training details and materials, we are indirectly supporting our trainees to become

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lecturers and so be able to provide training when they return to their countries. 5. Exporting Japanese paper as a conservation material

Almost all of the pages of Japanese paper sample books obtained by overseas art museums during the 1970s had decorative patterns and only a couple of types of blank white Japanese paper attached at the end of the book for the purposes of patching/repairing. In 1984, one exporter started distributing Japanese paper with descriptions relevant to conservation staff, such as material fibers, pH, thickness, size, suitable boiling agents, etc. This exporter’s shop stopped using the names of paper traditionally used by exporters, and instead adopted a coding system in which the same code always represents exactly the same type of paper. Previously, two sheets of paper with the same name were quite frequently in different qualities and different colors. Today, an increasing number of shops are exporting Japanese paper as a conservation material with data such as the pH attached to each sheet, and this has become standard practice. 6. Studies by Japanese paper users

Paper cultural property conservators all over the world are independently studying the physical characteristics of Japanese paper to learn how they can best use it as a material to protect their own country’s cultural properties. The results of one of the most systematic studies are listed in “A Study of the Quality of Japanese Papers Used in Conservation”.

In this study, 84 sheets of Japanese paper were collected from one Japanese and four US producers, and their fiber composition and pH were compared.

In terms of fibers, the study concluded that the best fiber source for the purposes of preservation is paper produced from the mulberry tree (kozo plant), while the study regards wood pulp as unsuitable for such purposes. Therefore, types of Japanese paper that are produced using wood pulp are rated lower, among which paper that has been produced using a mechanical pulp appears, according to the study, to be more susceptible in terms of durability and endurance. Fibers were studied based on the TAPPI standard (T-401 om-82) and the TAPPI test (T-509om-83 for pH), using the cold water extraction method.

55 sheets, or 65.5% of all of the 84 sheets of paper studied were made from 100% bast fibers, such as trees of paper mulberry, gampi, and mitsumata. 40 sheets, or 72.7% of these 55 sheets of paper were kozogami (Japanese tissue made from the mulberry tree). However, wood pulp was found in 23 sheets, or 27.4% of all types of paper.

One of the most peculiar types of paper was called Uda Usukuchi, which has a fiber composition of 95% kozo, 5% ramie, and a trace of gampi. Two sheets of paper made from 100% abaca (Manila hemp) fibers were also sold as a member of the Japanese paper family.

In terms of pH measurement, most types of paper were neutral to alkaline, but the pH of only one paper, which was made from 60% paper mulberry and 40% wood pulp, was 5.0. The results of the paper exported from the Japanese producer that I mentioned earlier matched the descriptions provided by the shop on all counts.

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7. Japanese paper sample books printed in Japan Of all the Japanese paper sample books that I have obtained in Japan, two are entitled

“Japanese paper for preservation and restoration/conservation” and both contain English translations. Let me give you some examples of the descriptions of Japanese paper’s physical characteristics from sample books and let’s take a look at an aspect of the sales of Japanese paper as a conservation material. 1) The paper samples from the Japanese paper sample book which was produced in

commemoration of the 1983 International Paper Conference held in Kyoto, provides the following items of data in both Japanese and English: sample number, name, size (in millimeters), origins, materials, usage, and characteristics. The book contains 40 sheets of paper in total, including 17 uncolored/color free and two types of cardboard for woodblock printing.

2) Since the opening of the shop in 1984, the sample book produced by Paper Nao has contained Japanese paper for the purpose of the restoration of cultural properties with data provided in Japanese and English. The English version of the sample book is also available with a list of data including nine items: name, size, minimum price, weight, materials, cooking, drying, pH-value, and notes.

3) “The Manufacturing Process of Tosa Hand Made Japanese Paper”, which was printed in 1990, outlines the manufacturing process in Japanese and English with a description list of 18 Tosa paper samples attached. Listed amongst the five data items are sample number, artist/manufacturer name, materials, boiling agents, and the drying method. In “Materials,” the quality of materials, such as “100% whitened (hon sarashi)”, “60% whitened (rokubu sarashi)”, and “machine-made” are also noted.

4) “Masumi Japanese Washi Paper for Restoration vol. III”, which was printed by Masumi Corporation in January 2007, contains 46 hand-made Japanese paper samples and eight machine-made Japanese paper samples. Each sample includes seven data items in Japanese and English (sample number, name, weight in monme and grams, size in centimeters, materials, boiling agents, and the drying method). The feature of this sample book is that weights are presented in a range such as “3.1 – 3.2 monme”, which indicates that the same type of paper actually comes in range of thicknesses.

8. Conclusion

Japanese techniques are very simple and don’t require any large or complicated machines or tools, so they are easy to introduce at workshops once you master them. Materials are manufactured by traditional techniques and it is a historically proven fact that they remain stable for a prolonged period of time. In terms of price, they are always available at a reasonable price. This is because in Japan you can still find many Japanese paper workshops in full operation, as compared to Europe and the United States. Conservators recognize these advantages and use Japanese paper because they highly prize its functionality, rather than because of its artistic beauty. In that respect, I feel a bit dissatisfied as a lover of Japanese paper. Thank you for your attention.

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The Japan-Australia Bilateral Cooperation in Archival Processing for the Wartime Seized Company Records Ms. Junko AKIYAMA Archivist Sapporo City Archives Collaborative research with; Dr. Hanako WADA Mr. Daisuke ICHIKAWA Dr. Hisayuki OSHIMA Gakushuin University Professor, Hokkai Gakuen University Takachiho University Dr. Hideyoshi YAGASHIRO Dr. Masahito ANDO Senshu University Gakushuin University 【Abstract】

This paper looks at the records of Australian-based Japanese companies seized by the Australian government during World War II, and are currently held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). By tracing the collection’s formation process and examining recent joint efforts between Japan and Australia to arrange and put these records to good use, it chronicles a definitive shift in the relationship of the two countries, whereby the records symbolize developing friendship. This paper addresses two key issues. It first discusses the actual process of how this collection of the wartime requisitioned documents was formed and transferred to the custody of the NAA, with reference to the political and diplomatic backgrounds as well as its current legal status. Secondly, it explains about a joint project of Japanese and Australian archivists and historians to arrange and utilize these records, an endeavor initiated in 2003 and still in progress. The outcomes of their work have already been utilized in the NAA activities. In the coming years, with the aim to foster shared memories and reconciliation between Japan and Australia, further collaboration is expected to take place over this collection for improvement in various fields including archival description and user access. In this sense, the paper illustrates an important shift whereby an archival collection born from an enemy relationship (wartime requisition) has become a symbol of friendship through the cooperative efforts of archivists and historians from the two nations. It also presents a remarkable example of how archivists from a country of the seized documents’ origin could be instrumental in arranging the records held by the seizing country. Through this process, we hope to show archivists playing a vital role in reconciliation between once-rival nations—and perhaps in advancement towards world peace.

【Biography】

Ms. Junko AKIYAMA's current position is Archivist at the Sapporo City Archives. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the the Ochanomizu University and finished a doctoral program in history without dissertation at Ochanomizu. She also has rich teaching experience at various institutions such as the Tokai University and the Hokusei Gakuen University. Her scholarly contributions include "Arrangement and Description of a Japanese Business Collection Held at the National Archives of Australia," Journal of the Japan Society for Archival Science 8 (2008): 2-20; and "The Establishment of Sapporo City Archives: Activities and Subjects in the Opening Year," Records Management: Journal of the Records Management Society of Japan 67 (2014): 91-103.

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The Japan-Australia Bilateral Cooperation

in Archival Processingfor the Wartime Seized Company

Records

Reported by: Junko Akiyama , Hanako Wada, Daisuke Ichikawa, Hisayuki Oshima,Hideyoshi Yagashiro, and Masahito Ando

CONTENTSIntroduction

1 Characteristics of the Documents of Japanese Companies’ Records Seized During Wartime and Background of Their Establishment

1.1 Overview of the Records1.2 Development of Japan-Australia Trades1.3 The Outbreak of the Second World War and the Wartime Seizure

2 Japan-Australian cooperative projectwith the purpose of archival processing and promotion of the use of company records

2.1 A History of the Japan-Australian Cooperative Project2.2 Archiving and creating descriptions by the Japanese team2.3 Achievements of the Cooperative Project

Conclusion –Development of our new friendship-

1. Characteristics of the Documents of Japanese Companies’ Records

Seized During Wartime and Background of Their Establishment

1.1 Overview of the Records

Held by National Archives of Australia (NAA) Sydney

(as of Sept. 2016)

Quantity︓c. 800m

TOTAL : 3,327 boxes

Series No. Company's name Total boxes

SP1096/1 Mitsubishi Shoji (Melb.) 97SP1096/2 Mitsui Bussan (Melb.) 18SP1096/3 John Mitchell 5SP1096/4 Iida & Co, 31

SP1096/5 Mitsui Bussan(Melb.) 47

SP1098/4 Mitsui Bussan 324

SP1098/7 Araki & Co, 440SP1098/8 Yamashita & Co. 366SP1098/9 Okura 46SP1098/10 Mitsubishi Shoji 112SP1098/11 Yano & Joko 63SP1098/12 Nosawa & Co. 18(+13)SP1098/13 Japan Cotton Trading 170SP1098/15 Kikugumi 8SP1098/16 Iida & Co. 44SP1101/1 Mitsui Bussan 475

SP1099/1-247 Yokohama Specie Bank 1050TOTAL 3,327

1.1 Overview of the Records

Series based on Japanese Companies

SP1096/* Companies in

MELBOURNE

SP1098/* Companies in SYDNEY

SP1101/1 Mitsui Bussan (Syd.)

SP1099/* Yokohama Specie Bank

Series No. Company's name Total boxes

SP1096/1 Mitsubishi Shoji (Melb.) 97SP1096/2 Mitsui Bussan (Melb.) 18SP1096/3 John Mitchell 5SP1096/4 Iida & Co, 31

SP1096/5 Mitsui Bussan(Melb.) 47

SP1098/4 Mitsui Bussan 324

SP1098/7 Araki & Co, 440SP1098/8 Yamashita & Co. 366SP1098/9 Okura 46SP1098/10 Mitsubishi Shoji 112SP1098/11 Yano & Joko 63SP1098/12 Nosawa & Co. 18(+13)SP1098/13 Japan Cotton Trading 170SP1098/15 Kikugumi 8SP1098/16 Iida & Co. 44SP1101/1 Mitsui Bussan 475

SP1099/1-247 Yokohama Specie Bank 1050TOTAL 3,327

Japanese Companies’ Records Letters & Correspondences

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Shipping Documents

Japanese Companies’ Records Japanese Companies’ Records Ledgers & Journals

Japanese Companies’ Records Statements of Accounts Minutes books of Directors’ Meetings

Japanese Companies’ Records Code Books Shipping Schedules & Tariff Lists

Japanese Companies’ Records

Textile Samples

Personal Documents

Japanese Companies’ Records

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1.2 Development of Japan-Australia trades andthe advance of Japanese companies to Australia Japan-Australia trades: Wool + Various Japanese products

In 1889 Kanematsu began business in Australia→Trading Companies opened branches : Mitsui, Mitsubishi etc.

During W.W.I the Trade environment improved:Yokohama Specie Bank /Regular shipping line

Medium-to-small-sized trading companies:Exporting various types of Japanese products

By 1930’ Japan-Australia trade relations developed significantlyJapanese companies: Advance to major cities all over Australia

1.3 The Outbreak of the Second World War and the Wartime Seizure

1941.12 the Outbreak of the Second World War ⇒the Australian government began to seize

assets of the Japanese companies in Australia*the Trading with the Enemy Act(1939)

the Executive Agency: the Controller of Enemy Property*National Security (Enemy Property) Regulations of

the National Security Act of 1939

◆The records in the office were seizedas a part of the assets of Japanese companies

1957 the records were Transferred to NAA*Wada(2011)

2. Japan-Australian Cooperative Projectwith the Purpose of Archival Processing and Promotion of the Use of Company Records

2.1 A History of the Japan-Australian Cooperative Project

2002 the Research on archives in Australia

conducted by Masahito ANDO *NAA︓Introduction of the Japanese companies’ records

Suggestion the collaborative work on archiving

2003 Setting up the Japan-Australian Cooperative Project Japanese Team︓

Dispatched a research team of archivists and historians to NAA

NAA︓Organized a special training program on archival arrangement &

description for the Project members(Canberra/Sydney)

2.1 A History of the Japan-Australian Cooperative Project

*Arrangement & Description Exercise using Nosawa Records

2004-2016 the Research continued every year

2.1 A History of the Japan-Australian Cooperative Project

2004-2016 the Research continued every year→Sharing the information & descriptions

N A A• Provision of information

on acceptances & arrangements

• Cleaning & Provisional measures

Japanese Team• Research on the

company histories

• Box contents lists • Series Descriptions

A New Project to Donate Records to & Accept at the NAJ

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2.2 Archiving and creating descriptions by the Japanese team

Existing Descriptions

outline descriptions for each series partial description of contents *Pam Oliver(2004)

the Agency of these series: the Controller of Enemy Property

⇒Our Policies on Creating Descriptions

Simple list of items for each box

description of the series focused on the characteristics of the document structure (the wartime seizure records)

the organizational history of each company

Publishing by the NAA as guidance

*Sample)Box Contents List

National Archives of Australia Japanese Company Records Box Contents List (Mitsui)

Company Series no. Title/DescriptionDate

RangeNumber of

ItemsNote

OriginalCreator

Mitsui SP1098/4 258 Daily Reports 1938 23 files

Mitsui SP1098/4 259 1 Contract File Sydney No.30A 1939 1 vol. Mitsubishi

Mitsui SP1098/4 259 2 Contract File Sydney No.31 1039-1940 1 vol. Mitsubishi

Mitsui SP1098/4 260 Contract File 1937-1938 1 failes Mitsubishi

Mitsui SP1098/4 261 1 [Shipping Documents] 1938-1939 19 envelops

Mitsui SP1098/4 261 2 [Shipping Documents] 1938 1cmMitsui SP1098/4 262 [Shipping Documents] 1937-1939 27 bundlesMitsui SP1098/4 263 1 [Sales Note] 1939 1 vol. MitsubishiMitsui SP1098/4 263 2 Shipping documents 1938 6 cmMitsui SP1098/4 264 Sales Note 1938-1940 1 file Mitsubishi

Box no.

*Sample)Series DescriptionMiscellaneous records of Yano and Joko, pre 1941 records

Reference Code: SP1098/11Title: Miscellaneous records of Yano and Joko, pre 1941 records Name of Creator: Yano & Joko

Scope and Content Note: Date︓ 1919-1941Extent: 18.36 meters (63 boxes)

This series was created by Yano & Joko, and contains documents as follows: Shipping Documents, Contract Notes, Tax Returns, Letters, Consignment Books, and Textile Samples.* Please note that some records of Mitsubishi & Co. Ltd. and of "Dogyo-kai" (Japanese Woolbuyers' Association, of which Yano & Joko was not a member ) are also present in this series.

Administrative History:Yano & Joko was established as a general partnership company ( paid-in capital : 1 million yen) in June 1908 by Hanjiro Yano and Nobuhiro Joko. Its headquarters was located in Yamashitacho, Yokohama City. The forerunner of the company was Morinogawa Gomei Kaisha (Morinogawa General Partnership Company) founded by Hanjiro Yano and Kanesuke Moriyama in June 1893. …

References:Chukichi, Morita. Kaiko 50-nen Kinen Yokohama Seiko Meiyokagami (Success and honors of Yokohama, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Yokohama port. ). Yokohama: Yokohama Shokyo Shinpo-sha, 1910. …

2.3 Achievements of the Cooperative Project

1) Analyzing the seizing process

Criterion for determining the subjects of seizure :Ratio of stock holding by Japanese

・John Mitchell︓actually owned by Koto Shokai →Seizure

・Kanematsu / Ide Shoten︓management transferred to the Australians

→Not subject of the Seizure

*Ichikawa(2007)/ Wada(2011)

2.3 Achievements of the Cooperative Project1) Analyzing the seizing process

“Mixed” records created and stored by other companies

“Mixed” cases confirmed (as of 2016)

“Swallowed” German company’s srecords

Series No. Company of Series Original Creator of “Mixed” Records

SP1098/4 Mitsui Bussan Mitsubishi Shoji

SP1098/7 Araki Company Heinrich Lanz (H. Tronser), Mitsubishi ShojiSP1098/8 Yamashita Araki Co., Z. Horikoshi & Co.SP1098/9 Okura Trading Mitsubishi ShojiSP1098/11 Yano & Joko Mitsubishi Shoji(Japanese Woolbuyers’ Association)

SP1101/1 Mitsui Bussan Yamashita, Mitsubishi Shoji, Japan Cotton Trading, Okura Trading, Iida & Co.

2.3 Achievements of the Cooperative Project

2) Characteristics analysis of

the documents structure

The unique structure due to the seizure

Companies’ branch records

Records normally not stored for a long time

“Currently in use” documents*Akiyama(2008)

High value in historical analysis

→a number of achievements published

UNSETTLED

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2.3 Achievements of the Cooperative Project

3) Maintaining box contents lists andseries description

Box contents lists: 90% completed(as of 2015)

⇒ Complete all lists in 2016

Series descriptions: Scheduled to complete in the coming years

Provide to NAA & NAJ

Descriptions by NAA

[Government Records]

Descriptions by Japanese Team

【Japanese Companies’ Records】

Conclusion

–Development of Our New Friendship-

Conclusion–Development of Our New Friendship-

2015 NAA’s proposal to transfer this collection to Japan 2016 Starting the project

to donate records to & accept at the NAJ

*2012 the unearthing of the Australians victim list of “Montevideo Maru”

*the Sharing of Wartime Records →Promote understanding between the two countries

Conclusion–Development of Our New Friendship-

The Wartime Seizure

The Japan-Australia Bilateral

CooperationNew

Friendship

NAA JapaneseTeam

The Reconciliation through the Records Developed by the Bilateral Cooperation

The Friendships Further Strengthened by the Sharing of Memories

NAJ

*References:

Hanako, Wada. "Taiheiyo Senso no Kaisento Zaigo Nikkei Kigyo Kiroku ( The Outbreak of the Pacific War and the Records of Japanese Companies in Australia ) ". Rekishi Hyoron, No. 739, November 2011

Junko, AKIYAMA. "Arrangement and description of a Japanese business collection held at the National Archives of Australia". Journal of the Japan Society for Archival Science, No.8, March 2008

Daisuke, ICHIKAWA. "Backgrounds and Characteristics of the seized Japanese companies’ records held at the National Archives of Australia". Achievements from the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research(KAKENHI) Program "Research toward the establishment of the foundation of historical information resource systems and international archival networks",Project Number:1522015, 2007

Pam Oliver "ALLIES, ENEMIES AND TRADING PARTNERS –Records on Australia and Japanese-".NAA, 2004

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Records Management in the Digital Age Mr. Hitoshi FUKUI Senior Vice-President Former Deputy Director-General for public records National Archives of Japan management at the Minister's Secretariat, Cabinet Office 【Abstract】

It is now coming up on five years since the Public Records and Archives Management Act (PRAMA), which generally governs Japanese public records management, came into full effect in 2011. The timing has us moving ahead with two streams of initiatives in regard to public records management. The first one involves efforts to revise Japan’s public records management system itself. The supplementary provisions to PRAMA state that “approximately five years after the enforcement of this Act, the Government shall review the scope of Administrative Documents and Corporate Documents as well as other matters, taking into consideration the state of enforcement of this Act, and, when it deems necessary, shall take necessary measures based on the findings of the review.” In light of this mandate, the Public Records and Archives Management Commission established within the Japanese government under PRAMA is now reconsidering our system as a whole with the goal of announcing an agreed-upon approach in March of this year. The second one aims to construct new facilities of the National Archives of Japan, which has been suffering from age-related deterioration of its main office, a lack of repository space, and similar issues for some time now. A bipartisan group of the Diet members was formed in 2014 with the goal of eventually building new National Archives facilities, leading the government to set up an investigative committee of experts on the matter that same year. The committee is currently in the processes of re-determining the kinds of functions and facilities to be fulfilled by the National Archives of Japan with a view to actually creating these new structures. In either stream, issues such as the handling of born-digital records and digitization of conventional public records are critical points of discussion, given that efforts related to the management of digital records are being made around the world and international conferences on public records management often take up topics that hinge on the advancement of digitization. This presentation will cover how Japan is setting up its public records management system to cope with the digital era reflecting the global progress of digitization, and will include moves leading to the construction of a new building for the National Archives of Japan.

【Biography】

Mr. Hitoshi FUKUI currently serves as Senior Vice-President of the National Archives of Japan. Prior to the current position, he was working as Deputy Director-General at the Minister's Secretariat, Cabinet Office and was responsible for Japanese public records management. Mr. Fukui began his public career in the Management and Coordination Agency (currently the Cabinet Office) in 1985 and has served in a variety of positions including Director of the Records and Archives Management Division at the Minister's Secretariat; Director-General of the General Affairs Department at the Okinawa General Bureau; and Director of the Accounts Division at the Minister’s Secretariat. He has also worked for the Reconstruction Headquarters in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and its successor, the Reconstruction Agency. He holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Tokyo.

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Public Records Management to be Targeted

in the Digital Age Hitoshi Fukui, former Deputy Director-General for

public records management, Cabinet OfficeSeptember 8, 2016

International Council on Archives (ICA) Congress in Seoul

1. Introduction: Public Records and Archives Management Act“Public Records and Archives Management Act (PRAMA)” came into force in 2011

●Public records=”Intellectual resource to be shared by the people“ supporting the basis

of sound democracy

●Purposes• Administrative organs’ appropriate and efficient operation• To ensure accountability to the people at present and in the future

Points of the records management systemUnified management rules stipulated by laws and regulations Use of experts’ knowledge

Adoption of records schedule Enhancement of National Archives of Japan’s functions

Ensuring compliance Promotion of use of historical public records and archives

1. Introduction: Review of the Records Management System

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 From FY 2016

Enforcement of PRAMA

5 years Review of the system

● At present

Discussion of review

1. Introduction: Efforts for a New National Archives of Japan Building

- FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 From FY 2018

Basic Concept Design etc. ConstructionBasic Plan

● At present

Examine the functions required for the National Archives of Japan in the coming ages

1. Introduction: Two Major Efforts for Public Records Management

Review of the Public Records Management System

Building a New National Archives of Japan Facility

Public records management in Japan to be targeted for the digital age

Raise topics related to digitization

2. Efforts to Review the Public Records Management System

Article 13 of the Supplementary ProvisionApproximately five years after the enforcement of this Act, the Government shall review the scope of Administrative Documents and Corporate Documents as well as other matters, taking into consideration the state of enforcement of this Act, and, when it finds it necessary, shall take necessary measures based on the findings of the review.

・In September 2015, discussion began on how public records should be managed.

- Exchange of opinions with local public bodies- Hearing of opinions of experts who conduct outstanding

research using public records⇒"Report for Consideration on the Review to be Undertaken 5 Years After the Enforcement of PRAMA"was prepared.

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 From FY 2016

●Enforcement of PRAMA

5 years Review of the system

● At present

Discussion of

review

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” Report for Consideration on the Review to be Undertaken 5 years after the Enforcement of PRAMA”

Ⅰ IntroductionⅡ Basic stance for reviewⅢ Individual points at issue and directions for review(1) How current records and non-current

records should be appraised/selected(i) Appraisal/selection from the perspective of historical values(ii) How administrative documents should be managed with a focus on

appraisal/selection

(2) Specified Historical Public Records and Archives(i) Services for the Specified Historical Public Records and Archives(ii) Access review of the Specified Historical Public Records and Archives(iii) Examination committee for appeals related to the Specified Historical Public

Records and Archives(iv) Designation of the National Archives of Japan, etc.

(3) Records management in local public bodies

Report for Consideration on the Review to be Undertaken 5 Years After the Enforcement of PRAMA

March 23, 2016Public Records and Archives Management Commission

2 (1) Comprehensive AssessmentBasic stance (abstract)

Specific examples- Improvement in the quality of the assessment of the

historical importance of records in administrative organs

- Capacity development and arrangement of professional staff

Before the enforcement of PRAMA, our public records management structure was recognized as weak compared to other countries, but there have been various improvements after PRAMA was enacted.

Meanwhile, measures need to be taken to further improve the records management system, which covers both current and non-current records under the integrated program.

Report for Consideration on the Review to be Undertaken 5 Years After the Enforcement of PRAMA

March 23, 2016Public Records and Archives Management Commission

2 (2) Directions Related to Digital RecordsIndividual points at issue and directions for review (abstract)

How current and non-current records should be appraisedand selectedcoherently as a whole

(1) System that improves appraisal/selection using researchers' knowledge/cooperation

(2) System that supports records management in administrative organs, including the capacity development and arrangement of professional staff

(3) Attempt to assess/verify records management using academic experts' knowledge/cooperation

(4) Consideration of the digital intermediate repository system and improvement of the records management system to appropriately preserve/transfer digital records

(5) Conducting various training programs including web/satellite training programs, and the development of their contents

Report for Consideration on the Review to be Undertaken 5 Years After the Enforcement of PRAMA

March 23, 2016Public Records and Archives Management Commission

2 (2) Directions Related to Digital Records

Further discussion will be made for concrete measures.

Advantages of digital records

Disadvantages of electronic documents

- Physically smaller repository

- Easier information sharing and searching

- Higher cost of preservation to ensure long-term readability

At presentThe proportion of digital records to

administrative documents:5.2%

⇒ More digital records in the future

⇒ Consideration of a “digital intermediate repository system”

- As a system for smooth preservation and transfer of digital records without medium change- As a system in which professional staff can decide disposition of digital records

Improvement of the records management system

3. Efforts to Build a New National Archives of Japan Facility: Present Status

本館(北の丸公園) 1971年建設

つくば分館 1998年建設

Challenges: aging buildings and limited repository space

Sapporo

Sendai

HiroshimaFukuoka

South Korea

Jilin

Yellow Sea

Liaoning

The Tsukuba Annex of the National Archives

The National Archives of Japan(Incorporated Administrative Agency)

Vladivostok

North Korea

Sea of Japan The Tsukuba Annex of the National Archives built in 1998

The National Archives of Japan(Tokyo) built in 1971

3. Efforts to Build a New National Archives of Japan Facility

- The following matters were discussed at the “Research/Consideration Meeting on the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan” (Chairman: Mr. Oikawa, Executive Adviser of the Yomiuri Shimbun):

Overseas research (US, Europe, Australia, etc.) in FY 2014Domestic research (museums, etc.) , invitation of foreign experts to Japan (from France) in FY 2015

- "Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan“ was formulated.

- FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 From FY 2018

Basic Concept Basic Plan

● At present

Determine the functions required for the National Archives of Japan in the coming ages

Design etc. Construction

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"Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan“

1.Purpose/background2.Basic stance for the new National Archives of Japan

3.Functions required for the National Archives of Japan:(1) Collection acquisition and information service(2) Exhibition and education(3) Preservation and conservation(4) research support(5) Digital archives(6) Personnel development(7) Information exchange

4.Organization, administration and facility of the National Archives of Japan

5.Future consideration

Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

March 31, 2016Research/Consideration Meeting on the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

3 (1) Directions for the New National Archives of JapanDirections for the new National Archives of Japan

(1) To take an active part as a "forum" to hand down the form and memory of the nation to the future

(2) To strengthen its role as a base to promote efforts to preserve and use our historical public records and archives of the whole country

(3) To develop the facility and services to cope with the change of the times including the progress of digitization

Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

March 31, 2016Research/Consideration Meeting on the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

3 (1) Functions to be Pursued by the New National Archives of Japan

Functions required for the National Archives of Japan:Collection acquisition and information service

Exhibition and education

Preservation and conservation

Research support

Digital archives

Personnel development

Information exchange

Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

March 31, 2016Research/Consideration Meeting on the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

3 (2) Creating the Digital Archive

- Launched in 2005.- Digitized records: 13%- Efforts toward networking

(Example: provision of standard archival specifications)

⇒ Recognized by foreign and domestic researchers as useful for Japan studies.

National Archives of Japan Digital Archive

3 (2) Future Prospects of Digital Archive

Build a new facility with sufficient space/equipment for digitization projects

(Space for scanning etc.)

Further promote efforts toward digitization of records in custody

By introducing cloud-based sharing system,

promote networking

Promote digital archiving of historical materials throughout Japan

3 (3) Flexibility in Functions and Facilities to Cope with DigitizationDirections for the new National Archives of Japan (abstract)

Additional roles are required so that users feel that their actual visit to thefacility is meaningful.

As digitization advances・・・

Needs for developing the facility and providing new services in anticipation of changing times including the progress of digitization

Basic Concept for the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

March 31, 2016Research/Consideration Meeting on the Functions and Facility of the National Archives of Japan

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3 (3) Flexibility in Functions and Facilities to Cope with Digitization

At present

The reading room is simply a place for reading records.

New roles are required.- Place for consulting archivists for research

studies- Place where researchers hold discussions

As digitization advances...

Specific example: Changes in the roles of the reading room

In the future

3. Efforts to Build a New National Archives of Japan Facility : Future Schedule

- FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 From FY 2018

Basic Concept Basic Plan

● At present

Design etc. Construction

Determine functions required for the National Archives of Japan in the coming ages

4. Summary

Review of the Public Records Management System

New roles of the National Archives of Japan

Discussion will continue to seek how public records should be managed in the digital age.

Thank you very much.

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Panel Presentations:Archives and Disasters: Japanese Strategies after 5 Years from the Great East Japan Earthquake

Mr. Hidefumi SAMPEI Mr. Masaki KAKEHI Chief Curator Chief of the Planning and Legal Affairs Board of Education, Tomioka Town Section, General Affairs Division, Fukushima Prefecture National Archives of Japan Ms. Maki TAKASHINA Project Researcher National Institute for Japanese Literature

【Abstract】 Japan is constantly threatened by earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons, torrential rains, and other natural

disasters. Despite Japanese archival community’s efforts so far, it remains a pressing challenge, which must be continuously addressed, to protect records and archives from disasters in order to minimize damage and support subsequent restoration. The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 and the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 in particular dealt staggering blows to our archived documents, greatly impacting the country’s later strategies for natural disasters. Moreover, recent years have witnessed a new kind of threat increasingly resulting in water damage to records and archives: localized torrential downpours. In response, new efforts are being made to forge cross-cutting cooperative frameworks covering restoration technology, records management, information and communications strategies, and cultural preservation among various stakeholders. Their shared goal is to overcome this crisis of losing pieces of community memory related to unprecedented disasters while at the same time preparing for possible future events. The panel, representing the national government, a local public body, and a research institution, will theoretically and practically share with archivists and other Congress participants the post-quake disaster management in Japan as well as our coping strategies with the aim of developing the potential of international cooperation. Topics raised during their presentations will include: (1) joint initiatives between the National Archives of Japan and local governments to assist with the restoration of public records affected by disaster, (2) Japan’s nationwide volunteer-driven network of rescue activities for records and archives, (3) developments made in these five years since the massive tsunami disaster in the Sanriku region, (4) research on keeping memories of the earthquake disaster alive, and (5) collaborative projects in Fukushima between universities and towns struck by the 2011 Earthquake for the purpose of preserving community documents and materials for future generations.

【Biography】 Mr. Hidefumi SAMPEI is a Chief Curator at the Tomioka Board of Education, Fukushima

prefecture, Japan. He was born in 1979, and graduated Tohoku Gakuin University in 2002. He joined the Office of Tomioka Town in 2003, and has been in responsible as a curator since 2004.

Mr. Masaki KAKEHI is a Chief of the Planning and Legal Affairs Section, General Affairs Division at the National Archives of Japan (NAJ). He completed the Ph.D. program of International Relations at the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, and joined NAJ in 2011. Before coming to the Planning and Legal Affairs Section, he experienced a chief of the Accession Management Section. He had also engaged in tasks of appraisal of the historical public records and archives, management of the Rescue Team for Disaster-Damaged Official Documents etc.

Ms. Maki TAKASHINA is a Project Researcher at the National Institute for Japanese Literature (NIJL). She will read the text prepared by Ms. Mutsumi AOKI, Associate Professor at NIJL.

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Damage-status ofthe Great East Japan

EarthquakeNationwide

Dead: 14,517Missing: 11,432Injured: 5,314Evacuated: 130,229 (18 prefectures)Damaged/demolished buildings: 76,800

No. of demolished bldgs

No. of bldgs with blackout

No. of bldgs withno water

Height of Tsunami

Aomori

Akita

MiyagiYamagata

Iwate

Fukushima

Tochigi

Gunma

SaitamaTokyo

Kanagawa

Niigata

Ibaraki

Chiba

Appx.

Appx.

Appx.

Appx. Appx

.

Appx.

Appx.

Appx.

Hachinohemore than

Miyakomore than

Kamaishimore than

Ofunatomore than

Ishinomaki-Ayukawamore than

Soma

Iwaki Onahama

Oarai

Appx.

Appx.

Mutsu City Sekinehama

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Iitate Village

KawamataTown

Tamura City

KatsuraoVillage

MinamisomaCity

Futaba Town

Okuma Town

Namie Town

TomiokaTown

Naraha Town

KawauchiVillage

Iwaki City Hirono Town

FukushimaPrefecture

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FY2014

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Overview of Listing Operations

Check

Inspect

Classify

Record

Store on shelves

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18, May, 2014Fukushima Minyu Shimbun

18, May, 2014Fukushima Minpo News

0200400600800

1000120014001600

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Organization: Deputy mayor is the leader (chief) with 16 members (15 to start with)[top] Head of Education Affairs Division, Head of Planning Division, Head of Industrial Promotion Division,

Head of Life Support Division, Assistant Head of Life Support[staff] Chief Curator (Life Support Division), Curator (Planning Division), General Affairs Division staff, 3 staff

members from the Life Support Division, Education Affairs Division Staff, Health and Welfare Division staff, 2 staff members from the Industrial Promotion Division

(Missions)Article 2: The History and Culture Project Team concretely examines the production activities independently conducted in the Tomioka region, and summarizes and delivers the results to the town residents as well as people in the country and abroad. The team also performs necessary jobs such as research, rescue, list up and preservation of historical materials and preservation of the history and culture of the region.

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4

2

31 67

5

9

2

9

3

1

8

7

5

6

211

10

4

10

11

12

14

14

15

13

16

13

17

17

“PR Tomioka”, August 2015 Edition (Request for preservation of historical materials)

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Reconciling Japanese Archival Traditions with the New Demands of the Global Age: Focusing on Business Archives in Japan Mr. Takeo KATOH President National Archives of Japan 【Abstract】

With corporate governance activities gaining momentum in recent years, the critical importance of accountability in business management has increasingly come to the fore. Traditionally, however, accountability is not something that has been recognized as important in Japanese business management. Instead, companies have taken the position that they can be evaluated exclusively on their measurable outcomes, and it has not been considered management responsibility to make the process of decision-making clear to the stockowners and other stakeholders. With corporate activities becoming increasingly global, putting a company’s current status and vision out to the entire world is now recognized as an essential function of company’s recordkeeping. Whereas records held by most of the Japanese business archives were collected and preserved for the compilation of corporate history chronicling the success story of the founder and/or the company’s development, in order to respond to the global expansion, Japanese companies need to go beyond their traditional definitions of business archives, working more closely with top executives so that their focus shifts to communicating company information on a global scale while promoting more robust corporate governance. The author was appointed to his position as President of the National Archives of Japan in 2013 following an extensive career in the business world. He found that many of the unique features of and problems with Japan’s business archives have been present in the national archives as well. If we substitute “national” or “government” for the word “business,” we find that this discussion by and large applies to the current situation at the National Archives as well. This presentation hopes to offer the recent trends of business archives in Japan as an example of efforts to reconcile Japanese archival traditions with the new demands of the global age.

【Biography】

Mr. Takeo KATOH assumed the office as President of the National Archives of Japan effective June 1, 2013. His commitment to public records management dates back to his service as a member of a government committee launched in 2008, whose proposals culminated in the Public Records and Archives Management Act, an epoch-making legislation of the field in 2009. Before his appointment to the presidency, Mr. Katoh spent most of his career in the private sector, where he developed a strong background in organizational operation and strategy planning. Not only did he serve as Chairman of the board of the Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., a leading global energy technology company, he has also held leadership roles for a broad spectrum of organizations including Japanese Business Federation, Japan Opera Foundation and the Kaisei Academy, a top-rate Japanese preparatory school. Mr. Katoh holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Tokyo.

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Reconciling Japanese Archival Traditions with the New Demands of the Global Age: Focusing on Business Archives in Japan

Introduction

Before I became the President of the National Archives of Japan (NAJ) three and a half years ago, I had a long managerial career as the chairman of a private company. Needless to say, works in public sector and private sector differs significantly, but the roles of the archives which preserve historical materials and provide access to them are common to both sectors and they face the same challenges for the further development. For example, the value and use of archives have been neglected for a long time in both sectors, however, as the importance of archives has been pointed out in recent years, both the nation and businesses make further efforts to promote to make access and use of their archival records.

I would like to now talk about recent improvement in business archives in Japan as well as the initiatives conducted by the Japanese government. I Business Archives in Japan I-1 Fostering and Maintaining Corporate Culture

1) The Commitment to the Compilation of “Corporate History” Documents on business activities such as the minutes of board meetings and financial

statements are obliged to be prepared, preserved, and published due to legal reasons. In addition to these documents, what are generally called “business archives” include summaries on the business activities of a company from its establishment to the present, archival records on histories of the industry, or histories of economic communities that the company is part of, and the autobiographies of inspiring managers.

In terms of “Corporate History”, many corporations make commemorative books on their 50th or 70th anniversary. Large corporations with long histories make gorgeous books and distribute them to their clients and customers. These corporations often have their own Office for Corporate History specialized for preparing these commemorative books.

Some corporations maintain their own museums to exhibit business archives and old products since their establishment.

2) People love reading autobiographies of inspiring managers

Famous autobiographies of Japanese inspiring managers include those of Eiichi Shibusawa, who founded many companies during the Meiji period when the modernization of the nation began, Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic Corporation, and Kazuo Inamori, the founder of KYOCERA Corporation. In the same way as the quotes by Andrew Carnegie are used in the United States, these autobiographies are still popular and many people in business enjoy reading them.

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I think every Panasonic employee read the autobiography of Kōnosuke Matsushita, and by reading his autobiography, the employees understand the management philosophy of Matsushita, or “Matsushita-ism”, as a common value in the company and the standards of conduct of Panasonic’s employee.

Similar to the case with Panasonic, we can understand the characteristics of a company by reading the autobiography of its founder. It’s fair to say that companies in Japan compile “Corporate History” more enthusiastically than other countries. Japan has the greatest numbers of “long-standing firms”, which is relevant to Japanese companies’ views to value “Corporate History”. While amongst companies currently listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, only 65 companies have their history that stretch back more than a century, among non-listed companies, there are about 26,000 companies that have more than 100 years of history, which is far greater than the numbers in other countries.

3) Building up Corporate Culture

Every corporation has its own characteristics such as having excellent development capabilities or strong marketing powers, or valuing its employees. Such characteristics have been built up with long history and they are called corporate philosophy or corporate culture.

As Japanese business community has a tradition of valuing corporate philosophy, the compilation of “Corporate History” has a clear role in conveying the corporate culture to both inside and outside the corporation.

4) Supporting an Employment System that is Unique to Japan

Respect to corporate culture is deeply committed to employment system in Japan. That is, to start working for a company after graduation and continue working with the same company until one’s retirement at the age of 60 or 65. Companies with this type of employment system treat their young and old employees like members of a family, with the president taking the role of the father and the employees as his or her sons and daughters. They may not actually be related to each other, but they do feel as if they are living under the same roof as a family. This feeling of camaraderie helps to build common values, in other words, the corporate philosophy unique to the company. This corporate philosophy continues to grow from generation to generation and becomes the company’s DNA. It is believed that sharing common sense of values strengthens common bonds and helps motivate employees, which in turn leads to the further growth of the company.

I-2 Contributing to Corporate Governance

1) Promoting Access to Corporate Information Leads to Build Trust with Stakeholders In these days, there is a growing trend to accelerate the disclosure of not only the

archival records of the past but also the records of current business activities and corporate goals. Disclosure of corporate information aims to enhance corporate governance and

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ensure accountability. Providing correct corporate information leads to build trust with stakeholders and by getting such information, people will think: “I can purchase this company’s products without worry”, “I want to work for this company”, or “I will invest in this company”.

However, while this practice became common in other countries, Japanese companies only became aware of the importance of accountability after the 1990s. Before that, most managers thought that corporate management would be evaluated by financial performance and there was no need to disclose the business process to outside the company. As this was the prevailing view of the past, only small numbers of corporations were publishing their corporate information.

Things changed in the 1990s, when stakeholders such as stockholders started to insist that the records on the management decision-making process were as important as the records on the final results. And it became the responsibility of senior managers to disclose the contents and background of the decision-making process. Consequently, it is now widely understood the importance of preserving background documents on all business activities.

2) Contributing to the Globalization of Companies The globalization of business activities increased the recognition of the business records.

Companies faced the necessity of providing information on the current status of the business operations, future targets, or management visions to investors, customers, and clients overseas who may not have up-to-date information on the companies they were interested in.

As I previously described, it is hard for individual business persons overseas to understand the relationship between Japanese corporate culture and the employment system including “lifetime employment“. “salaries based on seniority system”, and “internal labor unions”. It is true that Japanese companies are increasingly applying western employment methods in recent years. However, still, many Japanese companies maintain their own systems, and it is believed that this is the reason of the distinguished growth of Japanese companies.

Again, I would like to point out that in order to improve oversea stakeholders’ understanding and appreciation of the business strategies of Japanese companies, and to encourage them to start investing and trading, it is crucial to give them a better understanding of the unique corporate systems and corporate culture in Japan, and business archives can play an important role for a better understanding.

3) Good Records Management Assists Good Corporate Governance

Recently, many cases on accounting errors or defects in products were reported and it turned out that companies concerned often had operational difficulties due to a lack of evidential records of their business activities.

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Discovery of a product defect may sometimes lead to a spread of rumors that all products from the particular company are defective. Such rumors may cause heavy damages to the company’s revenue. To prevent such damages, it is indispensable to maintain accurate and complete records on product quality and disclose them anytime if needed.

I-3 Business Archives for the Future We can see that Business Archives in charge of managing and preserving records can

play an important role in connecting the past, the present, and the future of the company’s activities, as well as providing evidence to justify its business operations.

However, we have to say there is a lack of awareness of the importance of Business Archives in Japan even now. It’s only when a corporate scandal occurs resulting in lawsuits that corporate leaders realize for the first time the important role of Business Archives

The status of Business Archives within a company is not that high and always not fully functioning nor playing active roles because of the small number of personnel. This is the current situation, but I believe heads of corporations need to recognize the importance of archives for the corporate governance and to show leadership to strengthen the function of Business Archives in the future.

II Japanese Initiatives to Improve Archival Systems As I said at the beginning, I was appointed to the position as President of the National

Archives of Japan in 2013 after a long career in the business world. Now I found that many of the unique features of and problem with Japan’s business archives have been present in the national archives as well. In the second part of this presentation, I would like to talk about improvement of archival systems in Japan from a more general perspective.

II-1 Commitment to Saving Historical Materials 1) The Long History in Preserving Materials in Japan

Apart from the mythical age, Japan became united under the Emperor 1,300 years ago in the early 8th-century. We have a rich 1,000-year tradition of record keeping in Japan. Records of sovereigns and governments, as well as extensive amounts of materials for the history of each family of samurai and nobility, as well as that of temples and shrines, have been preserved as priceless documentary heritage.

And it was after 1868, about 150 years ago, that Japan eventually became a modern nation following the Meiji Restoration. In Meiji period, Japan facilitated the modernization by formulating the Constitution, establishing the National Diet, and focusing on fostering domestic industries and international trade. However, the government was dominated by bureaucrats under the imperial sovereignty, and the opportunities for citizens to participate in politics were very limited. Japan’s defeat at the end of the World War II in 1945 changed the traditional form of government completely. A more democratic chapter in the nation’s

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history began after the war that followed the establishment of the constitution of the sovereignty of people, liberalism, and pacifism.

2) Continuous Fight to Protect Records from Disasters

While historical records have been preserved over the years, the country’s frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami, storm and flood damage, have repeatedly destroyed valuable materials of our history. Japan is still exposed to the same risks, but it has been finding new ways to protect its valuable historical materials and important cultural properties from disasters for many years.

Apart from losses due to natural disasters, tremendous amount of records were lost in the devastation of Japanese cities by the air attacks of World War II. These national experiences of losing valuable records have a significant impact on how to protect records.

II-2 Initiatives to Improve Archives

During the 70 years after the World War II, Japan experienced remarkable economic development. However, in terms of archival systems, the interest level from the public was low and there was not much progress in improving the system for archives in both central and local governments.

I think this was mainly because the basic principles of democracies had not been fully recognized by Japanese citizens. In a democratic nation, citizens can voluntarily make conclusions by reviewing past events for further development, but Japanese citizens did not get used to such initiatives.

It took more than 40 years after the war for the Japanese government to start a real commitment on improving archival systems and developing legal regulations on records management. Public Archives Act was established in 1987, and then the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs (in 1999) and the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (in 2003) were established. It could be said the democratization of the nation took time and the development of a legal system for records management came after.

And finally in 2011, the Public Records and Archives Management Act came into force, which is the first legislation in Japan for management of records and archives of the state. This law was introduced because the loss of important public records caused by improper management in government agencies had come to light one after another and the government agencies had been subjected to criticism from society.

By this law, the basic rules of preparing, preserving, and providing access to public records had been established and both current and non-current records are maintained under the conditions set force by the law.

However, as it has been only five years since the enforcement of the Act, it will probably take more time until the archival system is fully matured. 90 local archives throughout

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Japan are also facing similar challenges.

II-4 A New Building for Archives is the Starting Point of the New Era Recently, the national project of “building a new national archives as a national

monument” is moving forward in Japan. Last year, a report for the new archival building was prepared based on the discussions

by experts about possible locations for a new building and the functions that the building should be equipped with. The construction site will be decided and a construction plan will be formulated based on this report. The new building project will be executed after securing the budget. This project is not merely about building a new facility, but has great impacts on improving the management of public records and archives in Japan.

Firstly, under the government's leadership, the importance of management of public records and archives will be more widely recognized across the country, and preserving system and use of archives will be better promoted.

Secondly, by the new building being equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for exhibition, learning, and digitization, this project will be regarded as a model case throughout Japan for facilities and functions in local archives around the country.

Thirdly, along with the construction of the new building, we have to focus on fostering records professionals, and it is expected to enhance the human resources that are currently insufficient all over the country.

Conclusion

Japan has the ancient saying: “continuity and change 不易流行.” This means that while protecting a tradition that have been kept for a long time, one must flexibly adapt oneself according to changing times by not being stuck in old habits. I believe this is the fundamental concept for both corporations and governments to bear in mind as they continue to grow in the new era.

Yet, it must be remembered that it is the archives that will have one of the most important roles in supporting the growth of both corporations and nations.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

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Introduction of the National Archives of Japan National Archives of Japan (NAJ) is an

organization dedicated to preserving historical public records and archives transferred from various state organs and Incorporated Administrative Agencies and securing public access to them through various services such as reading room, exhibitions and the digital archive system.

Our mission is to contribute to the development of democracy and the realization of a high quality

of life through the preservation and use of public archives as shared assets of the people. NAJ has two digital archives, which provide access to the descriptions and digitalized images of our holdings via the Internet. Users can search and download the digital data at from anywhere and at any time. Date of establishment July 1, 1971

Facilities

Tokyo Main Building

Address 3-2, Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0091, Japan TEL +81-3-3214-0621 FAX +81-3-3212-8806 Tsukuba Annex

Address 6-6, Kamisawa, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 300-4246, Japan TEL +81-29-867-1910 FAX +81-29-867-1939 Japan Center for Asian Historical Records

Address Sumitomo Fudosan Hongo Bldg., 10F, 3-22-5 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

TEL +81-3-5805-8801 FAX +81-3-5805-8804 Staff size 52 (number of full time permanent employees)

Holdings

1,390,475 volumes Public records 910,975 volumes Antique documents and rare books 479,500 volumes

Images provided via Digital Archive 12.6 % of the holdings of the public records *“NAJ Digital Archive”: http://www.digital.archives.go.jp/index_e.html

Microfilmed records 14.2 % of the holdings of the public records

ICA Branch EASTICA (East Asian Regional Branch of the ICA)

URL http://www.eastica.org/ ( as of April 1, 2016)