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Report on the International Archives Day Commemorative Lectures 2012 and
the Annual Meeting of the Directors of Public Archives

   On Friday, June 8, 2012, the National Archives of Japan (NAJ) hosted in Tokyo commemorative lectures to celebrate the International Archives Day as well as the Annual Meeting of the Directors of Public Archives.

   These commemorative lectures can be traced back to the event in 2008 in response to the call from the International Council on Archives (ICA) to host commemorative events in order to raise awareness about this day. Created with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on June 9, 1948, ICA designated June 9 “the International Archives Day” in November 2007 to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

  Approximately 130 participants attended the meeting from archival institutions both state and municipal, the Cabinet Office, etc.

   At the beginning, NAJ President Takayama acknowledged for the support for the 10th General Conference and Seminar of the East Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (EASTICA) held in Tokyo last November, and invited the audience to join the 17th ICA Congress in Brisbane, Australia in this coming August. Given the contextual change of these 10 years in archival business such as promotion of e-government and the enforcement of the Public Records and Archives Management Act, he next expressed NAJ's firm commitment to proper transfer, preservation and use of historical public records and archives; improvement of skill of those who are engaged in public records management; upgrade of professional training programs; further enrichment of digital archives; and closer cooperation with related institutions. Also emphasized was the importance to keep records of various state activities in response to the unprecedented Great East Japan Earthquake for future generations. President Takayama urged the necessity of shared awareness about this disaster and constant efforts among those who are engaged in public records keeping in order to achieve this goal.

   Next followed two commemorative lectures. First, Professor Takashi Mikuriya of the Open University of Japan delivered a lecture under the title “Memory and Records: the Earthquake Disaster, Reconstruction, and Public Records Management” regarding how to record the memory of the disaster and how to reconsider on this occasion the way records should be.

   The second lecture was by Professor Manabu Oishi of Tokyo Gakugei University under the title “Archives Policy in the Edo Era.” It covered archival practice of the era which is characterized as document-centric as well as its significance, with a focus on the reform by the 8th Tokugawa shogun Yoshimune during the Kyoho period.

   The Annual Meeting of the Directors of Public Archives of 2012 was held subsequently to the lectures. This annual meeting has been held since 1989 in order to ensure smooth implementation of the Public Archives Act and proper preservation and use of historical public records and archives by discussing current problems as well as to maintain close mutual contact among public archives directors.

   This year, there were 115 attendees from state/local public archives and local public entities considering establishing their own archives.

   Main items on the agenda this year were: efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake; and efforts in response to the enforcement of the Public Records and Archives Management Act.

   First, NAJ reported the implementation of its restoration projects for damaged public documents in the quake-hit areas. Next, Rikuzentakata City and Ishinomaki City, both of which are recipients of the NAJ restoration projects, respectively delivered presentations concerning their damages and their activities to restore damaged public documents. Kanagawa Prefectural Archives then reported its rescue project to recover disaster-hit documents in Rikuzentakata City, and the Gunma Prefectural Archives reported post-quake efforts by the Gunma Prefecture. Finally, the Hiroshima Prefectural Archives and the Hiroshima University Archives introduced together their mutual cooperation agreement to ensure safety of archival materials in case of disaster.

   In the end, the Meeting unanimously adopted the Statement on the Preservation of Records of the Great East Japan Earthquake which underlines the importance to record a wide range of activities related to this disaster and calls for close partnership among public archives nationwide for this purpose.
  >> Statement on the Preservation of Records of the Great East Japan Earthquake [PDF]

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  Lecture by Professor Mikuriya

  
  

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  Lecture by Professor Oishi

  
  

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  Presentation by Rikuzentakata City

  
  

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  Annual Meeting of the Directors of Public Archives 2012

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