Access to Archives: The Japanese and American Practices

INTRODUCTION

More than 150 people participated in “Access to Archives: The Japanese and American Practices” conference that was held in Tokyo, Japan, on May 9–11, 2007. A delegation from the Society of American Archivists attended the conference under a grant from the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC), which is based in Washington, D.C.  

Participants explored access to twentieth-century records in archives in both Japan and the United States. Japanese archivists and historians have tended to think separately about access to pre-World War II records and post-World War II records, and the conference provided an opportunity to re-examine the gap between the pre- and post-war access in a new light. 

Papers presented at the conference are available below. In addition, four resolutions resulted from discussions on the public nature of archives and the principles of access to archives.

CONTENTS

Resolutions

Archives in the U.S. and Japan: Executive Session Summary
TAKASHI KOGA
Assistant Professor
Japan National Institute of Informatics

Papers from Japan:

“Lessons” of the Past: The Use and Misuse of History in Modern Japanese History
YOKO N. KATO
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, Department of Japanese History
University of Tokyo

Myth and Reality about Pre-World War II Government Records
SHOHEI MUTA
Senior Researcher, Japan Center for Asian Historical Records
National Archives of Japan

A Decisive Absence: A Dissenter’s View on the Archival Strategy in Japan
TOMINAGA KAZUYA
Chief Archivist, Archives Administration Section
Okinawa Prefectural Foundation for Cultural Promotion

Business Archives in Japan: An Overview and Access Issues
YUKO MATSUZAKI
Business Archives Specialist, Resource Center for the History of Entrepreneurship
Shibusawa Ei'ichi Memorial Foundation

Papers from the United States:

Access to United States Government Records at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
DAVID J. MENGEL
Chief, Special Access and FOIA Staff
National Archives and Records Administration

Access to Institutional Archives and Manuscript Collections in U.S. Colleges and Universities
MARK A. GREENE
Director, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
President, Society of American Archivists (2007–2008)

Caught in the Middle: Access to State Government Records in the United States
RICHARD PEARCE-MOSES
Director, Digital Government Information
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records

Access to Business Archives: U.S. Access Philosophies
BECKY HAGLUND TOUSEY, CA
Senior Manager, Archives
Kraft Foods Inc.

ELIZABETH W. ADKINS, CA
Director, Global Information Management
Ford Motor Company Archives

Attitudes and Access in the United States of America
TRUDY HUSKAMP PETERSON
Former Acting Archivist of the United States and
Past President of the Society of American Archivists (1990–1991)