Using Web Technologies to ShareJapanese Official Documents Beyond Borders
JACAR’s Efforts to Provide English Metadata in Translation
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR)
National Archives of Japan
Deputy Director-General

Katsuhide AriyoshiReflections on successes of JACAR offering documents
1.
to users internationally
August 14, 2015 : A statement on the70th anniversary of the end of WorldWar II by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

August 06, 2015 : A report by theAdvisory Panel on the History of the20th Century and on Japan’s Roleand World Order in the 21st Century

Photo from the website ofPrime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet

This report indicates a variety of points which include…
- Their evaluation of JACAR- A necessity of upgrading JACAR

Reflections on successes of JACAR offering documents
1.
to users internationally
4. How did Japan pursue reconciliation with China, the Republic ofKorea and other Asian countries in the 70 years after the war?
(1) 70 Years of Reconciliation with China(c) Evaluation of the 70 Years of Reconciliation with China----- The Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, establishedunder the initiative (*), is still widely utilized by researchers ofboth countries who wish to deepen their understanding ofhistory. ----(*) Note: This is the “Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative” carriedout by the Murayama administration on the occasion of the50th anniversary of the end of the war.

Reflections on successes of JACAR offering documents
1.
to users internationally
6. What are the specific measures that Japan should take on theoccasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II?
(1) “Deepening the Understanding of History”(c) Upgrading Japan Center for Asian Historical RecordsThe Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, managed by theNational Archives of Japan, is held in high esteem not only
domestically but also by academics from other Asian countries.
However, materials currently handled are limited to those fromthe periods prior to World War II. Thus, it is also necessary tocollect and make public materials from the post-war years.”2. Development and situation of JACAR
August 31, 1994 : A statement of Prime Minister Murayama titledthe “Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative”
November 30, 2001 : JACAR established
Situation of JACAR- More than 29 million digital images- Websites in Japanese (main),
English, Chinese and Korean.
- Metadata of the English version forthe search are fairly less than thoseof Japanese
JACAR Website<English Version>

2. Development and situation of JACAR
Special web exhibitions on subjects ofinterest to our users have largely beenreleased in both Japanese and English.
A joint exhibit held with the British
Library “The Sino-Japanese War of1894-1895: as seen in prints andarchives”- The first exhibit opened to thepublic simultaneously in Japaneseand English.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895:
as seen in prints and archives

2. Development and situation of JACAR
JACAR Newsletter (since January, 2011)- The Japanese and English versions have been issuedsimultaneously.

Answers to telephone, snail mail, and e-mail inquiries from overseas

3. Purpose of the establishment of JACAR
The mission of JACAR is offering its records for the use of thepeople in and outside of Japan.
- It supplies a foundation for debate concerning the interpretationof history.
- We need to have the vision such as the historical records arecommon property of humanity.
----- Concerning the history between Japan and Asian neighboring nations andareas, (JACAR’s) purpose is to make easier the use of the documents possessedby the Japanese government for Japanese and for other relating people, as wellas to enhance the mutual understanding with these (neighboring) countries.----- The Cabinet Decision of the Government of Japan on November 30, 1999
“Promotion of the Project to Service Asian Historical Records”

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of Japan
Search function in English and establishment of the “Data(1)Verification Committee”
The documents released by JACAR are …
- The official documents of the Japanese government- Mainly written in Japanese- Some diplomatic documents contain certain amount of foreign
language pages
How offer the documents in Japanese for the use of non-Japanesepeople?

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of Japan
Search function in English and establishment of the “Data(1)Verification Committee”
Translation of all the texts into English is almost impossible.
i) Certain difference of nuance between the source text andtarget language for translationii) Indispensability of strict academic verification of thetranslationiii) Difficulty to guarantee the exactitude of the huge amount ofthe translated textsiv) Need of huge amount of financial and personnel resources
This measure is not realistic at this time.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of Japan
Search function in English and establishment of the “Data(1)Verification Committee”
JACAR started to translate basic document information withmetadata, including title and author.
November, 2001 : Only searches in Japanese were available.
June, 2002 : English search functions were available.
- Translated metadata allowed us to begin running searches.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of Japan
Search function in English and establishment of the “Data(1)Verification Committee”
Since 2003, JACAR established the “Data Verification Committee”- 6 to 7 experts in the fields of international politics, history ofdiplomacy, military history, and others- The main mission is to verify provisionally translated English terms- Often discusses how to translate official military ranks and othermatters in newly translated metadata- The goal is to guarantee the exactitude, objectivity and credibilityof English terms in the JACAR database
A file of confirmed term translations including about 17,000 words
are accumulated.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of JapanSome points to be considered on translation of information into(2)EnglishFor a translation …
- It is surely needed to select the English terms that most fit theoriginal language’s nuance.
- It is not always easy to encounter a word whose meaning iscompletely the same with original Japanese.
It is inevitable to meet with some certain difference of nuance
between original and translation.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of JapanSome points to be considered on translation of information into(2)EnglishThe 2 points on the process of translation of metadata:i) Select English words that are academically verified.
- Accountability is needed in case that original words have somesubtle and tacit political.
- We need to be careful to not abuse the use of obscureacademic words that will be unfamiliar for many non-specialists.

ii) Select English words familiar to English speaking people.
- Some familiar translated words may cause international disputeor political confusion when they lack an academic basis intranslation.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of JapanSome points to be considered on translation of information into(2)EnglishThe Data Verification Committee discusses and studies both of thesetwo points thoroughly.
Another point is “What is needed for the search to run well in
English is not a translation of sentences or paragraphs, but rather
an exact and credible translation of keywords”.

Efforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of JapanSome points to be considered on translation of information into(2)EnglishAn example of efforts on translation considering these points.
Reference CodeC13010320800

Title(Japanese)

東北陸軍被服廠（含製革廠）善後処理要録 関東軍参謀部

Title(English Translation)

Main procedures for disposal of Northeast China
Army Clothing Depot (including Leather
Manufacturing Factory) Depot Kanto-Gun (KwantungArmy) Staff OfficeEfforts of JACAR to promote its database usage outside
4.
of JapanSome points to be considered on translation of information into(2)EnglishEstablished translations were also usedfor English versions of web exhibitions.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895:
as seen in prints and archives- Created in English throughconsultation with the British Library
A Window into the Early Showa Period- Shashin Shuho: Weekly Photographical
Journal, 1938-1945 -5. Challenges and Perspective
The accumulation of these established translated English terms has
been progressively advancing.
- JACAR is working to unify terms and to improve translations oforganizations and ranks.
There was an initiative to compile a complete list of the establishedtranslated terms for the convenience of research and study.
- It is not complete yet because of the huge volume of informationand terms to be translated and the heavy burden of finance andpersons to do so.

5. Challenges and Perspective
Special web exhibition “End of War on
Official Documents, the Records ofDemobilization and Repatriation”- Introducing documents concerning
the end of WWII and its subsequentsoldier demobilization and therepatriation of Japanese nationals
after August 1945.

End of War on Official Documents- The Records of Demobilization and Repatriation -5. Challenges and Perspective- Users can search documents not onlywith the ordinary search function
but also through maps, timelines,and charts on organizations.
- This kind of feature was motivatedby users who have asked for help totrace the movement of theirconscripted family members,
particularly grandparents, at the endof the war.
End of War on Official Documents- The Records of Demobilization and Repatriation -5. Challenges and Perspective- For the English version, JACAR isplanning to translate all the terms
such as troops and organizations
concerned which are alreadycompiled in the Japanese version.
- They will be part of acomprehensive list of English terms
relating to demobilization andrepatriation, and so they will be
useful for Anglophones.
End of War on Official Documents- The Records of Demobilization and Repatriation -5. Challenges and Perspective
JACAR would like to continue to take measures to improve theaccessibility of our database.
It will help JACAR carry out its mission of providing an intellectual
tool for passing on and learning from our historical legacy.

Thank you for your attention