Sumio Hatano

Fifteen Years of JACAR:Achievements, Challenges and Prospects

Sumio Hatano
Director-General, Japan Center for Asian Historical Records,National Archives of Japan

SummaryEstablished as Japan’s largest digital archive, the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records(JACAR) will soon celebrate its 15th anniversary. This report looks back on the progress madeby JACAR and discusses its achievements along with challenges and future prospects. Thereport highlights our basic approach to building the JACAR database. We also discuss othercore tasks, such as enhancing search functions and catalog data for the purpose of promoting
awareness among an expanding group of users. Moreover, we touch upon initiatives forincreasing the scope of materials we provide, our responses to technical challenges, and ourpublic relations activities in Japan and overseas.
JACAR’s achievements include making it easier for documents to be accessed by historians
and other researchers. With enriched search functions, we facilitate diverse research formaterials across multiple providers in a cross-sectional manner. We also provide easy accessand more ways to use historical materials for non-specialists. An issue often brought up by users
has been expanding the scope of information provided. JACAR seeks to meet that challenge
while providing information to a wider audience and promoting greater use abroad. In Japan we
aim to be used as an educational resource for social studies classes at the secondary schoollevel. As for the future outlook of JACAR, this presentation raises the importance of accessing
overseas materials relating to Japan.

Biography
From April 2014, Sumio Hatano has been working as the director-general of JACAR anduntil recently he was a Professor of International History at the University of Tsukuba. His
publications include many books and articles on the Second World War and history of Japanese
foreign policy in Japanese and English. Hatano has been far longer involved in matters ofhistory project at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as the Committee for compilation ofdeclassified documents on Japanese foreign policy, the Japan-China Joint History ResearchCommittee.

1Sumio Hatano

Fifteen Years of JACAR:
Achievements, Challenges and Prospects
Sumio Hatano
Director-General, Japan Center for Asian Historical Records,
National Archives of Japan

Introduction
The Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) is Japan’s largest digital archive ofpublic records. It was established as a facility attached to the National Archives of Japan, basedon a motto of “anytime, anywhere, at no charge.” With almost 15 years having passed since
establishing JACAR, I will present a brief report on the past achievements and challenges, aswell as our prospects for the future.
In Japanese, we refer to the Center as “Aji Reki” for short; and in English we use the acronym“JACAR” for the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records. Today, I will say “JACAR.”

1. Background and Developments Leading to the Establishment of JACARThe establishment of JACAR was prompted by the announcement of the “Peace, Friendship,and Exchange Initiative” made by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama at the end of August
1994 to deepen the “mutual understanding and confidence” between the people of Japan and thepeoples of neighboring Asia. One part of this initiative consisted of support for historicalresearch to “enable everyone to face squarely to the facts of history,” and it included
establishment of an “Asian Historical Document Center.”An advisory committee placed under the supervision of the Chief Cabinet Secretary wascommissioned to give shape to the organization. Based on its findings from observing andstudying the historical archives of various other countries, the advisory committee offered two
recommendations on how such an organization should be. First, it should collect a wide variety
of materials and information on modern and current history of Japan, neighboring Asiancountries and other countries, and should provide access to these to the general public. Second,1

Sumio Hatano

the organization should perform the role of a hub for the various related facilities in theseregions. A project team comprised of government officials was subsequently launched, and ledby the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE); it proceeded to further examine thestudy of related materials as well as how the facility ought to be. Midway through thisexamination, there was a major shift in the way materials would be provided. That is, although
the initial plan was for the construction of a large-scale physical archive, in light of the dramaticadvances made in information technology, the direction was changed to one of extensive online
provision with a database of historical materials accumulated in the form of bits and bites.
Following this groundwork, a decision for the establishment of JACAR was made by theCabinet in November 1999; and two years later in November 2001, JACAR was founded as partof the National Archives of Japan.

2. Description of JACAR’s Missions
JACAR’s core task is making available the digital data from three institutions, namely: theNational Archives of Japan, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and theCenter for War History of The National Institute for Defense Studies of the Ministry of Defense.
We arrange catalog information and image data, before loading this onto the database andmaking it available to the public. The materials provided to JACAR by the three institutions areprimarily the historical materials (historical public records and archives) held by each
institution, which were prepared or obtained sometime between the Meiji Restoration and theend of the Second World War, and which pertain to Japan’s relationship with neighboring Asiancountries.
In addition to building the JACAR database, which is part of our core mission, we have also
put effort into enhancing search functions and into public relations activities for the purpose ofexpanding our user base and promoting awareness. I will now briefly introduce each of these inturn.
(1) Building the JACAR databaseIn building a database based on the digital data provided by aforementioned three institutions,2Sumio Hatano

our tasks are based on the following three fundamental principles.
First, ensure the reliability and authenticity of data.
With regard to materials provided, they are made available to the public without reediting,revising or otherwise amending their content.
Second, enable users to feel as if they were using the actual material.
By keeping the category of a document as well as its registered name and other details thesame as at the relevant historical material provider, users are able to easily identify theoriginal work, thereby facilitating their understanding of the historical context and otherbackground information on the material.
Third, ensure the comprehensiveness and inclusiveness of data.
All materials provided are made available to the public without screening or filtering.
However, given the public nature of the Internet, personal information is handled withprudence.
Since the JACAR database has been built with strict adherence to the fundamental principles
outlined above, I am confident that it allows for the provision of information that is extremelyreliable.
(2) Enhancing search functions
The development of fine-tuned catalogs and the enhancement of search functions are ofimmense assistance to users attempting to access certain materials. Therefore, at JACAR, withrespect to digital data provided by the three institutions, before making it available to the public,
we convert about the first 300 characters of the main body of the material into text so that it canbe used as search data. The effect obtained by converting the first 300 characters of the main
body of the material into text is a considerable increase in search results, that is, animprovement in the accuracy of searches.
Furthermore, for searching materials on the JACAR website, we have developed a dictionary
function, enabling searches to include synonyms, and we have developed a thesaurus that
accommodates variations in notation.

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Furthermore, so that searches can also be conducted in English, the titles of the materials aswell as the names of authors and other matters are being translated into English, and they are
gradually getting registered in our the database. Going forward, in addition to enhancing thedictionary function, we will also advance other efforts, such as adding search functions tailoredto the needs of users.
(3) Public relations activities(i) Enrichment of website content
The materials provided by JACAR are widely recognized and used by historians and otherresearchers. But we also seek to facilitate understanding among a wider range of people andhave tried a number of ideas to expand our user base. Such ideas include making our website
available in multiple languages, holding special web exhibitions with JACAR materials,
distributing an English email newsletter, and distributing materials lists to secondary schools foraid social studies instruction.
We also periodically put new exhibitions about history online. The exhibition “Disasters andResiliency” dealt with materials relating to past disasters and reconstruction work. Moreover,last year’s exhibition “The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895” was prepared in collaboration
with the British Library, which holds a collection of colored woodblock prints, and an English
version of this exhibition was opened to the public at the same time as the Japanese one. Thisyear, marking the 70th anniversary since the end of the Second World War, we have taken up
the subject of the war’s end and Demobilization in a new exhibition.
(ii) Public relations activities in Japan and overseas
In terms of public relation activities within Japan, in 2011, we conducted an opinion survey
with the aim of expanding users. Armed with the results of that survey, the following year weparticipated in 74 meetings and other events attended by the staff of libraries and museums
across Japan, where we delivered presentations on JACAR.
In view of JACAR’s founding purpose, I believe that it is important to appeal to researchersand educators overseas. For this reason, every year, we attend four or five international
conferences and visit with those at public archives abroad. We exchange information, make4

Sumio Hatanopresentations on JACAR and give demonstrations.

3. Interim Assessment of 15 Years of Achievements
JACAR is still on track for further growth as a digital archive, but as a provisional
self-assessment, I believe we have had significance in the following four areas.
(i) There has been a remarkable improvement in convenience for researchers, whomake up the majority of users, through the elimination of space and time
constraints.
(ii) It is now easier for users living overseas in particular to access materials held by
our three collaborative institutions in Japan through JACAR. In fact, JACAR isnow held in high regard by Japanese researchers resident in various foreigncountries.
(iii) More in-depth and diverse research is now possible, through more substantial
search functions and through users being able to search and use material frommultiple providers in a cross-sectional manner. For example, it is now possible toperform a search about a single historical event in relevant materials held by three
institutions, and I often hear about how multi-faceted research is now possible.
(iv) There is easier access and more ways to use historical materials for general,
non-researcher users, and as a result, there has been an increase in the use ofhistorical materials across media via the JACAR system.
JACAR’s significance (particularly (ii) above) has also been recognized in a report (August2015) prepared by the Advisory Panel on the History of the 20th Century and on Japan’s Roleand the World Order in the 21st Century, an advisory panel established within the Abe Cabinet.

4. Challenges and Responses
JACAR is equal to the best in the world when it comes to database storage capacity, building
capacity and ease of access, and I believe it satisfies demands of researchers and ordinary users.

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However, given the technological environment surrounding JACAR, user demands and otherfactors, I believe that we need to tackle the following issues. First, I will discuss the technicalchallenges and provisional countermeasures.
(1) Technical challenges and associated countermeasures(i) Ensuring the long-term preservation of digital data
Apart from data that is published, JACAR holds information on three types of media forbackup. Even though CDs and DVDs are stored in special lockers, the longevity of these media
forms is pretty limited and some of them are already nearing their end. Consequently, measures
are needed for their long-term preservation. Particularly in light of the lessons learned from theGreat East Japan Earthquake of 2011, JACAR began preserving materials on magnetic tapeswith an aim for more reliable preservation. As a precaution against earthquakes and other typesof large-scale disaster, the magnetic tape is also kept at the Tsukuba Annex of the National
Archives, which is located approximately 70km away from JACAR in the city of Tsukuba.
It should be noted though, that, in the 14 years since first providing information, data has
never once been corrupted and needed to be restored either intentionally or for any other reason
such as carelessness, malfunctions or disasters. Even during the Great East Japan Earthquake of2011, the JACAR system functioned normally in the affected Tohoku region.
(ii) Converting the format of image data (from DjVu to PDF)
Ever since it began providing services, JACAR has used the DjVu format for the preservationand provision of image data. In 2001, when JACAR launched its services, there was a big
advantage in adopting DjVu which enabled high image compression. However, with thedevelopment of new technologies, the DjVu format lost versatility. Also, given the changes inthe environment in which digital data is used, coinciding with a system update in October nextyear, it was decided to switch the format in which data is preserved and viewed to PDF. Thereare also plans to integrate the database equipment with the main National Archives of Japan,
and to relocate the equipment to data centers. In preparation for this, work is currently underway
to convert the master data from the DjVu format to PDF.
(2) Expanding our user base6

Sumio Hatano

Although the number of total users is increasing little by little, the number of overseas users
remains pretty steady. We are working to cultivate new interest abroad with publicity atoverseas institutions for Japanese research and language education as well as at relevantinternational conferences. Moreover, to increase our user base in Japan, we also need toencourage the use of JACAR as a social studies educational resource at middle and high schoolsin Japan.
(3) Initiatives to expand provision of information
As I explained earlier, materials provided by JACAR are limited to those received from thethree aforementioned institutions. Furthermore, most of this material was prepared during thetime between the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Second World War. Yet this scope is notsatisfactory for some of our users. There has been a strong call for the scope of materials to beexpanded. As part of this initiative, in 2013, JACAR began providing information on thecollection of materials held by the University of the Ryukyus Library in Okinawa Prefecture.
Only catalog information on the material has been registered in the JACAR system, so users
were able to view image information via a link to the database at the University of the Ryukyus
Library.
By adopting this “link” method in conjunction with our existing method, we are committed toadvancing efforts enabling users to search and use a wider range of material than ever before.

The idea of expanding the materials handled by JACAR to include the post-World War II
period has also been raised a number of times at meetings of the JACAR Advisory Committee.
This idea was also raised as a “measure for promoting appreciation of modern and current
history” in Projects in the 70 Post-War Years: Contribution Measures for a New 21st Century
Asia, which is based on a report issued this August by the Advisory Panel on the History of the20th Century and on Japan’s Role and the World Order in the 21st Century (mentioned above).
Progress is being made in preparation for this.

5. A Peek into the Future7

Sumio Hatano(1) Accessing materials located overseas
The number of images made publicly available by JACAR will soon reach 30 million. This
figure of 30 million roughly equates to all of the materials held by the aforementioned three
institutions, which record Japan’s relationship with Asia, and which were prepared or obtained
sometime between the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Second World War in 1945. It is thenumber first estimated when JACAR was founded. However, it has been explicitly confirmedthat materials relating to Japan during this period are also held in archives and other institutions
in Korea, Taiwan, China and other places in Asia outside of Japan.
Although collecting and digitizing these materials relating to Japan which lie scatteredoverseas do not necessarily form part of the current mission of JACAR, it is an issue that ought
to be tackled as an important pillar of Japan’s archival policies. And so in the future, it isexpected that JACAR will play a part in this.
(2) Role as a “hub” of historical materials
As described above, the advisory committee that pioneered the establishment of JACAR
recommended that JACAR perform the role of a central hub in Asia. Although there is still afair way to go, if historical materials in China, Korea, Taiwan and the United States can bedigitized and archived similar to JACAR, then there is no doubt that this would lead to a deeper
recognition of each other’s history, and this would be a big step toward mutual understanding on
an international scale. In order for JACAR to develop enough that it can play a leading role inthis kind of “digital archive network,” not surprisingly, still further understanding andcooperation of users is essential. To this end, I sincerely ask for your tremendous support.
(3) Significance of sharing historical materials internationallyThe first director-general of JACAR, Professor Yoneo Ishii, repeatedly said, “Even if it might
be impossible to share the same exact understanding of history all over the world, it is possible
to work together on sharing historical documents.” In this sense, it seems that ensuring that all
historical materials preserved in Japan can be shared internationally, by making them publicly
available in an open and candid manner, is a sound and effective way to eliminate
misunderstandings and biases. We want to work collaboratively to foster peace, mutual8Sumio Hatano

understanding, and confidence amongst countries of East Asia. It is therefore my firm belief that
JACAR’s mission is a significant one.

This concludes my report on the achievements and future prospects for the Japan Center for
Asian Historical Records. Thank you for your attention.

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