Archivists Respond to the Great East Japan Earthquake
Yayoi Tsutsui

Twitter Account:@artemismarch

Master of Arts in Archival Science from Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan E-mail : 11195025@gakushuin.ac.jp (until March 2012)

Introduction
Partner of The Digital Archive ofJapan's 2011 Disasters project

On March 11, eastern Japan was devastated by the gigantic earthquake and tsunami. Death toll rises to 15,689 on Aug.10 and about 5,000 people arestill missing . Approximately 100,000 people live in evacuation centers. The Fukushima nuclear power plants are still ongoing threats. The purpose ofthis poster is to share information about archivists’ response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and ask your wisdom and advice to help us solve theproblems. Due to the seriousness of the situation, this research is based on information open to the public.

Damaged Archival Institutions
Tsunami killed all curators andlibrarians

Thank you, Friends!
•We really appreciate the great help and support given
by people of the United States. A lot of lives are saved
by Operation Tomodachi.

Searching the identity of
the city• We learned a lot from US News.

No water and no electricity•US institutions offer digital archiving of websites.

The Yoshida Family papers

Archivists in Japan
We have no organization of individual archival professionals like
SAA, as we have Japan Society of Archives Institutions and theJapan Society for Archival Science .
In this poster, the word “archivists” includes researchers inhistory, local historians, conservators, curators, and librarians for
special collections.
Public Archivists
Public Officers at first = took care of the victims & evacuation
centers to secure safety and supplies
Archivists & Historians in NPO
The Network for Historical materials was organized just after the
Hanshin Great Earthquake in 1995. It offers volunteers to rescue
historical materials as well as technical and financial aids. The
Local Networks are established and activated.
Archivists of National Archives of JapanThe number of regular staff has increased from 43 into 49,
because the Management of Public Records Law is enforced.
Conservators are consulted how to save records.

Yamagata Net rescues a
lot of historical materials
and provides supplies

Onagawa Public Records⇒ Gunma Prefectural Archives

Miyagi Prefectural Archives

Fukushima Prefectural Archives

NIJL offers rescue of active
records in Kamaishi city halldamaged by tsunami

TEPCO Electric Historic Museum with its Archives(TEPCO business archives) is closed
What is the role of Archivists ?
I consider what archivists can do under circumstances.
・Prepare the disaster plan in advance・Protect archives including active records and electronic records
・Restore damaged records or give information of what to do, not to do
・Keep recording
・Collect and Provide information as a professional
・Survey old records and maps
・Protect People’s rights and memory
and more・・・
In Japan, the Japan Society for Archival Science plans to start certifyingarchivists.
For further information, please visit these websites.
The Network for Historical Materials(in English page by Etsuko Watanabe)
http://rekishishiryonet.wordpress.com/
Miyagi Shiryounet (Network for preserving historical materials)
http://www.miyagi-shiryounet.org/00/front_en.htm
saveMLAK
http://savemlak.jp/

Tohoku University Archives Roofdamage grows mushrooms

Discussion
 Importance of records and archives
People’s Identity
 A very Few Archival Repositories and Archivists
Many Archival Materials and records damaged
Issue of active public records
Issue of electronic records
 Not only 3.11 but Aftershocks in April
No Gas & Heat and Little Foods in March
Heavy Rain and Flooding in July
Forgotten Disaster Areas = Ibaraki & Chiba
Other Megaquakes in Nagano or Shizuoka
Time-ticking race to save records
Save contents with digitization
On-going disaster
Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants and Radiation

A member of Fukushima
Shiryounet checking amanuscript with adosimeter on moving out
from Iitate village ⇒Comparison between
Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectural Archives
Fukushima

MiyagiGovernor’s office

Report to

Fukushima Prefectural Cultural Foundation

Public Officers

management

Designated management system with a private sector

30000 banded documents dropped
5-600 damaged (repairable)
131 window glass broken
Many shelves broken
Many cracked walls
Many unworking blinds
2 Fireproof doors trouble
Trouble of an elevator for materials
Elevated parts of floors

DamageCollapse of walls
Most of Window glasses broken
Shelves broken downBooks and materials dropped

May 16

Re-Open

May 9
Open of reading room : Jun 13
Open of Exhibition hall :Aug 20

Miyagi Shiryounet(est. in 2003),
Cultural properties rescue team ,and other organizations work
continuously for the cultural andhistorical materials.

RescuePublic records andHistorical Materials
in private sectors

No-GO zones are declared due to radiation,
Most public records and historical materials among
private homes are abandoned.
Fukushima Shiryounet (est. in 2010) is managed by the
curators of the archives and the prefectural museum,
who work very hard as volunteers against the situation.