Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Centre for Documentation & Area-Transcultural Studies
Oral Archives Group
Objectives and Plan Members Activity Reports


2006 / 2005 / 2004 / 2003

Activity Report 2005

1. Overseas Projects (Collection, preservation and sharing of historical documentation)
(1) As a result of our cooperation with the Bangladesh Muktijuddha Gabeshna Kendra "Oral History Project", we have received up to Volume 11 of the Project Reports.

(2) Our collaborative project with Indonesia's Hasanuddin University (digitalization of interview records on Sulawesi Selatan under Japanese occupation) is making steady progress. On the digitalized audio documentation held by the Makassar Archive in South Sulawesi (for the 2004 Academic Year), Ms. Kaori Maekawa (National Institute of Japanese Literature) commented on the outline, the potential and the challenges of research utilizing the documentation at the 12th Regular Research Conference held on June 25. (Refer to the Activity Report in Journal Issue No. 6) We have also received CDs on which ninety-eight 60-minute tapes have been digitalized and four volumes of transcripts of these tapes along with CD copies.
• August 29th and 30th, 2005: A workshop on interview research and oral history was held at Makassar, where lively discussion took place. Participants included researchers of the University and staff of the National Archive, but also history teachers from secondary and high schools. Interview research was conducted in areas of Sulawesi Selatan that had previously not been researched from September 2005 to January 2006 (we have also received eight-six newly recorded 60-minute tapes and their digitalized copies on seven CDs).


2. Research Conferences Activities
May 31, 2005
The 11th Regular Research Conference
Professor Tazuko KOBAYASHI (Professor at Nihon Women's University)
• "Life Stories, Grass Roots Movement on 'Daily Records' as Archives 'the Creation of Pragmatic Writing and Writing Cooperatives'"

June 25, 2005
The 12th Regular Research Conference
Theme: Indonesia during Japanese Military Rule and Oral Documentation
(1) Frank DHONT (Yale University)
• "Benefits and Dangers of Oral Sources: Makasar archives (TUFS) and Romusha interviews (Yale)"
(2) Kaori Maekawa (National Institute of Japanese Literature)
• "Memories and Historical Testimony: Oral History of Indonesian Prisoners of War and the Makasar Interviews"

November 15, 2005
The 13th Regular Research Conference
Yoshihiro YAGI (Keio University Graduate School)
• "Atomic Bomb Victims Living in the Present – Tracing the Experience of A-Bomb Survivors from Their Stories"

February 14, 2006
The 14th Regular Research Conference
428 Course Training Room
Miki NISHIKURA (Ochanomizu University Graduate School)
• "'Filing a Claim' as an Interview - The 'Challenging Experience' of a Woman with a Scar on Her Face"

3. Outlines of Research Activities in the 2005 Academic Year
(1) Akio IMAI
Visit to Vietnam: National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, etc.
Period: September 6-20, 2005
Details: Interview research with the veterans and history teachers to research "The Memories of War" in Vietnam.

(2) Yuka KAWAJI
Visits to: (a) Thailand: Chulalongkorn University, etc. (b) Taiwan: National Archives Administration, Academia Historica, Institute of Modern History-Academia Sinca
Period: (a) October 2-6, 2005. (b) December 19-22, 2005.
Details: (a) Research on Thai exchange students in Japan for the 1942 and 1943 "First and Second Groups of Government-Sponsored Thai Students Invitation Program." Interview research was conducted on participants. (b) Interview research on personnel in charge of oral documentation at relevant institutions on their collection status and availability to the public. Research and collection was conducted on already published oral history documentation series.

(3) Hiroshi ISHII
Visit to Nepal: Tribhuvan University, etc.
Period: November 12-19, 2005
Details: Visits were made and interview research was conducted on the Kathmandu Plain with former Newar merchants who experienced trade with Tibet, as well as employees of companies currently engaged in trade activities who have experienced trade with Tibet, etc.

(4) Ichiro KURAISHI
Visit to the United States: University of California at Berkeley, etc.
Period: November 18-22, 2005
Details: Participation in "The International Conference on Korean Diaspora" and attendance at visual expressions of Korean nationals living in Japan in "Returning to Korea."

(5) Kyoko Nomoto
Visit to Taiwan: National Archives Administration, Academia Historica, Institute of Modern History-Academia Sinca
Period: December 19-22, 2005
Details: Interview research on personnel in charge of oral documentation at relevant institutions on their collection status and availability to the public. Research and collection was conducted on already published oral history documentation series.

(6) Purna R. Shakya
Visit to Nepal
Period: August 10th-September 11, 2005
Details: Interview research was conducted on former merchants involved in Tibet-Nepal-India trade in the 1950s, as well as on Tibetan Buddhist artists and Nepalese Buddha sculptors.

(7) Zhang Yanhong (TUFS Doctoral Program)
Visit to China: Yanbian University, Yanji City, Jilin Province
Period: September 15-29, 2005
Details: Through interviews with Korean women, research was conducted on the current state of education and the educational environment for women in minority groups.

(8) Hsieh Chialing (TUFS Doctoral Program)
Visit to Taiwan: National Archives Administration, Academia Historica, Institute of Modern History-Academia Sinca, etc.
Period: December 16-22, 2005
Details: Interview research on personnel in charge of oral documentation at relevant institutions on their collection status and availability to the public, and the holding of preparatory meetings. Research was also conducted on the research theme at the Central Library and other locations.

(9) Rumiko MIZOBATA (TUFS Doctoral Program)
Visit to Vietnam: Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Center for Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam, etc.
Period: December 21-30, 2005
Details: Interview research was conducted on residents' groups and consumer attitudes of residents of collective residential properties in cities such as Hanoi.