Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the driving forces and main contents of the reform of the records and archives management system in Japan from the 2009 enactment of the Public Records and Archives Management Act. The key essentials of the reform can be explained in two ways. First is through the legal system, a multilayer structure of the law and guidelines to the institutional documents management regulations for an effective application to each administrative institution. The other is the Public Records and Archives Management Commission, a deliberative body that guarantees the rigorous application and enforcement of the rules and regulations. One of the remarkable outcomes from the reform is the compulsory creation of minutes of the countermeasure meetings in government agencies related to the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster, as well as the various significant cabinet meetings through a revision of the Guidelines for Public Administrative Records Management. In addition, the new construction of the National Archives of Japan and its meaning have been examined. It is being pushed ahead, with the active support of the ruling party members, through activities such as research and review meetings for improving the functions and facilities of the National Archives of Japan.

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