Prefectural Archives and Records Management at Prefectural Governments in Japan

일본(日本)의 지방공문서관(地方公文書館)과 지방기록관리(地方記錄管理) -문서관(文書館)과 역사자료관(歷史資料館)의 설립과정을 중심으로-

This thesis aims to study the founding process and operation of the prefectural archives of Japan and to put that knowledge to the founding regional archives in Korea. Now 28 among 47 Prefectural Governments in Japan have founded and operated the prefectural archives. While Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives, Nagano Prefectural Museum of History, Gifu Prefectural Virtual Museum of History, The Archives of Hyogo Prefectural Government, Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History and Hukushima Prefectural Archives are on the type of Prefectural Museum of History, the rest of them are on the type of Archives. The Prefectural Museum of History in Japan has a complex function as the museum, the library, and the archives. But the Prefectural Museum of History seems to be a sort of transient phenomenon to Archives. The reason which Prefectural Museum of History can not develop into the Archives is not so much owing to financial difficulties as lack of understanding on the function of Archives. The thesis shows founding process of each prefectural archives. Especially, the case study on the Kanagawa Prefectural Archives, Okinawa Prefectural Archives was arranged by the detailed data investigation. Comparing with other prefectures, these three prefectural archives have a system in the collection and arrangement process of current official records, paleography and many other materials, and construct records management system with institutionalizing accession, arrangement, and opening of official records by regulations, rules and so forth. But because of historical background and character in each region, the difference may exist in the founding process of three prefectural archives. Before central archival institution, National Archives of Japan, is founded, the prefectural archives have been founded at each region and they have gained relatively independent status so that decentralism in the system of managing records could be possible. And the private historical organizations had many influences on the founding process of National Archives of Japan. Of course the Japanese Archives system may have many differences from Korean regional archives. While Japan established Archives institute for itself with localism, Korea has not settled the system of self-government still. Moreover, financial difficulties on founding regional archives and lack of understanding of the Archives remained in Korea. And yet with regard to the founding regional archives in Korea, the case of operation and founding process of prefectural archives of Japan may be of great value.