Hometown!meetsThis Issue’s ThemeThis Issue’s Theme［A Place for Passing Down the ［A Place for Passing Down the Legacy of Tokyo to Its Citizens］ Legacy of Tokyo to Its Citizens］Tokyo Metropolitan ArchivesThe Tokyo Metropolitan Archives preserves and provides to users public documents and other materials that have been determined to have significant value as historical sources, passing them on to future generations as a shared legacy of the Japanese people. The materials this fa-cility collects and preserves include the metropolitan government’s historical archives and gov-ernment publications. In addition to promoting the efficient use of these materials, the Tokyo Metropolitan Archives undertakes compilation projects concerning the history of the metropoli-tan government and promotional projects to encourage the use of the archives and materials.Historical records related to RionThe Rion General Grounds is listed as a cultural facility in Kokubunji.(Left) Class 1, Division 2, Document Category, Geography, Documents Related to Government-Owned Land, No. 4: Application for the Provision of Railroad Sites in Koganei Village, Kokubunji Village, Nishifu Village, Yaho Village, and Tachikawa Village by the Kobu Railway Company.(Top) Edo Meisho Zue (Illustrated Guide to Famous Spots in Edo) No. 9A sketch of the Musashi Kokubunji Temple during the Edo period, including the area around Rion’s Headquarters.Staff members of the Tokyo Metropolitan ArchivesFrom left to right: Keiichi Nakano (gen-eral affairs), Atsushi Otsuka (arrange-ment and browsing), Hirochika Arai (director), Koichi Nishiki (archivist), and Kenichi Takagi (archivist).Since all these public documents are one-of-a-kind items, they are managed differently from ordinary library materi-als. This is why the specialists in charge of collecting, classifying, and storing them are referred to as archivists. They need to have a deep understanding of public administration, law, and history.Coordinated by Sanae TanahashiPublic documents include documents and drawings created by the national and local governments and government agencies. These materials are stored and made available for viewing because public documents are es-sential for verifying and participating in the governance of our communities. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government protects the lives of its citizens using funds raised through taxes to execute its policies. Citizens need to be able to access information on how policy decisions are made and what finances are used for as well as the outlays.Few people need to view public docu-ments on a daily basis. “Most of our visitors are researching Tokyo’s history or studying its administration,” says Keiichi Nakano, a staff member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Archives. “Others come to look up court documents or for interesting historical materials for media presentations.”Indeed, most of the public documents are difficult to read, which limits their use to those with the expertise to understand them. During our visit, we were shown several documents re-lated to Rion. At first glance, I wasn’t sure how they were connected to the company.My impressions changed when Koichi Ni-shiki, the historical records curator, explained the connection: “This is a document from when Kokubunji changed from a ‘town’ to a ‘city.’ A town must meet certain conditions, such as population size and the number of cultural facilities, to achieve city status. This list of cul-tural facilities includes an entry for Rion General Grounds, indicating that Rion played a role in elevating Kokubunji’s status to a city.”It’s remarkable how the information in a document can become more meaningful when explained by someone who understands it. The Tokyo Metropolitan Archives holds exhibitions and lectures to educate the public about the materials in its collection and their activities. The permanent exhibition includes a visual presentation, which provides an easy-to-understand history of Edo and Tokyo, citing public documents and historical materials in the collection. The exhibition is open to every-one, including those who don’t use the public document library. The informative explanations offer a gateway through which visitors can gain familiarity with the public documents. Some of the materials in the collection are also available for viewing in a digital archive online.The Tokyo Metropolitan Archives was relo-cated to Kokubunji in 2020, primarily due to the favorable soil and land conditions. The Tokyo Metropolitan Archives will continue to preserve important materials for future generations here in Kokubunji and support our understanding of our history and public administration for many years to come.After interviewOUR FAVORITE TOWN, KOKUBUNJI—RION STAFF SHOW YOU AROUNDRion staff members visit various people and places active in Kokubunji to rediscover the town's charms.The Tokyo Metropolitan Archives, housed in a stylish black building constructed in April 2020, has intrigued many of our colleagues: What kind of facility is it? Can I use it?One day, we finally had the chance to visit the archives and speak with the staff about the facility's roles and significance.18Permanent preservation is achieved through strict temperature and humidity control, effective pre-vention measures against mold and pests, and ap-propriate measures tailored to the materials in question. Thanks to the dedication and passion of those involved in managing these precious materi-als, we can access these original documents and appreciate the wisdom and experiences of our pre-decessors. These documents provide opportunities to make new discoveries, glimpse the customs and culture of bygone times, and see how things have changed over the years. They help us understand that what we take for granted today is based on systems and values that emerged after the war.(Yuki Okabe, RION Technical Journal Staff)A place for permanently preserving important documents so that they can be accessed when neededRionKOKUBUNJI
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