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 2004

1. Outline of Activities
As a continuation from the previous academic year, the regular research conferences were held by inviting researchers who have been involved in the establishment of oral archives and researchers who rely on oral material for their research. Furthermore, in December 2004, we invited Mr. Robert Parks from the British Library to attend an international symposium. (The details are published in Journal Issue No.5.)

In addition, vigorous research activities were conducted by the Oral Archive Group's members. Under the theme of "movement," we were able to undertake interviews with various people who lived through the 20th Century. While continuing with our efforts to convert such materials into literal documentation, we are also analyzing them so that they may be utilized for research. One record of such efforts is Kozue Terauchi's "Changing Narratives of their Own Lives" (published in Journal Issue No. 4).

2. Special Reports
Continuing on from the previous year, we have cooperated with Bangladesh Muktijuddha Gabeshna Kendra "Oral History Project".

Details of the digitalization process, which commenced in 2004 on interview records on the Japanese Occupation Period held by the Makassar Archive in South Sulawesi are as follows:

In June 2004, we commenced work on transcribing the contents and digitalizing the interview records on the Japanese Occupation Period held by Badan Arsip dan Perpustakaan Daerah, Propinsi Sulawesi Selatan in Makassar, which holds public documentation on the East Indonesian region. (For details on the contents, refer to the Trip Report published in Issue 4 of the Journal by Yumi Sugawara). The personnel directly involved in the process are researchers from the Archives and Hasanuddin University. Digitalization has already been completed and transcription of eighty of the total of one hundred cassette tapes has been concluded. Transcribing the remaining twenty tapes is scheduled to continue into 2005.

3. Research Activities (Regular Research Conference, Symposiums, etc.) from April 2004 Onwards
• Interview Research Report on Former Thai Exchange Students during the War
Date and Time: May 25, 2004 (Tuesday) 16:30-18:00
Report by: Yuka KAWAJI (Assistant Professor, Foreign Language Department, TUFS; member of the Oral Archive Group)
Venue: TUFS Campus, Overseas Affairs Research Institute
(Research and Lectures Building 4th floor, Room 427)

• From the Practice of Folklore
1. "The site of 'voices' and Folklore"
2. "From the Practice of ‘Oral Transcription"
3. "Thoughts on the method of 'Oral Transcription' and Anthropology"
Date and Time: September 21, 2004 (Tuesday) 13:30-15:00
Report by: Yukihiko Shigenobu (Assistant Professor, The University of Kitakyushu)
Venue: TUFS Campus, Research and Lectures Building 4th floor, Room 427

TUFS / The 21st Century COE Programme, Centre for Documentation & Area Trans-cultural Studies
Oral Archives Group Symposium


" Fertility Realized by 'Recorded Voices'"
"The Potential of Oral History and Challenges of Archives II"

Date and Time: December 11, 2004 (Saturday) 13:00-17:30
Venue: TUFS Research and Lectures Building 1st floor, Room115

Agenda
Master of Ceremonies: Akio IMAI (TUFS)
Opening Speech: Takeshi FUJII(Oral Archive Group Leader)
Introduction of purpose: Kyoko NOMOTO (TUFS) 13:00-13:20
1. Robert PARKS (The British Library Sound Archive) (consecutive interpreting provided) 13:20-14:20
2. Ichiro KURAISHI (TUFS) 14:20-14:50
3. Kayoko YOSHIDA (Hokusei Gakuen University) 14:50-15:20
Intermission 15:20~15:40
4. Yuka KAWAJI (TUFS) 15:40-16:10
5. Yoichiro KOUZUKI (Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University) 16:10-16:40
Panel Discussion
Panelists: The speakers and Hiroshi ISHII (Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, TUFS) 16:50-17:30
*A convivial party will be held on campus from 18:00.
(Interpreters provided, no RSVP required, no admission fees)

• Prosperity and Decline of A-vant-garde in Uzbekistan
Date and Time: March 15, 2005 (Tuesday) 14:00-15:30
Report by: Professor Ikuo KAMEYAMA (Culture and Literary Studies, TUFS)
Venue: TUFS Campus, Research and Lectures Building 4th floor, Room 427


4. Outline of the Group Theme ("Movement") and Related Research Activities during the 2004 Academic Year
As originally planned, the following research activities were conducted by the Group's members.
1) Akio IMAI
Visit to Vietnam: Hanoi, etc.
Period: September 3-13, 2004
Details: Interview research was conducted on Vietnam under Japanese Occupation during the Pacific War. This time, interviews were conducted on such renowned academics as Bui Dinh Thanh (historian), Pham Nhu Cuong (philosopher) and Tran Hiep (psychologist) as the main focus of the interviews.

2) Yuka KAWAJI
Visit to Thailand: Bangkok
Period: September 3-8, 2004
Details: Interview research was conducted on former exchange students to Japan during the War.

3) Hiroshi ISHII
Visit to Nepal: Kathmandu
Period: October 31-November 9, 2004
Details: Interviews were conducted in the city of Kathmandu, mainly on former merchants who participated in trade between Nepal and Tibet prior to and immediately after the Suppression in Tibet in 1959 to learn of the trade methods, lifestyles, and social environment at the time.

4) Ichiro KURAISHI
Visit to United Kingdom: London
Period: November 20-24, 2004
Details: Visit to the oral archive of the British Library. We were given an explanation on the management and operations of the archive by the curator, Mr. Robert Parks. We also took the opportunity to hold a preparatory meeting on the Symposium we are sponsoring on December 11th with Mr. Parks.

5) Kozue TERUCHI (Doctorate Program, TUFS)
Visit to: Cambodia, Phnon Penh
Period: September 13-October 5, 2004
Details: As on our previous visit, interview research was conducted on women born in the same year as part of an ongoing life history research on Cambodian women. We also conducted supplementary research on drivers of cyclo.

6) Zhang Yanhong (Doctorate Program, TUFS)
Visit to China: Yanji City, Julin Province
Period: August 12-September 9, 2004
Details: As on our previous visit, interview research was conducted on education for minority groups. Through our research, we considered how to evaluate the ethnic education of those who have received it while exploring the transition of ethnic education.