State records need protection / Reform, awareness essential in handling public documents

When it comes to public records, it seems there are too many cooks in the kitchen and none of them are using the same recipe.
To deal with the continuing problem of hidden or missing records--many of which may be of historical significance--the government has set up a panel of experts and plans to allocate funds in next fiscal year's budget to bolster research into and administration of official documents and important records.
But even with extra funds, any move to protect these records will not be successful if the bureaucrats in charge of handling them are not better educated about their importance and the fact that they are public property.
Every year, close to 1.13 million files are compiled by the central government. The relevant bodies keep the files for a period stipulated by the Freedom of Information Law, and then classify them into one of three categories: those to be stored at the National Archives of Japan, those to be stored at the relevant ministry or agency office and those to be destroyed.
Documents deemed to have historical value are transferred to the National Archives. Yet few files make it that far, as each transfer requires an agreement between the office concerned and the archives.
The National Archives, however, does a poor job when compared to its foreign counterparts. To begin with, there are a mere 42 employees managing the National Archives, as compared to the 300 employed by South Korea's archives administration and the enormous staff of 2,500 at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The National Archives of Japan building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo--the administration's main facility--claims a floor space of just 11,550 square meters, one-tenth the size of the National Archives Building in Washington, the main facility for a network that comprises 22 regional locations and a new 167,200-square-meter building.
In February, the government set up the panel of experts to come up with proposals for a sweeping overhaul of the system to manage important documents.
An interim report released in July by the panel calls for the integration of administrative functions--currently shared by government bodies such as the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the Cabinet Office--through the creation of a new agency in charge of public documents. The report also calls for a staff that would number in the triple digits. The new agency would have the final say on whether official documents should be stored in the National Archives or be discarded.
"The loss of important public documents is a loss for the state. So, in terms of national strategy, it's important for us to improve the administration of these documents. Politicians need to promote reform of the system and better awareness among bureaucrats."