National Diet Library Newsletter
No. 170, Dec. 2009
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Exploring Modern Japanese Political Documents-acquisition of modern Japanese political history materials "MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers" as an example
Modern Japanese Political Documents Division
Reference and Special Collections Department
This article is a translation of the article in Japanese of the same title in the NDL Monthly
Bulletin No. 580 (July 2009).
The National Diet Library (NDL) collects modern Japanese political history materials (Kensei-shiryo) such as letters, diaries and documents kept by political leaders, government officials and military officers from the late Edo period to today, and they are open to the public in the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room of the Tokyo Main Library. Kind donations from bereaved families or purchases from antiquarian bookshops are the main means of collecting Kensei-shiryo. There are also many cases in which we acquire materials from bereaved families through the mediation of researchers. In this article, the process of donation of "MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers" and the contents of the materials open to the public are briefly introduced.
INOUE Kaoru Papers" from the collections
of the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room
Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room
Obtaining information about materials
Figure 1
We received an e-mail from the adjunct researcher who was in charge of Kensei-shiryo. It said "A researcher is looking for a place to receive donated materials left by Dr. Yoshio Matsushita. The Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room is thought to be a one of the candidates. Why not get in contact?" Outlines of the materials were also attached.
We referred immediately to biographical dictionaries, historical dictionaries and handbooks in our office (Figure 1) for information about Dr. Matsushita, and we found the following.
He was born on May 4, 1892 in Niigata. After graduating from military academy, he became a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant, but was suspended in 1920 as he was reported in a newspaper as "a lieutenant sympathizing with socialism" (he became a reserve officer in July 1921). After he came to Tokyo, from 1921 to 1924, he was in charge of editing the legal journal Chuo Horitsu Shimpo, in which Jiro Hoshijima and Tetsu Katayama played a central role. At the same time, he got to know people like Eiichi Makino and Tadahiko Mibuchi through requesting articles for the journal. In December 1930, he became a central executive of the Social Masses Party, and in January 1932 became a member of the central committee of the Party. Next, he became a lecturer at Nihon University and a temporary employee of the Inspectorate General of Military Training, and in 1952 of the postwar era, he became a lecturer (later professor) of Kogakuin University, and obtained a doctorate in Jurisprudence. He died on April 9, 1983.
Dr. Matsushita was famous for his research on Japanese military history. We found out by searching the NDL-OPAC (National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog) that NDL held more than 100 titles of his works such as Meiji gunseishiron (Yuhikaku, 1956), and Choheirei seiteishi (Naigaishobo, 1943). Dr. Matsushita´s biography Ginga no michi by Kinya Nakajima (Kobunsha, 1989) was also in the NDL.
Putting together the outlines of the materials and biographical data of Dr. Matsushita, the materials left by him were at the level of modern Japanese political documents, including letters from politicians involved in national politics such as Tetsu Katayama, which meet the NDL´s policy for acquisition.
Figure 2
In the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room, a file was prepared for the documents (document group) as is usual to record the historical trail and negotiations on donations. It is called "Document Information File" (Figure 2). This document group was tentatively named "MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers" and we started to fill in the contact information of people involved and the process of work and negotiation. Related information such as biographical data previously researched was also clipped together.
Contacting the mediator and the family
We made contact with the researcher who served as an intermediary, and told him that we would like to have the materials donated to the NDL if possible. The researcher told us that the materials would about fill a large cardboard box, and there were about 200 items including letters and postcards, handouts and manuscripts. To our relief, he also offered to make a list of the materials.
We contacted Dr. Matsushita´s family by telephone, informed them how to proceed, and consulted about how to receive the materials. After confirming the quantity and the place where the materials were kept, it was decided that we would visit to pick them up.
Picking up the materials
Figure 3
A chest of drawers received from Sakae Osugi.
Dr. Matsushita developed a friendship with him over
the Taisho years as they came from the same town.
When we visited Dr. Matsushita´s family, the materials were all packed in a cardboard box and were ready at the door (Figure 3). We checked the contents briefly and asked and learned about the materials and research interests of Dr. Matsushita in his later years. After that, we had an opportunity to observe the storage (Figure 4). We also had an opportunity to see other materials that were not contained in the cardboard box such as appointment letters and notebooks with messages. We received some of these materials and returned to NDL. Everything we learned on the day was written down as a report before the memory faded and was clipped into the "Document Information File."
Figure 4
Cataloging the materials
Figure 5
To provide materials in the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room, we check each item and make a catalog (Figure 5). To show the person´s activities from the catalog, we create a classification of items based on existing materials, biographical data and the person´s works. Titles, creators and years of creation and so on are recorded for each document. This time, the catalog was made by using the list provided beforehand by the mediator.
Letters, postcards and writings are packaged into filing envelopes made of acid-free paper for Kensei-shiryo and stored in the stacks (Figure 6). After the NDL call number is determined, the documents are sorted in order.
After this process is finished, the donation procedure is taken between the bereaved family and the NDL and the materials are then made available in the Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room.
Figure 6
Introduction of open materials
The total of 699 items of "MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers" donated at this time includes more postwar materials than prewar materials. That is probably because Dr. Matsushita´s house was reduced to ashes in the incendiary bombing just before the end of the war. Many letters and postcards addressed to Dr. Matsushita thanking him for donating his writings are extant. The senders can be divided into military men, people connected with Sakae Osugi, and people involved in Chuo Horitsu Shimpo (Tetsu Katayama, Eiichi Makino etc.). Apart from that, there are photos which Dr. Matsushita gathered for his research, galleys of writings and appointment letters.
Figure 7
A letter from Hironori Mizuno (MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers No. 434)
Especially, a large number of letters from Hironori Mizuno has been left. Hironori Mizuno (1875-1945) was a naval officer, and was active as a military commentator after he retired. Dr. Matsushita visited the Arms Limitation Society in 1922 and met Mizuno to become his pupil. After Mizuno´s death, Dr. Matsushita wrote a biography, Hironori Mizuno (Shishusha, 1950), and even built a monument inscribed with Mizuno´s poem in Mizuno´s hometown at his own expense. The materials showing this activity are also in the collection.
The letter above (Figure 7) was sent by Mizuno from Iyo Oshima, his evacuation place, on September 26, 1945. It was written on both sides of three pieces of manuscript paper. In the letter, he said "The war ended less painfully than we had expected, and we escaped joint suicide with a bomb. But facing unconditional surrender, I think that the medicine of peace worked slightly too much." He also criticized the current affairs such as soldiers looting supplies at their demobilization, Hideki Tojo´s unsuccessful suicide attempt and the cabinet composed of members of the Imperial family. He declined to stand for the next election, which Dr. Matsushita had suggested in his earlier postcard. Including this one, letters to Yoshio Matsushita are included in the 7th volume of Mizuno Hironori Zenshu (Yuzankaku, 1995).
At the time when Dr. Matsushita won Mizuno´s favor, he tried to organize a study group on lasting peace. But troubles caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake and a visit to Europe by a prospective participant of the group discouraged his intention. However, a send-off party for the visitor to Europe led to the formation of the "Nikakai," a group gathering on the second Tuesday of every month. The dates of the meetings, participants, words of participants, portraits, fun songs and a variety of other things were written in the message notebook. (Figure 8)
Figure 8
A notebook of the Nikakai regular meetings (MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers No. 532)
Dr. Matsushita became friendly with Takeki Osatake (1880-1946), a member of the Nikakai, a jurist and a researcher on the cultural history of the Meiji era, when he was an editor of Chuo Horitsu Shimpo. Osatake gave books written by Dr. Matsushita to Senjuro Hayashi and others before the war, and the postcards of thanks from them are also in "MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers." Dr. Matsushita had a close relationship with Osatake all his life. After Osatake´s death, he was involved in the publishing of the complete works of Takeki Osatake, writing the explanatory notes and others. In a letter of September 8, 1945 (Figure 9), Takeki Osatake wrote that his manuscripts had been burnt to ashes by an air raid in Fukui prefecture, to where he had evacuated, and he wondered what he should do ― stay in the country or not.
Figure 9
A letter from Takeki Osatake (MATSUSHITA Yoshio Papers No. 392)
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Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room (Kensei-shiryoshitsu)
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