Rescue of disaster-affected historical materials Organizations around the country reflect on their 25-year activities Kobe

Rescue of disaster-affected historical materials Nationwide organizations look back on their activities for 25 years Kobe February 8, 18:39

Nationwide organizations rescuing historical materials damaged by typhoons, floods, etc. held a rally in Kobe to reflect on the 25-year activities that began in the wake of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and to report on activities in the affected areas. .

This `` National Historical Material Network Research Exchange Meeting '' was held in Kobe City by a volunteer organization `` History Material Network '' that has been working to rescue historical materials in the affected area since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 25 years ago. opened.

Activities to rescue and preserve historical documents such as old documents that were almost abandoned after the earthquake or flooded by floods spread every time a disaster occurred in various places, and according to the historical document network, 24 Of organizations are active.

Approximately 100 people from such organizations gathered at the venue, and organizations such as Nagano Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture, which were first affected by Typhoon No. 19 last year, reported on activities immediately after the disaster and ongoing conservation work. did.

He also looked back on his 25 years of activity and announced that he had been groping for measures to prevent water-wet paper from deteriorating.

Hiroshi Okumura, professor of the Kobe University Graduate School and a member of the “History Material Network”, commented, “I was able to share activities and issues during disasters. It is important that organizations work together and encourage each other. I thought this kind of gathering was meaningful. "

The rally will be held on the 9th to discuss future activities.

In some cases, this led to the elucidation of local history

The "History Material Network" has a secretariat at Kobe University, and is attended by the Kansai Historical Society and about 300 individual members.

According to Mr. Hiroshi Okumura, the representative committee, activities began in February 1995, the month following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and carried old documents around damaged old houses.

He thought that historical materials not designated as cultural properties were indispensable for knowing the history of the area, and he had been fumbling on his activities.

Some of the rescued historical materials have led to the elucidation of the local history.

For example, a stock certificate that was rescued from a private house in Kobe City that was demolished after the disaster immediately after the earthquake was used to construct the `` Hyogo Canal '' in the Meiji era, about 120 years ago. The details were known, including who was involved in the canal construction and how.

Mr. Okumura initially thought that the activities would be completed in about one year, but he still has a lot of information gathered when disasters occurred in various places and study sessions for citizens to leave the historical records of the disaster. Activity continues.

Mr. Okumura commented on his activities so far: "At the beginning, these activities were largely unknown, but recently I feel that awareness of preserving local historical heritage has spread nationwide. On the other hand, as disasters happened in various places, we have to continue our activities, and it seems like 25 years have passed since then. "

Every time a disaster strikes, organizations

This activity is spreading everywhere when there is a major disaster.

Although the size of the organization and the method of its activities vary, history researchers and students volunteer to rescue the damaged documents and to prevent the deterioration by removing mud and dirt.

Following the "History Material Network", the Santo Historical Data Network, which operates in Tottori and Shimane prefectures, was launched in the wake of the 2000 Tottoriken Seibu Earthquake. Groups have started in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi.

At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, there were already groups in Miyagi and Fukushima, but new ones in Iwate and Ibaraki.

In the Kumamoto earthquake of 2016, organizations have been standing up in Kumamoto, and last year Typhoon No. 19 in Nagano.

This month, a new organization will be launched in the Tokai region in anticipation of the Nankai Trough earthquake.

Regarding the spread of activities, Hiroshi Okumura of the historical document network replied, "Now we can cooperate with each other and deal with it. It is really surprising that we can not think about 25 years ago." "I want to be able to respond in a way that covers the whole of Japan. It is a big issue, but I want to spread it nationwide and think about how to maintain connections."