Historiographical Institute of The University of Tokyo - History

History

In 1869, shortly after the dawn of the Meiji Restoration, the new Meiji government issued an imperial rescript that described the importance of writing history as a way to legitimate government:

Historiography is a for ever immortal state ritual (taiten) and a wonderful act of our ancestors. But after the Six National Histories it was interrupted and no longer continued. Is this not a great lack! Now the evil of misrule by the warriors since the Kamakura period has been overcome and imperial government has been restored. Therefore we wish that an office of historiography (shikyoku) be established, that the good custom of our ancestors be resumed and that knowledge and education be spread throughout the land, and so we appoint a president. Let us set right the relations between monarch and subject, distinguish clearly between the alien and the proper (ka'i naigai) and implant virtue throughout our land.

Soon thereafter, an official government office of historiography known as the Shushi-kan (House of Historical Compilation) was formed in order to work on a national history, the Dai-Nihon hennenshi (Chronological History of Great Japan), which later became part of the Dai-Nihon shiryō (described below). After several reorganizations, this office was transferred to Tokyo Imperial University in 1888; but in 1893, the Minister of Education terminated the work because of conflict between the government and the institute members over the aims and goals of history (also known as the Kume Kunitake Affair, named after the historian, Kume Kunitake, who was expelled from the Historiographical Institute for writing an article that challenged the customs of State Shinto, and was known for advocating a more "Western," scientific approach to history).

In 1895, the University decided to resume the work under the name Shiryō hensan-kakari, attached to the Faculty of Letters, limiting the role of the Historiographical Institute to compilation of historical materials, rather than the creation of a national history--the role that the Institute has today. It is important to note that the compilation of works was not limited to Japanese sources, but also included the compilation and translation of Western works as well--works which have had a vital role in shaping the nature of the history field in modern Japan.

In 1929, the present name of the Institute, Shiryō hensan-jo, was adopted; and in 1950, after several decades under the Faculty of Letters at the University, it acquired an independent status within Tokyo University.

Today, the Historiographical Institute continues to play a central role in the compiling, cataloging, and restoring of historical materials. Though most of the work focuses on the pre-modern period, historians of the Historiographical Institute have also done extensive work with regard to Meiji documents.