JACAR Newsletter

JACAR Newsletter Number 49

March 31, 2026

Information on Newly Released Documents

Documents released on November 25, 2025, The National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense

- The National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense＞Army Records (Rid of Dainikki)＞Nantou (South-East Area)＞Zenpan (General)
  Eighty-four volumes have been released, regarding military operations in the southeastern region during the Pacific War – including Eastern New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Bismarck Islands – pertaining to units such as the South Seas Detachment, the 17th Army, and the 8th Area Army. These volumes, identified by reference codes beginning with “C2508xxxxxxx,” include a total of 1,424 items.

Documents released on December 23, 2025, Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 0 > Item 0 (*)
  Eighteen volumes (thirty-two items) of internal reports compiled by the Asia Bureau on Japan’s postwar diplomacy in Asia—including monthly work reports and progress summaries—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 1: Research Study > Item 0 (*)
  Thirty-nine volumes (four hundred three items) of research materials and reports prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Japan’s foreign policy—including documents related to the Foreign Policy Planning Committee—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 2: With Asian and Middle Eastern Nations > Item 1: Asia (*)
  Nine volumes (thirty-nine items) of records concerning diplomacy between Japan and Korea—including “Japan–Korea Diplomatic Relations: History of Normalization Negotiations, ‘Negotiation History Materials,’ Vol. 1”—as well as between Japan and the Republic of China, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, North Korea, and Mongolia have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 3: With Western and African Nations > Item 1: Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations (*)
  Thirty-nine volumes (three hundred seventy-eight items) of records documenting diplomatic relations between Japan and Commonwealth countries—including the United Kingdom, Australia, India, New Zealand, and the Federation of Malaya—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 3: With Western and African Nations > Item 2: France (French Union, French Community) (*)
  Thirteen volumes (one hundred items) of records concerning Japan-France diplomatic relations—including materials on regular consultations—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 3: With Western and African Nations > Item 3: Soviet Bloc
  Three volumes (six items) of records concerning Japan-Soviet diplomatic relations—including work reports—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 4: With American Nations > Item 1: United States (*)
  Eight volumes (eighty-six items) of records concerning Japan-U.S. diplomatic relations—including meeting records of Shigemitsu and Allison—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 5: Visits to Foreign Nations by Prominent Japanese > Item 0 (*)
  Two volumes (eleven items) of records concerning visits by Japanese special envoys and goodwill missions to foreign countries—including materials on Special Envoy Shirasu Jiro —have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 5: Visits to Foreign Nations by Prominent Japanese > Item 1: Asia-Pacific Nations (by region) (*)
  Thirty-nine volumes (two hundred ninety items) of records concerning visits to Asia-Pacific countries by Japanese dignitaries—including Foreign Minister Fujiyama and Prime Ministers Ikeda and Sato—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 5: Visits to Foreign Nations by Prominent Japanese > Item 2: The Americas (by region) (*)
  Eleven volumes (eighty-one items) of records concerning visits to the United States and Canada by Japanese dignitaries—including Finance Minister Sato and Prime Minister Ikeda—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 6: Visits to Japan by Foreign Heads of State and Prominent Persons > Item 1: Persons from Asian Nations (*)
  Twenty-four volumes (two hundred fifty-seven items) of records concerning visits to Japan by Asian presidents—including materials on President Sukarno of Indonesia—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 1: Japanese Diplomacy > Section 6: Visits to Japan by Foreign Heads of State and Prominent Persons > Item 4: Persons from British Commonwealth Nations (*)
  Sixty-five volumes (six hundred sixty-seven items) of records concerning visits to Japan by dignitaries from Commonwealth countries—including India, Australia, Canada, and Pakistan—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 2: Foreign Diplomacy, International Politics > Section 2: Diplomacy with Foreign Countries > Item 0 (*)
  One volume (one item) of records concerning diplomacy between the United Kingdom and China from 1954 to 1966 has been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 3: Domestic Administration > Section 0 > Item 0 (*)
  Two volumes (seventeen items) titled “Miscellaneous Matters on the Situation of the Southwestern Islands under U.S. Administration – Okinawa-related – Security Issues Study Group” (covering the years 1970 – 1971) have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 4: Domestic Affairs and Conditions in Foreign Countries > Section 1: Asian and Middle Eastern Nations > Item 2: Republic of Korea (includes Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) (*)
  One volume (four items) of records concerning North-South Korean issues from 1972 to 1973 and 1976 has been newly released. These materials reflect Japan’s monitoring of inter-Korean relations during the Cold War.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 4: Domestic Affairs and Conditions in Foreign Countries > Section 3: European and African Nations > Item 1: British Commonwealth of Nations (*)
  One volume (three items) titled “British Colonial Circumstances: Department of Hong Kong” has been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 7: International Conflict > Section 1: War > Item 0 (*)
  Eleven volumes (sixty-two items) of records concerning the Korean War—including operational progress reports—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series A’ Politics, Diplomacy and International Disputes > Category 7: International Conflict > Section 2: Conflict, Dispute > Item 0 (*)
  Ten volumes (seventy-three items) of records concerning World War II—including damage investigations and U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey reports—have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series B’ Treaties, Agreements, International Conferences and International Organizations > Category 1: International Administrative Authorities > Section 1: Japan-Focused > Item 0 (*)
  Seven volumes (fourteen items) containing the meeting minutes of the Far Eastern Commission—from the 1st to the 222nd session—which issued recommendations and decisions on Japan’s occupation policy have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series B’ Treaties, Agreements, International Conferences and International Organizations > Category 3: Reparations > Section 1: Japan > Item 3: Quasi-Reparations (*)
  Eight volumes (eighty-one items) of records concerning the Japan-Singapore Compensation Agreement signed on September 21, 1967 have been newly released.
- Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs > Postwar Diplomatic Records > Series B’ Treaties, Agreements, International Conferences and International Organizations > Category 4: Peace Conferences and Treaties > Section 0 > Item 0 (*)
  Four volumes (one hundred twenty-two items) of records concerning the Treaty of Peace with Japan (San Francisco Peace Treaty)—including materials on the first visit of John Foster Dulles—have been newly released.“Hierarchy” levels marked with (*) indicate a collection of records that is already partially public but for which certain volumes and documents (reference codes starting with B2509xxxxxxx) have been newly released.

Documents released on January 29, 2026, Hoover Institution, Stanford University

- Hoover Institution, Stanford University > Korea > Chōsen Shinbun
  1,522 items from May 1914 to 1921 and from 1937 (reference codes starting with J2510xxxxxxx) has been newly released.
  The Chōsen Shinbun was created under the leadership of Kazuo Hagitani after the merger of Chōsen Shinpō and the Chōsen Times in 1908. The press became the most powerful Japanese-language newspaper in Incheon. The publisher moved its headquarters from Incheon to Keijō (today’s Seoul) in 1919 with a management change to Kōzō Makiyama of the House of Representatives the following year. It operated branch bureaus throughout Korea as well as a few in China. The newspaper ceased to publish after the Governor-General consolidated Japanese-language newspapers into one in each province in 1942.

Documents released on March 18, 2026, National Archives of Japan

- National Archives of Japan > Records concerning Dajokan/Cabinet > Shokan Shintai/Kanri Shintai: Appointment and Resignation of Government and Official Posts
  Two hundred eighty volumes (10,261 items) of documents concerning the appointment and dismissal of government officials, as well as the conferment of court ranks and decorations, compiled by year and by government ministry or agency, have been newly released.
- National Archives of Japan > Records related to Financial History > Records of Financial History > Reference materials for Diet deliberation
  Statistical data, anticipated Q&A for discussions of legislation, and other reference materials prepared for government explanations at the Imperial Diet from 1890 to 1947, covering the 80th through the 92nd sessions and totaling one hundred sixty volumes (Reference codes beginning with A2509xxxxxxx; one hundred sixty items), have been newly released.
- National Archives of Japan > Records related to Financial History > Records of Financial History > Reparations Documents
  Materials relating to Post-World War I–era German reparations, totaling forty‑eight volumes (Reference codes beginning with A2507xxxxxxx; forty‑eight items), have been newly released.
- National Archives of Japan > Related to Economy and Industry > Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce: Agriculture and Forestry Administration – Documents of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
  Documents concerning the enactment, amendment, and repeal of laws and regulations (including Cabinet deliberation papers), as well as materials related to the enactment, revision, and promulgation of various rules and notices, covering 1948 to 1952 and totaling forty‑four volumes (Reference codes beginning with A2505xxxxxxx; eight hundred nineteen items), have been newly released.
- National Archives of Japan > Cabinet Secretariat > Cabinet Affairs Office > Records of the Cabinet Meetings, Meetings of the Administrative Vice-Ministers, and Other Meetings of Officials
  Materials for Cabinet meetings and Administrative Vice‑Ministers’ meetings, bound in chronological order by meeting date, consisting of one hundred volumes (Reference codes beginning with A2512xxxxxxx; 1,740 items) for 1964, have been newly released.
- National Archives of Japan > Cabinet Legislation Bureau > Records of Deliberations on Bills and Proposed Ordinances
  Materials kept on hand by counsellors of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau at the time (as reference for their duties), organized and preserved afterward, covering 1960 to 1962 and totaling three hundred eighty‑six volumes (Reference codes beginning with A2512xxxxxxx; 1,805 items), have been newly released.