The Digital Archive of Northeast Asian Studies
Tohoku University
The Center for Northeast Asian Studies established the Digital Archive of Northeast Asian Studies (DANA) in 2021. It contains digital content related to Northeast Asia, including manuscripts, documents, photographs, video, datasets, and much more. Academia traditionally emphasizes the publication of research results in journals or books as being key for knowledge exchange. A minority of researchers have devoted their energies into making independent databases available to the general public. Their initiatives benefit from the proliferation of digital technologies that allows for an increase in the exchange, forms, and provision of information over the past decade. Eclectic research materials and related information, some of which were previously unpublished due to technical reasons, have become relatively easier to share among various stakeholders. New media also create opportunities to widen area studies by offering new ways of attracting and integrating researchers from different backgrounds. To this effect, DANA has been conceived to provide, salvage, preserve, access, and reuse any kind of material and information that may contribute to Northeast Asian Studies. It will potentially link to other related digital achieves and heritages within and outside Tohoku University. We believe that DANA will become a collaborative space/tool for citizens, researchers, students, and policymakers interested in Northeast Asia. (March 31, 2021)