The purpose of this paper is to show that “administration by document” system, which means bureaucracy about proclamation and keeping of documents, had already been established in Japanese Han states in the Edo period. Moreover, it was investigated how Han authorities ensured authenticity and creditability of documents.

  Investigating records of Toda family, who had governed Ogaki Han from 1635 to 1869, the end of Edo period, reveals “underlying law” that rules making and keeping records for evidence of governing action. By understanding the “law”, we can estimate what kind of authenticity and credibility could be achieved.

  In this paper, I also would like to show that the “administration by document” system can give some suggestions for modern record and archives management in our days. We can learn a lot from this “evidence‒oriented” system in Edo period.

  For the two administrative organizations as subjects, we verified on validity for the classification method of official documents based on laws and regulations. In both administrative agencies, it was clarified that most documents could be classified based on laws and regulations. By classifying documents based on a single point of view, it is expected that eliminates the risk of discrepancies in determining the document classification destination among users, improves the searchability of documents, and leads to more smooth sharing of documents.

  Study on systematization of records management science has started in FY2016 as the three‒year plan, consequently with FY2018 (the third year) falling on the final year. Based on the research results of FY2016 and FY2017, the members aimed for research intended to derive the system of records management science in FY2018. There were three kinds of activities in FY2018 : holding four workshops, conducting research individually made by members in charge, and exploring the direction of systematization of records management science through those activities and the results. Each member created his or her study report on the subject of interest in records management, with which Mrs. Ogawa, the chief of the research group, regarded it as the anticipated items within the system of records management science shown in the research report of FY2017 (Journal of Records Management Society), having fleshed out the three‒layer structure of the records management system, which was the result of 2017.