Photo/Illutration The Morioka History and Culture Museum in Morioka (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The ninth year of the Kansei era of the Edo Period (1603-1867) in feudal Japan corresponds to the year 1797 in the West.

That year, in the Nanbu Clan territory of Morioka, it came to light that the clan’s janitor had stolen a mountain of official documents.

Investigations by the clan revealed the theft had gone undetected for nine years, and a whopping 8,000 sheets of important documents had been taken.

What was the thief’s motive?

Today, he would immediately be suspected of wanting to sell sensitive information.

But what this perpetrator sold was not the information written on the documents.

Back then, paper was a valuable commodity that fetched high prices. The janitor sold the documents as “used paper” to candlemakers and picture framers.

An exhibition titled “Tsumi to Batsu” (Crime and punishment) is being held at the Morioka History and Culture Museum.

Thirty-nine documents pertaining to crimes committed during the Edo Period are on display, curated from the museum’s collection of historical materials dating to that 200-year-long period.

It is a fascinating exhibition that tells us not only about felonies, such as murders and abductions, but also cases of samurai getting into drunken brawls and a gatekeeper who was caught sleeping on the job.

I asked Akane Fukushima, a curator who has perused the documents on display, why Edo Period officials kept such detailed records of crimes.

“Back then, people heavily relied on precedents for decision-making, so they probably needed well-documented records for later examination,” Fukushima said.

That made me think anew about the meaning of record-keeping. When people from the distant future look at records of our era, I wonder what they will think. Or, perhaps the more important question is, will all of our important records remain intact for future generations to see?

In the Morioka theft case, the janitor was “beheaded, and his head was mounted on a pike at the prison gate.” The documents he stole were lost forever, probably ending up as candle wicks.

“Had those documents not been pilfered, they might even be here right now,” noted Fukushima. “I’m upset we can’t even know what they were about.”

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 5

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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