HARC

Today, testimonies, documents, and other records that enable us to understand the history of the Japanese content industry are becoming increasingly valuable. For this reason, we have established the History of Content Industry Archives Research Center to create digital archives of primary documents of Japanese content and culture—including IT, video games, manga, anime, and the internet culture—and to bequeath them to future generations.

オーラル・ヒストリーコレクションとは

オーラル・ヒストリーとは、人々から過去の出来事や経験したことについて、個人へのインタビューを通じて言葉を記録・収集し、保存する研究手法です
コンテンツ産業史アーカイブ研究センターでは、コンテンツ分野で活躍した人々へのインタビューを行い、日本のコンテンツ産業発展における貴重な証言をオーラル・ヒストリーとして収集していきます。
なお、収集したオーラル・ヒストリーはコンテンツ産業史の軌跡を知るための一次資料として、保存・公開しています。

コレクションを表示

最新トピックスNEWS

ALL

2026
03/30
- Information
- Oral History
We've added a share button to our oral history interviews.
The Content Industry History Archive Research Center (HARC) at ZEN University has added a "Share" function to its oral history interview pages.
2026
03/27
- Information
- Dialogue
- Event
ZEN University HARC held a public recording session featuring i-mode founders Mari Matsunaga, Keiichi Enoki, and Takeshi Natsuno.
On March 31, 2026, the final day of the service, the 27-year history will be summarized. ZEN University's Content Industry History Archive Research Center (HARC) will hold a public recording on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the day NTT DOCOMO's "i-mode®" service ends, featuring Mari Matsunaga and Keiichi Enoki, who played a central role in the service's creation, along with Visiting Professor Takeshi Natsuno of the university.
2026
03/25
- Oral History
- Information
HARC Oral History Series Part 9 Released, featuring Shuichi Miyawaki and BOME from Kaiyodo, Hirotaka Yoshida from Toranoana, and Katsuichi Tomita from the PC98 series!
The Center for Archives and Research on the History of the Content Industry at ZEN University (hereinafter referred to as HARC) released the ninth installment of its "Oral History Collection" on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. This collection documents the testimonies of leading figures in the Japanese content industry who have been active in various fields, using video and transcript materials.

メディア掲載MEDIA COVERAGE以下の記事をクリックするとメディアの記事へ直接飛びます。

ALL

2025
10/28
PHP Online: "The microprocessor originated in Japan - The 'shocking truth' of little-known IT history"
2025
07/26
"Oral history" records testimonies from the people involved, preserving even the background and ideas of the content. A lecture on "archiving" was held, and because it is difficult to physically preserve a wide range of games, testimonies from people at the time are important as academic primary sources.
2025
07/22
From "300 hits on the first day" to 3.3 billion page views per month - Behind the scenes of the explosive growth of Maho no iLand How was the "miraculous service" that captivated junior and senior high school girls in the early days of mobile born? - An interview with Rei Tanii

ミッションMISSION

Japan is a leading creator of expressive culture in the modern age. Its content industry has exerted a significant influence on societies across the world, and its modern and comprehensive cultural and creative industry has developed a considerable presence both in Japan and overseas. The mission of the Historical Archive Research Center is to collect from far and wide primary documents that relate to the people, objects, and events that shaped this history; to establish an archive to preserve these documents; and to make these documents available to the public for research, education, business creation, and other social uses.