Abstract

Many of the recently launched digital archives have been shut down owing to high costs and lack of user engagement. This project proposes a novel type of digital archive that would allow local stories to be permanently available to future generations. This new platform, Memorytalk, gives users the ability to upload animated human stories and allows them to choose photos, characters, and scenarios. This platform could possibly create a virtual collaborative site for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, especially for the evacuees of the town of Namie who are scattered all over Japan. The article introduces two animated sequences of Namie memories told by the evacuees. Making their own animated sequences by using avatars may help in the expression of a wider range of memories because of the benefits of anonymity. These capacities allow Memorytalk to provide user-driven archiving and anonymity while still offering a means of communicating local stories to others.