I had no idea that there is a feature called Research Wiki on FamilySearch.org. It looks like there is some good starter information there, and I am excited to read up a bit more and see what I can find there. Here's a link to the article on getting started with Japanese research:
https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Japan
There is also a research forum for Asian family history research where you can ask questions and see if anyone can help with your questions:
https://familysearch.org/learn/forums/en/forumdisplay.php?f=7?cid=wiki-forum
And, in keeping with the times, there is a Facebook page for Japanese research.
https://www.facebook.com/JapanGenealogyResearch?fref=ts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Dates and numbers: conversion charts
One of the first challenges you may come across in doing family history and dealing with koseki is reading the dates. The following are two fairly helpful charts for this.
First, a conversion chart for the Japanese calendar system. Traditionally, the year is recorded as the year in the reign of a particular emporer. For example, I was born in Showa 58, or 1983. The Koseki will only show the Japanese year, not the western year, but you can look it up here (click to view larger):
Another problem is that koseki may use antiquated characters. I'll include some additional charts for other kanji in other posts, but for now here is a chart that shows various written forms of each number.
First, a conversion chart for the Japanese calendar system. Traditionally, the year is recorded as the year in the reign of a particular emporer. For example, I was born in Showa 58, or 1983. The Koseki will only show the Japanese year, not the western year, but you can look it up here (click to view larger):
Another problem is that koseki may use antiquated characters. I'll include some additional charts for other kanji in other posts, but for now here is a chart that shows various written forms of each number.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
BYU Research Outlines
Here is a PDF compilation of several research guides and outlines for researching Japanese family history:
http://net.lib.byu.edu/fslab/researchoutlines/Asia/Japan.pdf
I am excited to go through them and glean some new information.
Starting on page 24 of this PDF is a copy of a pamphlet printed in Japanese entitled 日本の戸籍, or Japan's Family Registries. I have a hard copy of this pamphlet that I purchased at the Church distribution center in Tokyo and attempted to read at the time. It looks like it could be a pretty helpful resource, but I must admit that my reading skills are such that I am kind of intimidated by it. However, if I can't find an English translation of the booklet, I hope to do it myself. I think it will be worth the time both so that others can benefit from the information and so that I can go back and reference it without having to rack my brain trying to read it again.
Also, I'm planning on scanning the records I have collected so far so that I'll have digital copies, and I'm going to try to post some tutorials on how to glean information from these records - again for my benefit and the benefit of anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog.
I'm hoping that by posting these goals, I'll actually do them =).
http://net.lib.byu.edu/fslab/researchoutlines/Asia/Japan.pdf
I am excited to go through them and glean some new information.
Starting on page 24 of this PDF is a copy of a pamphlet printed in Japanese entitled 日本の戸籍, or Japan's Family Registries. I have a hard copy of this pamphlet that I purchased at the Church distribution center in Tokyo and attempted to read at the time. It looks like it could be a pretty helpful resource, but I must admit that my reading skills are such that I am kind of intimidated by it. However, if I can't find an English translation of the booklet, I hope to do it myself. I think it will be worth the time both so that others can benefit from the information and so that I can go back and reference it without having to rack my brain trying to read it again.
Also, I'm planning on scanning the records I have collected so far so that I'll have digital copies, and I'm going to try to post some tutorials on how to glean information from these records - again for my benefit and the benefit of anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog.
I'm hoping that by posting these goals, I'll actually do them =).
"More Than Your Own Strength"
This quote always sticks in the back of my mind when I don't feel like I can make any progress on my family history:
"After you find the first few generations, the road will become more difficult... You will be tempted to stop and leave the hard work of finding to others who are more expert or to another time in your life. But you will also feel a tug on your heart to go on in the work, hard as it will be.
"As you decide, remember that the names which will be so difficult to find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and whom you will meet again in the spirit world... Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them"
-Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(From April 2005 General Conference, in Ensign, May 2005, 29-89)
"After you find the first few generations, the road will become more difficult... You will be tempted to stop and leave the hard work of finding to others who are more expert or to another time in your life. But you will also feel a tug on your heart to go on in the work, hard as it will be.
"As you decide, remember that the names which will be so difficult to find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and whom you will meet again in the spirit world... Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them"
-Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(From April 2005 General Conference, in Ensign, May 2005, 29-89)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Old and New
My apologies for my long absence. We just had a baby 3 weeks ago. But this new little addition to our family tree makes me all the more eager to find his and my roots, so on we'll go as soon as I recover from this new-mommy brain fog.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Glossary of Japanese Genealogical Terms
I copied this out of a book several years ago, and don't know where it came from. Once I find it, I'll give proper accreditation.
koseki 戸籍 household register, begun 1872; available from 1886. Includes all people in a household under one head.
tohon 謄本 certified copy.
shohon 抄本 summary; abstract.
jinshin koseki 壬申戸籍 registry begun in the year Jinshin (Meiji 5: 1872). Not available for private genealogical work.
joseki 除籍 expired register in which all persons originally entered have been removed because of death, change of residence, etc. A joseki file is ordinarily available for 80 years after its expiration.
genseki 原籍 another term for honseki.
honseki 本籍 registered locality (address of household being registered).
kakocho 過去帳 Buddhist death register.
kaimyo 戒名 posthumous Buddhist name, recorded in kakocho.
homyo 法名Buddhist name given to living converts; similar to kaimyo.
shumon aratame-cho 宗門改帳 examination of religion register (pre-1873).
ninbetsu-cho 人別帳 individual examination register (pre-1873).
The shumon aratame-cho and ninbetsu-cho were special surveillance censuses whose object was to detect and apprehend hidden Christians. They were superseded by the koseki.
ken 県 prefecture, divided into shi and gun.
to 都 motropolitan prefecture (Tokyo-to). Similar to ken.
fu 府 urban prefecture (Kyoto-fu, Osaka-fu). Similar to ken.
ku 区 ward in some large cities (Sapporo, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Kita Kyushu, Fukuoka); divided into cho.
shi 市 city, divided into cho and aza.
gun 郡 county, divided into cho and mura.
cho 町 (also read machi) district within a shi or ku; town within a gun.
chome 丁目 smaller division of a cho in some neighborhoods.
mura 村 (also read son) village within a gun.
aza 字 (sometimes oaza) unorganized district in a shi or mura.
banchi 番地 house number.
kuni 国 province (no longer in official use). Now used to mean "nation."
koshu 戸主 head of a household.
zenkoshu 全戸主 previous head of household.
otto 夫 husband.
tsuma 妻 wife.
fu 婦 wife.
chichi 父 father.
haha 母 mother.
sofu 祖父 grandfather.
sobo 祖母 grandmother.
dan 男 (also read nan) male; man; son.
jo 女 female; woman; daughter.
ototo 弟 younger brother.
ane 姉 older sister.
imoto 妹 younger sister
mago 孫 (also read son) grandchild.
himago 曾孫 (also read soson) great-grandchild.
yo 養 adopted. In Japan, a man without sons may adopt his eldest daughter's husband as his own son, and the young man will take his wife's surname.
shimei 氏名 family name; name of household head.
shussei 出生 birth.
bo 亡 deceased; the late...
nen 年 (also read toshi) year.
gatsu 月 (also read getsu or tsuki) month.
hi 日 (also read nichi) day; date.
Here is the glossary on Nikkei Ancestry.
koseki 戸籍 household register, begun 1872; available from 1886. Includes all people in a household under one head.
tohon 謄本 certified copy.
shohon 抄本 summary; abstract.
jinshin koseki 壬申戸籍 registry begun in the year Jinshin (Meiji 5: 1872). Not available for private genealogical work.
joseki 除籍 expired register in which all persons originally entered have been removed because of death, change of residence, etc. A joseki file is ordinarily available for 80 years after its expiration.
genseki 原籍 another term for honseki.
honseki 本籍 registered locality (address of household being registered).
kakocho 過去帳 Buddhist death register.
kaimyo 戒名 posthumous Buddhist name, recorded in kakocho.
homyo 法名Buddhist name given to living converts; similar to kaimyo.
shumon aratame-cho 宗門改帳 examination of religion register (pre-1873).
ninbetsu-cho 人別帳 individual examination register (pre-1873).
The shumon aratame-cho and ninbetsu-cho were special surveillance censuses whose object was to detect and apprehend hidden Christians. They were superseded by the koseki.
ken 県 prefecture, divided into shi and gun.
to 都 motropolitan prefecture (Tokyo-to). Similar to ken.
fu 府 urban prefecture (Kyoto-fu, Osaka-fu). Similar to ken.
ku 区 ward in some large cities (Sapporo, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Kita Kyushu, Fukuoka); divided into cho.
shi 市 city, divided into cho and aza.
gun 郡 county, divided into cho and mura.
cho 町 (also read machi) district within a shi or ku; town within a gun.
chome 丁目 smaller division of a cho in some neighborhoods.
mura 村 (also read son) village within a gun.
aza 字 (sometimes oaza) unorganized district in a shi or mura.
banchi 番地 house number.
kuni 国 province (no longer in official use). Now used to mean "nation."
koshu 戸主 head of a household.
zenkoshu 全戸主 previous head of household.
otto 夫 husband.
tsuma 妻 wife.
fu 婦 wife.
chichi 父 father.
haha 母 mother.
sofu 祖父 grandfather.
sobo 祖母 grandmother.
dan 男 (also read nan) male; man; son.
jo 女 female; woman; daughter.
ototo 弟 younger brother.
ane 姉 older sister.
imoto 妹 younger sister
mago 孫 (also read son) grandchild.
himago 曾孫 (also read soson) great-grandchild.
yo 養 adopted. In Japan, a man without sons may adopt his eldest daughter's husband as his own son, and the young man will take his wife's surname.
shimei 氏名 family name; name of household head.
shussei 出生 birth.
bo 亡 deceased; the late...
nen 年 (also read toshi) year.
gatsu 月 (also read getsu or tsuki) month.
hi 日 (also read nichi) day; date.
Here is the glossary on Nikkei Ancestry.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Koseki: The Family Registry System
Since the mid- to late-1800's, Japanese record-keeping has been done through the Koseki, or family registry system. I was actually born in Japan, so my koseki is currently filed in Ryogoku, Tokyo, where my parents lived at the time. This form also serves as a birth certificate, and is what citizens need to get a passport, etc. The first and most basic step in doing family history research in Japan (aside from just gathering what information you may already have from family members) is to request copies of koseki from the municipalities where your family comes from. There are a few sites that provide forms that you can fill out in order to request copies. You will probably need to attach copies of documentation showing that you are a direct descendant of the person/family whose record you are requesting. In my case, that meant sending a copy of my passport and a copy of my own koseki. If you aren't a citizen or your ancestry is more far-removed from Japan, it may mean additional documentation to show who your parents/grandparents are. Not to mention that you'll have to include a money order for the fee. I did this while I was in Japan, which made it easier, but as soon as I figure out how to do it from the states, I'll let you know =).
On a recent trip to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a couple of sweet Japanese ladies told me that they recently changed the rules regarding koseki so that you could request the record of someone who is not your direct ancestor if you have permission from that person or from a descendant of that person. This may open up the range of records that you can get, and I am excited to see if I can start doing some research on my step-grandfather's family or on various aunts and uncles' families. But I only know what the ladies told me, and they weren't sure how the changes would eventually play out.
Another catch in the system: all the forms are, of course, written in Japanese. An they are generally written by hand. And they often use fancy or antiquated characters rather than the standard characters that you may have learned in an elementary Japanese course. So you will probably need to find someone fluent who is willing to help with some translation. I'll try to eventually post some tutorials on figuring out names and dates, etc.
Pretty soon here I'll update this post with some links to further explanations about Koseki and instructions on how to request them.
Koseki on Wikipedia
Rootsweb Link List
Translating Koseki (for translators, not amateurs, but may be helpful?)
Koseki on Nikkei Ancestry
On a recent trip to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a couple of sweet Japanese ladies told me that they recently changed the rules regarding koseki so that you could request the record of someone who is not your direct ancestor if you have permission from that person or from a descendant of that person. This may open up the range of records that you can get, and I am excited to see if I can start doing some research on my step-grandfather's family or on various aunts and uncles' families. But I only know what the ladies told me, and they weren't sure how the changes would eventually play out.
Another catch in the system: all the forms are, of course, written in Japanese. An they are generally written by hand. And they often use fancy or antiquated characters rather than the standard characters that you may have learned in an elementary Japanese course. So you will probably need to find someone fluent who is willing to help with some translation. I'll try to eventually post some tutorials on figuring out names and dates, etc.
Pretty soon here I'll update this post with some links to further explanations about Koseki and instructions on how to request them.
Koseki on Wikipedia
Rootsweb Link List
Translating Koseki (for translators, not amateurs, but may be helpful?)
Koseki on Nikkei Ancestry
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