Diplomatic Archives Ministry of Foreign Affairs
We collect historical documents of ancestors at the request of Japanese people living overseas with roots in Japan.
The Diplomatic Archives in Tokyo stores a large number of historical documents related to Japanese immigrants, and they may provide clues to the domicile, the time of immigration, and the occupations of ancestors.
When requesting a family register for an ancestor from a Japanese person, the most difficult thing to find is the domicile of the ancestor. If you have a copy of the family register for the last ancestor who had Japanese nationality, you can find the domicile from there. Also, even if you do not know the domicile of your ancestors, if the place names of the ancestral residences are quite limited, you may be able to get a clue to the domicile by obtaining the old land register.
However, if you only know the former residence of your ancestors to the prefecture level, you will not be able to find it from the old land register. In such cases, you can also view the immigration records at the Diplomatic Archives. You may be able to find clues to the domicile and the former area of residence.
At the Diplomatic Archives, there are restrictions on the number of historical documents that can be viewed at one time and the times when the documents can be accessed, so careful advance preparation is essential.
Sometimes I go out to research by motorcycle. As there is no bicycle parking lot at the Diplomatic Archives, I use the paid parking lot under Tokyo Tower and walk from there.
We have created an English page for people living overseas who have roots in Japan.
We will research your ancestors, family crests, and create family trees for those with roots in Japan.
Please feel free to contact us.
https://kakeizu-sakusei.com/familytreecreation/
