Fees
The time and cost required to search for and discover documents, cemeteries, family temples, descendants of the main family, etc. varies widely, making it impossible to set a flat rate and completely impossible to estimate in advance. Therefore, we have created the following system.
Basic fee system
| ① ¥30,000 per hour + actual costs such as transportation ② Tiered system ③ Prepayment ④ Minimum initial payment: ¥500,000 (inclusive: labor, transportation, accommodation, and other expenses)Typical first-stage work includes: – Preliminary research and planning – On-site investigation – Compilation of findings report – Consultation on next stepsThe actual scope of work will vary depending on the location, availability of documents, and complexity of the research.※It doesn’t matter how many family lines you want us to research.※ To obtain a Family Register(Koseki), the ancestor’s Registered Domicile (Honsekichi) is required. This is not the same as a residential address. If the Registered Domicile is unknown, an investigation to locate it is necessary. |
Other companies offer a plan to trace a family’s lineage back 400 years, with a fixed fee of around ¥1 million and only a single on-site investigation over several days.
However, the distance between an ancestry research company’s headquarters and the on-site investigation site varies considerably, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, making a flat fee unfair and resulting in excessive charges being made to those closer to the headquarters.
You can’t know how long it will take to find an ancient document until you begin. Nevertheless, charging a fixed fee means a heavy burden on the client if the document is found quickly, and a lower fee for the company if it takes a long time. If the on-site site is far from the headquarters, it creates an incentive for the company to stop working early.
Even if the researcher gives up because it’s taking too long and isn’t worth the fee, they might still have found the ancestor if they had searched a little longer. In such cases, with a fixed fee system, it’s unlikely that an additional fee would be charged, and the client might end up giving up just one step away from finding their ancestor.
For this reason, we have decided to calculate fees based on an hourly rate plus actual expenses, and to divide the fee into stages so that the client can decide whether to continue the research.
This allows us to avoid charging too much for travel expenses for requests close to our headquarters, and allows us to provide research time and number of on-site visits according to your budget.
Reference Fee
Below is an example of investigating one family lineage, but multiple family lines in the same region may be researched more cost-effectively.
After the Meiji period
Compilation of a family biographical dictionary, from the most recent family register to the oldest family register (or, for descendants, the person who will inherit the family ancestry and their spouse, etc.), and related research. Approximately 6-9 generations.
Reference Fee : Approximately 500,000 – 1,500,000 yen Per family or region
Edo Period and Earlier
Compilation of a family biographical dictionary for one family lineage from the previous generation of the oldest family register to the early Edo period, and related research. Approximately 1-8 generations.
Reference Fee : Approximately (Included in Basic Fee) – 1,500,000 yen or more Per family or region
※ In the course of investigating the family register period, documents from the Edo period or earlier may be obtained. Since we use an hourly fee system, if such documents are discovered during the initial investigation, the cost may fall within your initial payment. Conversely, if extensive research is required to locate documents from the Edo period or earlier, additional costs of up to 1,500,000 yen or more may be necessary.
Relatives Search
As part of your ancestry research, we also search for your missing relatives.
If the Registered Domicile is unknown, an investigation to find missing relatives is necessary.
Once found, you can ask for their cooperation in obtaining the Family Registers.
Please note that we do not act as a proxy to obtain certified copies (Koseki).
The client must apply for the necessary official documents themselves based on our report.
↓Read this article↓
Japan’s personal information database situation – Genealogical Institute of Japan
Reference Fee : Approximately 500,000 – 1,500,000 yen
Notice
※ You can specify how thorough you want your investigation to be – the more thorough, the higher the fee.
※ The family lineages eligible for this service are not limited to your current surname. We accept direct lineages, such as paternal, maternal, or grandparental lines with different surnames. We accept requests and consent from any direct blood relative of the spouse, such as the spouse themselves, their legally competent children, or the spouse’s parents.
※ This service is primarily targeted at the client’s direct lineage. Collateral lines may not necessarily be subject to detailed investigation.
※ Outdoor investigations of more than 30 minutes are not possible in the summer. Winter on-site investigations in cold, snowy regions will be postponed until spring or autumn.
※ Travel time is a paid service in all industries, and investigations and considerations are conducted even while traveling on public transportation. While investigative thinking continues while driving yourself, albeit with limitations, there is an added risk of accidents. Therefore, to avoid complicating the fee structure, we apply the hourly fee listed above as a zero-sum system. There are no discounts or free travel time.
Advice on obtaining family registers
Free for advice on obtaining family registers.
The client must apply for a certified copy of the family register and a certified copy of the removal from the family register. We will give you advice on that.
The cost of obtaining copies of your family register will be borne by the client (750 yen per copy plus shipping and handling fees).
To obtain a family register, you need information about your ancestors’ registered domicile. This is not their address. If you do not know their registered domicile, you will need to investigate.
※ We do not provide advice based on thorough research or online searches. A reasonable consultation fee will be charged if desired.
※ Competitors’ fees are equivalent to 250,000-300,000 yen, but we are offering this free of charge to promote our paid services and to conduct genealogy research.
Documents you must submit at first
| Your official identification documents | Resident card, driver’s license, passport, etc. |
| Official documents showing your parent-child relationship to your ancestors who held Japanese nationality | Birth certificates listing you and your parents, birth certificates listing your parents and grandparents, etc. |
If you do not provide it, your request will not be accepted.
Field Investigation Details
Field Investigation for Family Registers: This involves conducting land register and closed land registry investigations at the Legal Affairs Bureau, interviewing relatives, researching historical documents and administrative materials at archives, library materials, residential and cemetery investigations, and conducting other investigations of organizations and individuals necessary to corroborate the information obtained (e.g., local governments, courts, etc.), and photographing ancestral places and objects.
Field Investigation for the Edo and Earlier: This involves contacting holders of genealogies, researching historical documents at archives, library materials, residential and cemetery investigations, conducting other investigations of organizations and individuals necessary to corroborate the information obtained, and photographing ancestral places and objects. We will not be conducting interviews with relatives as no one has any memories of people from that time (oral traditions about ancestors from before the Edo period are included in the interviews with relatives for the family register. We will contact relatives to research historical documents such as family trees, genealogies, and history books that they possess).
Deliverables and Specifications
Standard Items to be Delivered:
1. Manuscript data (word/pdf)
2. Collected photographic data(jpeg/png)
3. Photographic data from field surveys(jpeg/png)
4. (If available) Housing location map and floor plan data (pdf/jpeg/png)
5. Cemetery layout data (pdf/jpeg/png)
6. Collected materials that can be provided (including inquiry emails to institutions, experts, etc.)
7. Family tree data (Google Spread Sheet/Excel)
8. Map of related locations (Google My Maps)
*Binding is not included in this plan. Our institute does not provide or arrange for bookbinding.
Delivery method
Digital data is delivered via the cloud.
Physical items such as paper documents are sent by mail.
Delivery Timeline
Completion time varies significantly depending on research scope and complexity, document availability, travel distance, and current workload, etc.
Typical timeline ranges from several days to six months.
Progress reports will be provided at the completion of each research stage.
After-sales support
If new information is discovered after delivery, we will notify you free of charge.
Options
1. Creation of image data for rare family crests (※１) ¥20,000
2. Pet dog and cat encyclopedia (※２) Quote required
※1 If you have a rare family crest and do not have image data, we can create it for you.
※2 The information included will be as similar as possible to a biographical encyclopedia, including name, birth and death dates, photos, family tree, personality, and anecdotes, but the source of information will be the family and pedigree. Pedigrees are not required.
Content Overview
The Family Biographical Dictionary includes comprehensive information about each family and individual, such as:
Family-level information:
– Clan/family name, crest, origins, temples, graves, notable members, family tree, chronology, maps, and photos
Individual-level information:
– Names (including childhood names, pen names, etc.), dates and places of birth/death, biographical details, personality, occupation, education, family relationships, anecdotes, and photos
Additional specialized information may include:
– Haplogroup (DNA analysis), handprints/footprints, works, signatures, etc.
※ Depending on the source material and the interviewee’s memory, not all fields may be filled in.
※ Photos will be included where appropriate.
※ Elaboration (to create a moving story) and speculation/conjecture will be avoided, as they may lead to misunderstandings later. Only what is known will be stated matter-of-factly in the main text. However, hypotheses that cannot be verified may be included in the footnotes.
※ Please let us know if you have any requests for other fields.
※ Original surnames require male-line ancestry research. Original surnames refer to original surnames passed down through the male line, such as Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana. Despite common misconception, they are not inherited through family lines; they are inherited through the male line. Therefore, if there is an adopted son-in-law, the male line may be different from that of the adoptive parents. Therefore, to determine each ancestor’s original surname, it is necessary to trace the male line.
Example: The Shioya clan with the Minamoto family name becomes the Shioya clan after marrying Tomonari (the Utsunomiya clan of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan).
※ If your blood type is unknown, we will provide free testing instructions (you will be responsible for any costs incurred. It appears that blood type can be determined for free by donating blood).
Notes
Important Terms and Payment Conditions
1. Non-Guarantee of Results The purpose of this contract is the “execution of investigation procedures” towards a discovery, and does not guarantee that the subject will be found or identified. Please understand that refunds will not be issued even if the subject is not found.
The difficulty and feasibility of investigation, the amount of information available, and the time required to discover the information vary greatly depending on the condition and location of the documents and other materials. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to find the information.
Fees are based on time worked and actual costs, not performance-based compensation.
Therefore, we cannot guarantee that we will find everything for ¥XX million.
2. Full Advance Payment System To avoid non-payment risks, we require 100% advance payment for all fees.
3. Fee Structure Our fee is ¥30,000 per hour. Since it is impossible to predict the exact time required in advance, we ask you to pay the “Minimum Starter Fee” listed on our website to begin.
4. Process of Investigation We will conduct the investigation until the prepaid amount (minus actual expenses such as government fees and postage) is exhausted. At that point, you can decide whether to make an additional payment to continue or to stop the investigation.
5. Policy on Early Discovery Even if the subject is found earlier than expected, we generally do not offer cash refunds. The remaining balance will be applied to the costs of translating the obtained materials, creating a family tree, or conducting further ancestral research.
6.Disclaimer
We do not assume any responsibility arising from the use of the family biographies, including interim reports, or other deliverables.
Cancellations and Refunds
Cancellations and refunds are not possible.
Even if the documents or other materials are lost and never found, the costs will be incurred as labor and expenses and will not be refunded.
Copyright
Copyright of Materials, etc.
For materials, photographs, etc. provided by material owners or copyright holders other than the client, with the consent of the original owner or copyright holder, we will include the name of the original owner or copyright holder, and in the case of literature, the document number and page number, in the annotations. Citations of literature will be listed in the reference list and footnotes, following the usual method for writing a paper.
Copyright of Deliverables
Copyright and other intellectual property rights (including rights under Articles 27 and 28 of the Copyright Act) related to deliverables delivered by the Institute to a client shall remain the property of the Institute until the completion of the work, and shall be transferred and vested in the client upon completion of the work (excluding intellectual property rights held by the Institute prior to the commencement of the transaction (hereinafter referred to as “Reserved Intellectual Property Rights”). However, the Institute shall grant the client free use of the Reserved Intellectual Property Rights (including licensing to third parties) to the extent necessary for the use of the deliverables. Furthermore, if the client requests the Institute to make modifications to the deliverables after delivery, the client shall not claim copyright fees from the Institute for the modifications).
However, with regard to intellectual property rights held by a third party, if the Institute uses such rights in the deliverables with the third party’s permission, the relevant intellectual property rights shall remain the property of the third party and shall not be transferred or vested in the client.
Furthermore, the Institute will not exercise moral rights against the client in relation to the results of the project (however, the right to be credited as the original author (i.e., to be credited as the researcher, editor, and author at the end of the book, etc.) will be reserved). If a separate agreement is made within the transaction, that agreement will take precedence.
These matters are stated in the contract, so please review them when signing the contract.
Provision or disclosure to a third party
If you wish to provide or disclose the research results or family biographical dictionary to third parties, please obtain prior consent from material holders, information providers, and individuals whose information is included.
Legal Clarification:
It is true that Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act imposes obligations on businesses, not on individual clients. Additionally, the Act only protects information listed by law about living individuals, so information about deceased ancestors is not subject to protection. Privacy law also does not protect mere information about someone, and deceased persons have no privacy rights. Therefore, information such as posthumous Buddhist names or death dates of deceased ancestors is not considered private information. Furthermore, ownership rights do not extend to the information contained in materials, and the copyright protection period for historical documents has expired.
Practical Considerations:
However, even in the absence of legal restrictions, providing or disclosing information without the consent of living related parties may lead to practical disputes (emotional conflicts). Please obtain consent from relevant parties to prevent such issues.
Our Liability:
The Institute assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any disputes arising from the client’s actions. Furthermore, if such actions harm the Institute’s reputation or damage its credibility, the client may be held liable for damages.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
The governing law shall be the laws of Japan.
The jurisdiction shall be the Utsunomiya District Court of Japan.
Application / Quotes / Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
