Service for foreign genealogists

for All Genealogists

We undertake various research tasks in Japan for overseas genealogists.

For example,

Creation of Japanese style family tree for display or commemorative purposes
Transcription and translation services of old document, Koseki and local history, etc.
Explanation of the reading and meaning of the kanji
Translation of letters from/to your company and other documents
Research service at archives, universities, public libraries, prefectural libraries, National Diet Library, etc.
photo and video shoot
Cemetery on-site survey (identifying locations)
Real estate registration investigation
Residential map survey
Listing mailing addresses (households with the same surname, temples, etc.) and sending/receiving mail survey
Searching old landline telephone directories
Online survey
Guidance on methods for applying to obtain koseki and related documents
Analysis of family relationships discernible from koseki and old documents
Reading and explaining the contents of obtained koseki and old documents, etc.
Assistance in identifying which koseki to obtain and confirming honsekichi (registered domicile) and head of household

If you have any other requests, please feel free to contact us.

If you need ancestry research services in Japan, a direct contact between your client and our company is required. This is because conducting ancestral research for imposter is against professional ethics, and in order to build a relationship of trust with the information provider (temples and relatives), we need to verify the client’s identity and receive his/her cooperation.

※ We cannot act on behalf of clients in applying for koseki(family registers) and documents for which application eligibility is limited to the applicant or their relatives. We will advise them/you on how to apply.

※ If you or your clients would like to research the roots of your surname or family crest, we will handle this as a normal ancestral research.

※ There is no open individual database in Japan.

※ Unable to use calling apps.

※ We do not handle projects in Asia outside of Japan.

※Governing Law and Jurisdiction:
1. Governing Law: Japanese law exclusively applies.
2. Exclusive Jurisdiction: Utsunomiya District Court, Japan.
3. Business Customs: Japanese business customs apply. International business customs (including but not limited to provision of work samples, references, or contingency fee arrangements) are not applicable unless explicitly agreed in writing.
4. No Waiver: By engaging our services, the Client waives any right to bring proceedings in any other jurisdiction.

for Probate Genealogists

In Japan, there is no profession equivalent to a probate genealogist, so there are the following problems: Why Probate Genealogy Cases Involving Japanese Heirs Are Difficult

Therefore, we only provide the following services to probate genealogists:

We can conduct the following basic research as back-office support without disclosing our company name, address or mine, and report the results to your company:

Listing mailing addresses (households with the same surname, temples, etc.) – You will contact them directly by international mail
Cemetery on-site survey (identifying locations, not contacting cemetery administrators)
Searching old landline telephone directories
Real estate registration investigation
Residential map survey
Analysis of family relationships discernible from koseki
Creation of family trees for display or commemorative purposes
Reading and explaining the contents of obtained koseki
Online survey
Inquiries without revealing my identity or purpose (Library, Legal Bureau, etc.)
Writing and translation of letters from/to your company and other documents (so you can send letters in natural Japanese)
Guidance on methods for applying to obtain koseki and related documents
Assistance confirming honsekichi (registered domicile) and head of household

Important:

No guarantee of success (as explained in 2(2), Japan has no open individual search database, and the probability of not finding them is considerably high, so we cannot bear the risk of non-discovery)
It may take a long time to discover heirs
Your company may be ignored or reported to the police as a scam
Disclosing our company name, address or mine creates serious reputational risks for us
A reward system is economically unreasonable because there is a high possibility that heirs will not be discovered

Important Conditions:

We provide these services only. All direct contact with potential heirs must be conducted by you. We will not participate in any contract negotiations with heirs. We will not handle any contract processing
Advance payment and time-based fees required (contingency arrangements absolutely impossible)
All services require advance payment with time-based fees
No guarantee of success in locating heirs
We assume no responsibility for how you use the information provided
Our company’s name, location, and the addresses and names of our staff must be kept completely confidential from related parties in Japan.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction:
1. Governing Law: Japanese law exclusively applies.
2. Exclusive Jurisdiction: Utsunomiya District Court, Japan.
3. Business Customs: Japanese business customs apply. International business customs (including but not limited to provision of work samples, references, or contingency fee arrangements) are not applicable unless explicitly agreed in writing.
4. No Waiver: By engaging our services, the Client waives any right to bring proceedings in any other jurisdiction.
These services are provided for ancestry research and commemorative family tree creation purposes only.
We do not provide legal advice regarding inheritance procedures, heir identification, or legal requirements for probate cases.
For legal matters, please consult with a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction.
Minimum initial payment: ¥100,000 (inclusive: labor, transportation, accommodation, and other expenses)

Fee Structure

The Fee structure is the same as the Ancestry search service on the page below.

Service and Fees for Ancestry research – Genealogical Institute of Japan