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Koseki Family Tree
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Koseki Family Tree
The Ando family 安東家
Four family registers (koseki) from Nagaiwaya, decoded and translated, with a six-generation family tree
| Registered domicile | Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City (Bungo is the old name of the province), Oita Prefecture, Japan |
|---|---|
| Registers | 4 registers, 12 images, all decoded |
| Generations | Six, from Mitsu ミツ (born 1828) to you |
| Prepared for | [client name withheld] |
| Date | October 2026 |
Sample. The Ando family, their names, dates and lot numbers are fictional. The places, laws and procedures are real.
綴Koseki Roots
How to read this report
Names. Japanese names are written surname first, as in Japan: ANDO Kisaburō (安東喜三郎) is Mr. Ando. The registers write the family name 安東, which we spell "Ando". A differently written name, 安藤, sounds the same; where both appear we spell that one "Andō" to keep them apart. People in the Japanese registers, including those born in Hawaii, are written in Japanese order, as the registers give them. Family members known from your information are written as they write their own names (Kenneth T. Ando).
Dates. We write dates month first, as in the US, with the Japanese era year in parentheses: November 20, 1882 (Meiji 15). Japan counts years by imperial era: Meiji (1868–1912), Taishō (1912–26), Shōwa (1926–89), Heisei (1989–2019). Older registers use earlier era names such as Bunsei (1818–30), Kaei (1848–54) and Ansei (1854–60). Dates before 1873 follow Japan's old lunar calendar and are given as in the source, with the approximate Western month in parentheses ("the 12th day of the 4th month, 1850 (about May)"). Lunar months ran 3–7 weeks behind Western months.
Ages. These registers give dates of birth, not ages. Every age in this report is counted in Western years from those dates.
Registers. A register is one certified document from the city office. We number your four registers 1 to 4, oldest first, and refer to them as "Register 1" and so on.
Transcriptions. We copy each entry character by character in Japanese, then translate it. The registers use old-style numerals (壱 for 1, 弐 for 2, 参 for 3, 拾 for 10); our translations give ordinary numbers. In this sample we show lot numbers as [number withheld]. Circled numbers (①) mark a reading we discuss in "Notes on uncertain readings".
Family information. We mark facts from your family, rather than from the registers, with an asterisk (*). In the tree, people known only from your family's information have dashed outlines.
1. Your line in six generations
Your four registers follow the Ando of Nagaiwaya, a village in the hills of the Kunisaki Peninsula in northeastern Kyushu (Japan's southwestern main island), from the 1820s to 1997. Together they record 15 people, and the line reaches your family through ANDO Isamu (安東勇), born in Waipahu, Hawaii, in 1917.
| Generation | Person | What the registers say | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ANDO Isaburō 安東伊三郎 and Mitsu ミツ | Isaburō was head of the household (legal head of the family "house"; see section 3) until his death in 1879. Mitsu was born in 1828 ① and died at Nagaiwaya in 1891. | 1 |
| 2 | ANDO Kahei 安東嘉平 and Tome トメ | Kahei was born in 1850 and became head in 1879. Tome came from Kusaji Village. They had two sons and two daughters. | 1, 2 |
| 3 | ANDO Kisaburō 安東喜三郎 and Yoshino ヨシノ (Issei) | Kisaburō, the second son of Kahei and Tome, was born in 1882. He left for Hawaii in 1905*. In 1912, he married Yoshino of Nishi-Matama Village. In 1916 he set up his own branch household (a new house with its own register; see section 3) through the Japanese consulate in Honolulu. He died in Waipahu in 1955. | 1, 2, 3 |
| 4 | ANDO Isamu 安東勇 (Nisei) | Eldest son of Kisaburō and Yoshino, born in Waipahu on March 20, 1917 (Taishō 6). He renounced his Japanese nationality in 1932 and left the register. | 3 |
| 5 | Kenneth T. Ando (Sansei) | Born in Honolulu in 1946*. | — |
| 6 | You (Yonsei) | — |
What the registers add to your family's story
- Kisaburō's grandparents. The grandparents of Kisaburō (喜三郎), Isaburō (伊三郎) and Mitsu (ミツ), are named in Register 1. Mitsu's birth in 1828 is the earliest date in your registers.
- The village and the house. All four registers keep the same registered domicile (honseki, 本籍) at Nagaiwaya. The family's lot in the village is written in every register.
- The relatives who stayed. Kisaburō's elder brother Kiichi (喜一) carried on the main household in Nagaiwaya, and Kiichi's son Kikuo (喜久雄) became its head in 1938. Kikuo's register continues that line after 1938.
- The years in Hawaii, as reported home. Kisaburō reported his branch household, his children's births and the marriage of his daughter Hana (ハナ) to Japan through the Japanese Consulate General in Honolulu. Each birth report gives the date and the place in Hawaii.
2. Family tree
3. The four registers at a glance
Japan changed its family-register format several times. When a new head took over, a new register was opened in the format then in force, and the old one was closed and kept. Registers already open kept their old format until the compulsory rewriting that began after 1957 (a 1957 order to recopy old registers into the 1948 format). Your four registers form one unbroken chain:
| No. | Type and format | Head (index person from 1948) | In use | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Closed register (joseki, 除籍): a register everyone has left. 1886 format. | ANDO Kahei 安東嘉平 | 1886 – February 5, 1903 | 4 |
| 2 | Closed register, 1898 format | ANDO Kiichi 安東喜一 | February 5, 1903 – September 5, 1938 | 4 |
| 3 | Pre-reformat register (kaisei-genkoseki, 改製原戸籍): the old version kept when the format changed. 1915 format. | ANDO Kisaburō 安東喜三郎 | November 20, 1916 – October 1, 1960 | 3 |
| 4 | Closed register, 1948 format | ANDO Kisaburō 安東喜三郎 (named as index person, the first person listed, though he died in 1955) | October 1, 1960 – April 10, 1997 | 1 |
Why Kisaburō has a register of his own
Until 1947, Japanese law organized families into "houses" (ie, 家). The head of household held the house and passed it on, by law normally to the eldest son; this was called family headship succession (katoku sōzoku, 家督相続). Younger sons stayed in their brother's register unless they set up a branch household (bunke, 分家), a new house with its own register. Kisaburō (喜三郎), Kahei's second son, set up his branch household in 1916, from Hawaii. That is why your direct line leaves the main register at that point, and why Register 3 begins with him.
4. Register 1: ANDO Kahei, 1886 format
At a glance
- The oldest of your four registers, headed by ANDO Kahei (安東嘉平), father of your direct ancestor. In use from 1886 to 1903.
- It records eight people, including Kahei's mother, Mitsu (ミツ). Her birth in 1828 is the earliest date in your registers.
- Your direct ancestor, ANDO Kisaburō (安東喜三郎), appears here as the second son of Kahei and Tome, born in 1882.
| Register type | Closed register (joseki tōhon, 除籍謄本: a certified copy of a closed register), 1886 format |
|---|---|
| Registered domicile | 大分県西国東郡長岩屋村 [number withheld] 番地 Lot [number withheld], Nagaiwaya Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, Oita Prefecture |
| Head of household | 安東嘉平 — ANDO Kahei |
| Former head | 亡父 安東伊三郎 — his late father, ANDO Isaburō |
| People recorded | 8 |
| Images | 4 received, 4 decoded |
Notes in the margin
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 町村制施行ニ付西都甲村大字長岩屋ト更正 | Corrected to "Nagaiwaya, Nishi-Tomiku Village" when the new municipal system took effect (1889). |
| 明治参拾六年弐月五日戸主喜一家督相続届出アリタルニ因リ本戸籍ヲ抹消ス | On February 5, 1903 (Meiji 36), the new head, Kiichi, reported his succession to the headship; this register was therefore closed. |
ANDO Kahei (安東嘉平) — head of household
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 父 亡 安東伊三郎 母 ミツ 長男 | Father: the late ANDO Isaburō. Mother: Mitsu. Eldest son. |
| 嘉永参年四月拾弐日生 | Born the 12th day of the 4th month, 1850 (Kaei 3; lunar calendar, about May). |
| 明治拾弐年参月拾日父伊三郎死亡ニ因リ家督相続 | Succeeded to the headship on March 10, 1879 (Meiji 12), on the death of his father, Isaburō. |
| 明治参拾六年壱月拾五日午前六時本籍ニ於テ死亡同月拾七日長男喜一届出同日受附 | Died at the registered domicile at 6 a.m. on January 15, 1903 (Meiji 36). Reported by his eldest son, Kiichi, on January 17; accepted the same day. |
| 平民 | Status: heimin (commoner), the legal class of ordinary people, as distinct from the warrior class (shizoku). |
Mitsu (ミツ) — Kahei's mother
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 文政拾壱年七月弐日生 | Born the 2nd day of the 7th month, 1828 (Bunsei 11; lunar calendar, about August). ① |
| 明治弐拾四年拾壱月八日本籍ニ於テ死亡同月拾日戸主嘉平届出同日受附 | Died at the registered domicile on November 8, 1891 (Meiji 24). Reported by the head, Kahei, on November 10; accepted the same day. |
Tome (トメ) — Kahei's wife
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 西国東郡草地村 [number withheld] 番地 平民 佐藤伝蔵長女 | Eldest daughter of SATŌ Denzō, commoner, of lot [number withheld], Kusaji Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District. |
| 安政弐年八月参日生 | Born the 3rd day of the 8th month, 1855 (Ansei 2; lunar calendar, about September). |
| 明治六年拾月弐日入籍 | Entered this household on October 2, 1873 (Meiji 6), on her marriage to Kahei. |
ANDO Kiichi (喜一) — eldest son of Kahei and Tome
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治七年弐月八日生 | Born February 8, 1874 (Meiji 7). |
| 明治参拾弐年参月拾五日西国東郡岬村大字香々地 [number withheld] 番地平民渡辺清吉参女シヅト婚姻届出同日受附 | Marriage to Shizu, third daughter of WATANABE Seikichi, commoner, of lot [number withheld], Kakaji, Misaki Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, reported March 15, 1899 (Meiji 32); accepted the same day. |
Shizu (シヅ) — Kiichi's wife
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治拾参年五月弐拾日生 | Born May 20, 1880 (Meiji 13). |
| 明治参拾弐年参月拾五日長男喜一ト婚姻届出同日入籍 | Marriage to the eldest son, Kiichi, reported March 15, 1899 (Meiji 32); entered this register the same day. |
Haru (ハル) — eldest daughter of Kahei and Tome
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治拾年九月弐拾六日生 | Born September 26, 1877 (Meiji 10). |
| 明治弐拾九年弐月拾日西国東郡田染村 [number withheld] 番地戸主宇佐美平作長男平太郎ト婚姻届出同日除籍 | Marriage to Heitarō, the eldest son of USAMI Heisaku, head of household, of lot [number withheld], Tashibu Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, reported February 10, 1896 (Meiji 29). Removed from this register the same day (moved to her husband's register). |
ANDO Kisaburō (喜三郎) — second son of Kahei and Tome your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治拾五年拾壱月弐拾日生 | Born November 20, 1882 (Meiji 15). |
Kiku (キク) — second daughter of Kahei and Tome
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治拾九年六月拾四日生 | Born June 14, 1886 (Meiji 19). |
5. Register 2: ANDO Kiichi, 1898 format
At a glance
- Headed by ANDO Kiichi (安東喜一), Kisaburō's elder brother, from 1903 to 1938.
- It records Kisaburō's marriage to Yoshino (ヨシノ) of Nishi-Matama Village in 1912.
- It closes when Kiichi's son ANDO Kikuo (安東喜久雄) becomes head in 1938.
| Register type | Closed register (joseki tōhon), 1898 format |
|---|---|
| Registered domicile | 大分県西国東郡西都甲村大字長岩屋 [number withheld] 番地 Lot [number withheld], Nagaiwaya, Nishi-Tomiku Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, Oita Prefecture |
| Head of household | 安東喜一 — ANDO Kiichi |
| Former head | 亡父 安東嘉平 — his late father, ANDO Kahei |
| People recorded | 8 |
| Images | 4 received, 4 decoded |
When Kiichi (喜一) opened this register in 1903, each person's birth and marriage were copied from Register 1, and every copied line matches Register 1 exactly. Below we decode only the entries that are new in this register.
Note in the margin
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 昭和拾参年九月五日喜久雄家督相続届出アリタルニ因リ本戸籍ヲ抹消ス | On September 5, 1938 (Shōwa 13), Kikuo reported his succession to the headship; this register was therefore closed. |
ANDO Kiichi — head of household
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治参拾六年壱月拾五日前戸主嘉平死亡ニ因リ家督相続同年弐月五日届出同日受附 | Succeeded to the headship on January 15, 1903 (Meiji 36), on the death of the former head, Kahei. Reported February 5; accepted the same day. |
| 昭和拾参年八月弐拾日午後参時本籍ニ於テ死亡長男喜久雄届出同月弐拾弐日受附 | Died at the registered domicile at 3 p.m. on August 20, 1938 (Shōwa 13). Reported by his eldest son, Kikuo; accepted August 22. |
Tome — Kiichi's mother
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 大正拾年弐月参日本籍ニ於テ死亡同日戸主喜一届出受附 | Died at the registered domicile on February 3, 1921 (Taishō 10). Reported by the head, Kiichi, and accepted the same day. |
Shizu — Kiichi's wife
ANDO Kikuo (喜久雄) — eldest son of Kiichi and Shizu
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治参拾四年参月拾日本籍ニ於テ出生父喜一届出同月拾五日受附 | Born at the registered domicile on March 10, 1901 (Meiji 34). Reported by his father, Kiichi; accepted March 15. |
Mine (ミネ) — eldest daughter of Kiichi and Shizu
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治参拾七年拾月壱日本籍ニ於テ出生父喜一届出同月五日受附 | Born at the registered domicile on October 1, 1904 (Meiji 37). Reported by her father, Kiichi; accepted October 5. |
| 大正拾四年四月八日西国東郡西真玉村 [number withheld] 番地戸主松本留吉長男正一ト婚姻届出同日除籍 | Marriage to Shōichi, the eldest son of MATSUMOTO Tomekichi, head of household, of lot [number withheld], Nishi-Matama Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, reported April 8, 1925 (Taishō 14). Removed from this register the same day. |
ANDO Kisaburō — Kiichi's younger brother your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 大正元年拾壱月弐拾日西国東郡西真玉村 [number withheld] 番地平民河野末吉弐女ヨシノト婚姻届出同日受附 | Marriage to Yoshino, second daughter of KŌNO Suekichi, commoner, of lot [number withheld], Nishi-Matama Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, reported November 20, 1912 (Taishō 1); accepted the same day. ② |
| 大正五年拾月参日分家届出在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年拾壱月弐拾日送付同日除籍 | Report of a branch household, filed October 3, 1916 (Taishō 5) with the Imperial Japanese Consul General in Honolulu. Forwarded to the village office and received November 20; removed from this register the same day (moved to his new register, Register 3). |
Yoshino (ヨシノ) — Kisaburō's wife your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 父 河野末吉 母 タケ 弐女 | Father: KŌNO Suekichi. Mother: Take. Second daughter. ② |
| 明治弐拾六年五月九日生 | Born May 9, 1893 (Meiji 26). |
| 大正元年拾壱月弐拾日喜三郎ト婚姻届出同日入籍 | Marriage to Kisaburō reported November 20, 1912 (Taishō 1); entered this register the same day. |
| 大正五年拾壱月弐拾日夫ニ随ヒ除籍 | Removed from this register on November 20, 1916 (Taishō 5), following her husband into his branch household. |
Kiku — Kiichi's younger sister
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 明治参拾九年参月八日西国東郡草地村 [number withheld] 番地野田市松ト婚姻届出同日除籍 | Marriage to NODA Ichimatsu of lot [number withheld], Kusaji Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, reported March 8, 1906 (Meiji 39). Removed from this register the same day. |
6. Register 3: ANDO Kisaburō's branch household, 1915 format
At a glance
- Opened in 1916, when ANDO Kisaburō (安東喜三郎) set up his own household from Hawaii.
- It records the births of his three children in Hawaii: ANDO Isamu (安東勇), Hana (ハナ) and Minoru (稔).
- It shows that Isamu, your ancestor, gave up his Japanese nationality in 1932, at 15.
| Register type | Pre-reformat register (kaisei-genkoseki), 1915 format |
|---|---|
| Registered domicile | 大分県西国東郡西都甲村大字長岩屋 [number withheld] 番地 Lot [number withheld], Nagaiwaya, Nishi-Tomiku Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District, Oita Prefecture (the same lot as the main household) |
| Head of household | 安東喜三郎 — ANDO Kisaburō |
| People recorded | 5 |
| Images | 3 received, 3 decoded |
Notes in the margin
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 大正五年拾月参日分家届出在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年拾壱月弐拾日送付ニ付本戸籍編製 | This register was opened on November 20, 1916 (Taishō 5), on receipt of the report of a branch household filed with the Consul General in Honolulu on October 3. |
| 昭和弐拾六年四月壱日町村合併につき本籍欄中「西都甲村」を「高田町」と更正 | Registered domicile corrected from "Nishi-Tomiku Village" to "Takada Town" on the merger of April 1, 1951 (Shōwa 26). |
| 昭和弐拾九年五月参拾壱日市制施行につき本籍欄中「高田町」を「豊後高田市」と更正 | Corrected to "Bungo-Takada City" when the town became a city on May 31, 1954 (Shōwa 29). |
| 昭和参拾弐年法務省令第弐拾七号により昭和参拾五年拾月壱日本戸籍改製につき消除 | Under Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 27 of 1957, this register was rewritten in the new format on October 1, 1960 (Shōwa 35), and closed (continued as Register 4). |
ANDO Kisaburō — head of household your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 父 亡 安東嘉平 母 亡 トメ 弐男 | Father: the late ANDO Kahei. Mother: the late Tome. Second son. |
| 大正五年拾月参日兄喜一戸籍ヨリ分家届出在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年拾壱月弐拾日送付 | Set up a branch household from his elder brother Kiichi's register. Reported to the Consul General in Honolulu on October 3, 1916 (Taishō 5); forwarded and received November 20. |
| 昭和参拾年六月拾弐日午前四時アメリカ合衆国ハワイ準州オアフ島ワイパフで死亡同月弐拾日妻ヨシノ届出在ホノルル日本国総領事受附同年七月拾五日送付除籍 | Died at 4 a.m. on June 12, 1955 (Shōwa 30) in Waipahu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, United States. Reported by his wife, Yoshino, to the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu on June 20; forwarded and received July 15, and removed from this register. |
Yoshino — Kisaburō's wife your direct line
ANDO Isamu (勇) — eldest son of Kisaburō and Yoshino your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 大正六年参月弐拾日米国布哇オアフ島ワイパフニ於テ出生父届出同年四月拾日在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年五月弐日送付受附 | Born March 20, 1917 (Taishō 6) in Waipahu, Oahu, Hawaii, United States. Reported by his father to the Consul General in Honolulu on April 10; forwarded and received May 2. ③ |
| 昭和七年九月拾日国籍離脱同年拾壱月弐拾日内務大臣ヨリ通知除籍 | Renounced Japanese nationality on September 10, 1932 (Shōwa 7). Removed from this register on November 20, on notice from the Minister of Home Affairs. |
Hana (ハナ) — eldest daughter of Kisaburō and Yoshino
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 大正八年七月四日米国布哇オアフ島ワイパフニ於テ出生父届出同年八月弐日在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年九月拾日送付受附 | Born July 4, 1919 (Taishō 8) in Waipahu. Reported by her father to the Consul General in Honolulu on August 2; forwarded and received September 10. |
| 昭和拾五年五月拾八日山口県大島郡屋代村 [number withheld] 番地中本清長男勉ト婚姻届出在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年六月弐拾日送付同日除籍 | Marriage to Tsutomu, the eldest son of NAKAMOTO Kiyoshi, of lot [number withheld], Yashiro Village, Ōshima District, Yamaguchi Prefecture, reported to the Consul General in Honolulu on May 18, 1940 (Shōwa 15). Forwarded and received June 20; removed from this register the same day. |
ANDO Minoru (稔) — second son of Kisaburō and Yoshino
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 昭和弐年参月八日米国布哇オアフ島ホノルル市ニ於テ出生父届出国籍留保同月拾五日在ホノルル帝国総領事受附同年四月拾日送付受附 | Born March 8, 1927 (Shōwa 2) in Honolulu. Reported by his father, with a declaration to keep Japanese nationality (kokuseki ryūho, 国籍留保), to the Consul General in Honolulu on March 15; forwarded and received April 10. |
| 昭和弐拾七年六月弐日国籍離脱届出同月拾八日法務大臣から通知除籍 | Reported renunciation of Japanese nationality on June 2, 1952 (Shōwa 27). Removed from this register on June 18, on notice from the Minister of Justice. |
Nationality in the registers of Nisei children
Japanese nationality passed from the father. Isamu (勇) and Hana (ハナ), born in Hawaii before December 1924, were Japanese nationals under Japanese law as well as American citizens by birth. Japan's Nationality Act, as amended in 1924, allowed Japanese nationals born in the United States and some other countries to renounce Japanese nationality by notifying the Minister of Home Affairs. Isamu did so in 1932, at 15.
For children born from December 1, 1924, the 1924 amendment reversed the rule: a child born in those countries kept Japanese nationality only if the parents declared it within 14 days of birth. The birth report of Minoru (稔) in 1927 carries that declaration, filed seven days after his birth.
From December 1924, only children whose parents made this declaration were entered in the Japanese register.
7. Register 4: ANDO Kisaburō's register after 1960
At a glance
- Opened in 1960, when the old register was rewritten in the 1948 format. It still bears the name of ANDO Kisaburō (安東喜三郎), who had died in 1955.
- Only his wife, Yoshino (ヨシノ), was copied into it.
- The city office removed her in 1997, because her death in Hawaii had never been reported to Japan.
| Register type | Closed register (joseki tōhon), 1948 format |
|---|---|
| Registered domicile | 大分県豊後高田市大字長岩屋 [number withheld] 番地 Lot [number withheld], Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City, Oita Prefecture |
| Index person | 安東喜三郎 — ANDO Kisaburō |
| People recorded | 1 |
| Images | 1 received, 1 decoded |
After 1948, a register is indexed by the name of its index person (hittōsha), the first person listed, and that name stays even after that person dies. Kisaburō (喜三郎) had died in 1955, so his name heads this register, but only Yoshino (ヨシノ) was copied into it in 1960.
Notes in the margin
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 昭和参拾弐年法務省令第弐拾七号により昭和参拾五年拾月壱日改製につき昭和参拾五年拾月壱日本戸籍編製 | Opened on October 1, 1960 (Shōwa 35), when the previous register (Register 3) was rewritten under Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 27 of 1957. |
| 平成九年四月拾日消除 | Closed on April 10, 1997 (Heisei 9). |
Yoshino — Kisaburō's wife your direct line
| Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|
| 父 河野末吉 母 タケ 二女 | Father: KŌNO Suekichi. Mother: Take. Second daughter. ② |
| 明治弐拾六年五月九日生 | Born May 9, 1893 (Meiji 26). |
| 高齢者につき平成九年参月弐拾八日大分地方法務局長の許可を得て同年四月拾日消除 | As a very elderly person, removed from the register on April 10, 1997 (Heisei 9), with the permission of the Director of the Oita District Legal Affairs Bureau, granted March 28. |
Why Yoshino was removed in 1997
Your family tells us that Yoshino (ヨシノ) died in Waipahu in 1971*. Her death was not reported to Japan, so the register kept her as living. A person in a register may be over 100 years old with no death reported. In that case, the city office may remove the entry with the permission of the Legal Affairs Bureau. That is what happened in 1997, when Yoshino would have been 103.
8. The family year by year
| Year | Event | Register |
|---|---|---|
| 1828 | Mitsu ミツ is born ①, the 2nd day of the 7th month (lunar calendar; about August). | 1 |
| 1850 | Kahei 嘉平 is born, the 12th day of the 4th month (lunar calendar; about May). | 1 |
| 1855 | Tome トメ, daughter of SATŌ Denzō 佐藤伝蔵 of Kusaji Village, is born, the 3rd day of the 8th month (lunar calendar; about September). | 1 |
| 1873 | Tome marries Kahei, October 2. | 1 |
| 1874 | Kiichi 喜一 is born, February 8. | 1 |
| 1877 | Haru ハル is born, September 26. | 1 |
| 1879 | Isaburō 伊三郎 dies; Kahei becomes head, March 10. | 1 |
| 1882 | Kisaburō 喜三郎 is born, November 20. | 1 |
| 1886 | Kiku キク is born, June 14. Register 1 is opened in the new 1886 format. | 1 |
| 1889 | Nagaiwaya becomes part of Nishi-Tomiku Village. | 1 |
| 1891 | Mitsu dies, November 8. | 1 |
| 1893 | Yoshino ヨシノ, daughter of KŌNO Suekichi 河野末吉 of Nishi-Matama Village, is born, May 9. | 2 |
| 1896 | Haru marries USAMI Heitarō 宇佐美平太郎 of Tashibu Village, February 10. | 1 |
| 1899 | Kiichi marries Shizu シヅ of Kakaji, Misaki Village, March 15. | 1 |
| 1901 | Kikuo 喜久雄 is born, March 10. | 2 |
| 1903 | Kahei dies, January 15. Kiichi becomes head; Register 2 is opened. | 1, 2 |
| 1904 | Mine ミネ is born, October 1. | 2 |
| 1905 | Kisaburō leaves for Hawaii*. | — |
| 1906 | Kiku marries NODA Ichimatsu 野田市松 of Kusaji Village, March 8. | 2 |
| 1912 | Kisaburō marries Yoshino, November 20. | 2 |
| 1916 | Kisaburō sets up his branch household; Register 3 is opened, November 20. | 2, 3 |
| 1917 | Isamu 勇 is born in Waipahu, March 20. | 3 |
| 1919 | Hana ハナ is born in Waipahu, July 4. | 3 |
| 1921 | Tome dies, February 3. | 2 |
| 1925 | Mine marries MATSUMOTO Shōichi 松本正一 of Nishi-Matama Village, April 8. | 2 |
| 1927 | Minoru 稔 is born in Honolulu, March 8. | 3 |
| 1932 | Isamu renounces Japanese nationality, September 10. | 3 |
| 1938 | Kiichi dies, August 20. Kikuo becomes head. | 2 |
| 1940 | Hana marries NAKAMOTO Tsutomu 中本勉, May 18. | 3 |
| 1946 | Kenneth T. Ando is born in Honolulu*. | — |
| 1952 | Minoru renounces Japanese nationality, June 2. | 3 |
| 1955 | Kisaburō dies in Waipahu, June 12. | 3 |
| 1960 | Register 3 is rewritten as Register 4, October 1. | 3, 4 |
| 1971 | Yoshino dies in Waipahu*. | — |
| 1997 | Yoshino's entry is removed; Register 4 is closed, April 10. | 4 |
9. Places, then and now
Japan merged its villages in 1889, in the 1940s and 1950s, and again in the 2000s, so the names in old registers rarely match today's map. All the villages in Nishi-Kunisaki District below are now part of Bungo-Takada City. In the "As written" column, 郡 (gun) means district, 村 (mura) village and 町 (machi) town.
| As written | Then | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 長岩屋村 | Nagaiwaya Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District (until 1889) | Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City, Oita Prefecture |
| 西都甲村大字長岩屋 | Nagaiwaya, Nishi-Tomiku Village (1889–1951) | Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City |
| 高田町大字長岩屋 | Nagaiwaya, Takada Town (1951–54) | Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City |
| 豊後高田市大字長岩屋 | Nagaiwaya, Bungo-Takada City (from May 31, 1954) | The same |
| 草地村 | Kusaji Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District | Kusaji, Bungo-Takada City |
| 岬村大字香々地 | Kakaji, Misaki Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District (Kakaji Town from 1919) | Kakaji, Bungo-Takada City (since 2005) |
| 田染村 | Tashibu Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District | Tashibu, Bungo-Takada City |
| 西真玉村 | Nishi-Matama Village, Nishi-Kunisaki District (part of Matama Village from 1941) | Matama, Bungo-Takada City (since 2005) |
| 山口県大島郡屋代村 | Yashiro Village, Ōshima District, Yamaguchi Prefecture | Higashi-Yashiro and Nishi-Yashiro, Suō-Ōshima Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| 米国布哇オアフ島ワイパフ | Waipahu, Oahu, Hawaii | Waipahu, Honolulu County, Hawaii |
| 米国布哇オアフ島ホノルル市 | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | Honolulu, Hawaii |
10. Notes on uncertain readings
- Year of birth of Mitsu (ミツ) (Register 1). The register reads 文政拾壱年 (Bunsei 11, 1828). The second character is faint, and 拾弐 (12, giving 1829) is the other possible reading. We read 1828 because the same clerk writes 弐 with a clear double stroke elsewhere on the page. Confidence: medium. Mitsu appears in no other register you hold.
- Name of the father of Yoshino (ヨシノ) (Registers 2 and 4). In Register 2 the first character of his given name could be 末 (Sue-) or 未 (Mi-), which differ by the length of one stroke. Register 4, written in 1960, gives 末 clearly. We read Suekichi (末吉). Confidence: high.
- Birthplace of Isamu (勇) (Register 3). The last katakana character is faint and could be read as フ (fu) or ウ (u). The birth entry of Hana (ハナ) on the same page gives ワイパフ clearly, the usual Japanese spelling of Waipahu, the sugar-plantation town west of Honolulu. Confidence: high.
11. Index of people
| Name | Name as written | Relationship to Kisaburō | Born | Registers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Yaeko Ando* | — | Daughter-in-law (Isamu's wife) | 1921 | — |
| Hana | ハナ | Eldest daughter of Kisaburō and Yoshino; married NAKAMOTO Tsutomu 中本勉 | 1919 | 3 |
| Haru | ハル | Kisaburō's elder sister; married USAMI Heitarō 宇佐美平太郎 | 1877 | 1 |
| Isaburō | 伊三郎 | Kisaburō's grandfather | — | 1 |
| Isamu | 勇 | Eldest son of Kisaburō and Yoshino | 1917 | 3 |
| Kahei | 嘉平 | Kisaburō's father | 1850 | 1, 2 |
| Kenneth T. Ando* | — | Grandson (Isamu's son) | 1946 | — |
| Kiichi | 喜一 | Kisaburō's elder brother | 1874 | 1, 2 |
| Kiku | キク | Kisaburō's younger sister; married NODA Ichimatsu 野田市松 | 1886 | 1, 2 |
| Kikuo | 喜久雄 | Nephew (son of Kiichi and Shizu) | 1901 | 2 |
| Kisaburō | 喜三郎 | — | 1882 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Mine | ミネ | Niece (daughter of Kiichi and Shizu); married MATSUMOTO Shōichi 松本正一 | 1904 | 2 |
| Minoru | 稔 | Second son of Kisaburō and Yoshino | 1927 | 3 |
| Mitsu | ミツ | Kisaburō's grandmother | 1828 ① | 1 |
| Shizu | シヅ | Sister-in-law (Kiichi's wife), née Watanabe 渡辺 | 1880 | 1, 2 |
| Tome | トメ | Kisaburō's mother, née Satō 佐藤 | 1855 | 1, 2 |
| Yoshino | ヨシノ | Kisaburō's wife, née Kōno 河野 | 1893 | 2, 3, 4 |
12. Where the records may lead next
- Before 1886. Mitsu (ミツ) was born in 1828, before Japan's first family registers, and Isaburō (伊三郎) died in 1879, before the 1886 format. The first registers, kept from 1872 to 1886, have been sealed by the Ministry of Justice since 1968. For the generations before Mitsu, the death register of the family temple (kakochō, 過去帳) may help, if it survives.
- The main household after 1938. The register of Kikuo (喜久雄) continues the line of Kiichi (喜一) in Nagaiwaya and lists the Ando relatives who stayed in Japan. It names none of your direct ancestors, so it is open to Kikuo's descendants rather than to you; Ando relatives in Japan may be able to share it.
- Yoshino's family. The register of KŌNO Suekichi (河野末吉) of Nishi-Matama Village lists Yoshino (ヨシノ) before her marriage, with her parents, brothers and sisters. As Yoshino's descendant, you may request it.
- Kisaburō's voyage. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps the lists of passports issued in each prefecture. Those for 1905 are held at its Diplomatic Archives in Tokyo and may record the passport of Kisaburō (喜三郎). Kisaburō's arrival in 1905 and Yoshino's after 1912 may appear in the Honolulu passenger lists, 1900–1953, held by the US National Archives and free to view on FamilySearch.
If you know when Yoshino came to Hawaii, or have photographs or letters from Nagaiwaya, please let us know by email. They can be added to the next edition of this report.
About this report
Prepared from 12 images of four certified register copies issued by Bungo-Takada City. Facts marked with an asterisk (*) come from your family's information. Transcriptions follow the original characters; translations are ours. This is a family-history document. For legal purposes in Japan, use the certified copies themselves.
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