Discover Your Roots in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi

Are your ancestors from Hiroshima or Yamaguchi? Since 1884, approximately 110,000 people emigrated from Hiroshima and 60,000 from Yamaguchi to Hawaii, the United States, Canada, and other countries. Today, many of their descendants return to Japan in search of their family roots. As a licensed National Government Certified Guide Interpreter, I provide English-Japanese language support and local assistance for your family history journey. My services include translating documents, interpreting with municipal offices and temples, assisting with inquiries about family registers (koseki) and emigration records, visiting ancestral graves, hometowns, and family temples, and helping facilitate communication with relatives if they are located and willing to meet. Please note that I am not a private investigator, so I cannot guarantee that relatives, graves, or historical records will be found. However, I will do my very best to support your search with my local knowledge and professional experience.

I can translate the required documents. (English ⇔Japanese) The more information you can provide before your visit, the better. Helpful documents include: ・Birth certificates ・Japanese family registers (koseki), if available ・Immigration or emigration records ・Marriage certificates ・Old family photographs ・Letters, diaries, or family stories ・Names (including Japanese spellings, if known), dates, and places connected with your ancestors Your tour can also include visits to museums and historical sites that tell the story of Japanese emigration from Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Transportation, admission fees, and document acquisition fees are not included in the tour price. NOTE: Tours are not available during the city hall closure period (August 13–16), the year-end and New Year’s holidays (December 25–January 6), or on Japanese national holidays and weekends. Please inquire in advance.