Applying for Family Research — Five Steps and What Happens Before It Begins

When you build a family tree on your own, you will hit a dead end at some point. You don't know the names beyond your grandparents; you can't obtain old family registers (koseki) from a distant registered domicile (honseki); you can't request the registers of relatives outside the direct line, such as uncles and aunts, without a letter of authorization—

That is when we invite you to use Family Research. Our specialists obtain and examine your ancestors' family registers and bring your family's history to light. The operator, Tradition Blue Co., Ltd., has cooperated in the production of NHK "Family History" (TV program) on NHK General TV and has created many family trees.

In this final installment of the series, we introduce the two Family Research courses and how to apply.

Two Courses

Information gathering only — ¥22,000 per lineage (tax included)

• Our specialists collect the family registers all at once for you
• You can learn about roughly 150 years of your family's history
• We send you the family registers we collected

Information gathering + map creation — ¥55,000 per lineage (tax included)

• In addition to collecting the family registers, we trace them and create a family tree (Family Map) for you
• We send you the Family Map as a PDF
• We add what we found directly to your Family Map on Family Storage

If you would like us to collect the family registers and then build the family tree yourself, we recommend "information gathering only." If you would like to leave everything to us, from reading the registers to making the family tree, we recommend "information gathering + map creation."

What Is “One Lineage”?

Fees are calculated per lineage (one surname line). Each surname counts as one lineage, such as "your father's family line" and "your mother's family line."

For example, if you research both your father's and your mother's side with "information gathering + map creation," that is two lineages, for ¥110,000 (tax included). You can choose the number of lineages on the application screen.

Five Steps to Apply

From the Family Map screen or the "Family Research" page, go to "Apply for research." You need to be logged in as a member to apply.

STEP 1 · Application

Choose the course and the number of lineages you would like researched. No payment is made at this point.

STEP 2 · Review

Check the course you chose, the number of lineages and the total amount on the screen. Up to this screen, you can freely add or change things. We also give you an estimate of how long it will take to complete.

STEP 3 · Your Information

Enter your name, address and contact details, along with the names and registered domiciles of the ancestors to be researched, as far as you know them. We will look into anything you are unsure of, so it is fine to leave those fields blank.

STEP 4 · Letters of Authorization

Print the six letters of authorization from the screen, write your name by hand, and stamp them with your seal. Put them in the enclosed envelope and mail them to us.

Some family registers cannot be requested without authorization from the person concerned or a relative. For that reason, this one step requires paper and your seal. You can print the letters from "Download letters of authorization" on the screen shown after you apply, and you can also view the "Sample (how to fill in)."

STEP 5 · Payment

The current payment method is bank transfer. Please cover the transfer fee yourself. Your application becomes official once we confirm your payment, and we then begin the research. Credit card payment is currently being prepared.

Time to Completion

• Information gathering only — within 60 days of confirming your payment
• Information gathering + map creation — within 120 days of confirming your payment

Within the periods above, the time varies depending on the number of lineages and the circumstances of each municipality. We will give you an estimate when you apply.

After You Apply

• You can check the details of your application at any time from "Research application history" on My Page
• Once the research is complete, we send you the family registers (and, for "information gathering + map creation," the Family Map PDF as well)
• You can download your receipt from the screen

The generation limit on your Family Map is lifted

With the free service, you can build your Family Map up to four generations. When you use Family Research, the generation limit for that lineage is lifted, and you can extend your family tree to five, six generations and to ancestors even further back.

When the research is complete, we will let you know the next time you open your Family Map.

Cancellations and Refunds

• Before payment — no fee is incurred
• After payment, before the research begins — we refund the full amount
• After the research begins, before the report is delivered — we refund the amount remaining after deducting actual expenses already incurred and a fee based on the progress of the research
• After the report is delivered — we are unable to offer a refund
• If we are at fault — we refund the full amount

How much a family history search can reveal depends on how well family registers and other records have survived. Due to war damage or the expiry of retention periods, the years and number of people that can be traced may be limited. For details, please see the "Cancellation and Refund Policy."

Helpful Things to Have Ready Before You Apply

• The surname of each lineage to be researched — your father's surname, your mother's maiden name, and so on
• The names of ancestors you know — grandparents, great-grandparents and so on, as far as you know
• Clues to the registered domicile — the name of the town where your ancestors lived or the location of the family grave can also be clues
• Your personal seal (inkan) — to stamp the letters of authorization

The information already in your Family Map and in each person's records serves as a useful reference for your application. If you first build your Family Map as far as you know, filling in the form will go smoothly.

The Benefits of Leaving It to Specialists

You can obtain family registers yourself. Even so, many people choose to leave it to specialists, for reasons such as these:

• Even if your ancestors' registered domiciles are spread across the country, we can request them all together
• Old family registers from the Meiji and Taisho eras are handwritten and can be hard to read. We read and organize such registers as well
• We work out which family registers to request and in what order, so that nothing is missed

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lineages should I apply for?

Many people start with one lineage: the family line of their own surname (their father's side). If you would also like to research your mother's family, please choose two lineages.

Can I apply even if I don't know the registered domicile?

Yes. Just enter what you know, and we will look into the rest.

Who fills in the letters of authorization?

The applicant writes their own name by hand and stamps the letters with their seal. You can check how to fill them in under "Sample (how to fill in)."

Can I check the details of my application later?

Yes. You can check them at any time from "Research application history" on My Page.

I would just like to ask some questions first.

Please feel free to ask through the consultation chatbot at the bottom right of the screen or via "Contact us."

Closing the Series

Thank you for reading our nine-part series, "How to Use Family Storage," all the way to the end.

• Parts 1–4 — Starting, adding to, arranging and printing your Family Map
• Parts 5–7 — Records for each person, anniversaries, and inviting your family
• Part 8 — The AI Storyteller and the consultation chatbot
• Part 9 — Applying for Family Research (this installment)

A family tree is born from stories you can only hear now and family registers you can only obtain now. Let's preserve the records of your family and each of its members with Family Storage.

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In this series, "How to Use Family Storage," we introduce the features one at a time so that even first-time users can use them with confidence.