What Is a Family Tree?
A family tree brings together, in a single chart, the “connections” from your ancestors down to your family today. Here we explain, step by step, how to make a family tree, how far back you can trace using the family register (koseki), and the difference between making one yourself and using a family tree creation service.
What a Family Tree Reveals
Making a family tree lets you see three kinds of “connections” that you might not usually think about.
A family tree also helps things move faster when you need to show the range of relatives in inheritance procedures.
How to Make a Family Tree — 5 Steps
- 1
Ask your family
Start by asking your living relatives for names, years of birth, and places of origin. Notes on the backs of photos, New Year's cards, and records of memorial services can also be clues. This first step is the most important. That is because the family register does not record “what kind of person someone was.”
- 2
Collect family registers
Start with your own certified copy of the family register, then follow the “previous register” noted in it to trace back to certified copies of closed registers (joseki) and pre-revision registers (kaisei genkoseki). You can request the registers of yourself, your spouse, and your lineal relatives (parents, grandparents, etc.) on your own.
Since March 2024, you can obtain family registers at municipal offices other than the one for your registered domicile (wide-area issuance). However, handling differs by local government, so please check before you go.
- 3
Arrange and verify
Arrange the registers you have collected in order from oldest to newest and link the parent-child relationships. The same person may be written in different ways, so cross-check using dates of birth and registered domiciles.
- 4
Draw the chart
You can write it on paper, make it in spreadsheet software, or use a dedicated service—any method is fine. The more people there are, the harder it becomes to arrange them so that the lines do not cross.
- 5
Preserve and share
A finished family tree becomes even more valuable when your family can view it. If you preserve it together with photos and memories, you can pass it on as is to the next generation.
How Far Back Can Family Registers Go?
(mentioned only) Meiji 19 (1886) registers
Most often back to here Taisho / Showa Present
The oldest surviving family registers are often the Meiji 19 (1886) format, and the birth years of people recorded in them can go back as far as the Edo period.
However, how far you can trace differs from family to family. This is because registers may have been destroyed by fire in wartime or disasters, or discarded after their retention period expired (the retention period for certified copies of closed registers and similar documents is currently 150 years).
Making It Yourself vs. Using a Family Tree Creation Service
| Doing it yourself | Family tree creation service | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Fee per family register copy (a few hundred yen) and postage | Acquisition costs + service fee |
| Effort | Requests to each registered domicile; ongoing exchanges by mail | You can leave it to us |
| Time | It can take several months | Depends on the number of lineages and the circumstances of each local government |
| Best for | People who want to enjoy the research process itself | People who want reliable results quickly |
Neither approach is the “right” one. A common way to proceed is to start on your own, then turn to a service once you get stuck.
What You Can Do with Family Storage
Family Map
You can create your family's family tree in your browser for free. Connect parents, children, and siblings to expand it, and keep photos and anniversaries along with it. By inviting your family, you can all view the same family tree even if you live apart.
Family Tree Creation Service (Family Research)
Our specialists take on the research of tracing family registers. We have also cooperated in the production of NHK's “Family History” TV program.
Information gathering + map creation ¥55,000 / per lineage (tax included)
Fees are calculated per lineage (one surname). Payment is made at the final stage, and we begin the research after confirming your payment.
FAQ
Can I really make a family tree for free?
Can I request family registers myself?
How large will the family tree be?
Series: “Tracing Your Family Tree”
Each step is introduced in a little more detail here.
- 1How to Request Family RegistersBy mail and wide-area issuance: the first step
- 2How to Draw a Family TreeVertical or horizontal layout, and how to connect the lines
- 3Choosing a Family Tree TemplateWhat the format decides, and what it doesn't
- 4The Cost of Making a Family TreeDoing it yourself vs. leaving it to a service
- 5Choosing a Family Tree Creation ServiceFive things to check before you apply
- 6What to Include in a Family TreeHow many degrees of kinship should you include?
