Japan Village Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
日本、村レコード

Record Description
This collection will include records from 709 to 1949.

This collection has village records obtained from Fukuoka, Japan. These records include land records, genealogies, religious censuses, and individual family records.

Japanese villages were responsible for several types of records that can be of significant genealogical value, especially when the religious inquisition census records (shumoncho) are unavailable.

These records include the following:


 * Land and property records
 * Tax records (who paid taxes, etc.)
 * Population and status records (a type of census)
 * Lists of people who were drafted into the military
 * Financial records
 * Conservation project records

To see more types of records that are in this collection, go to Japan Village Records.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These records may contain the following information:


 * Full name of ancestor
 * Age
 * Date of transaction
 * Occupation

How to Use the Record
To search the Village Records, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Estimated birth year
 * Name of village
 * You should have already gathered as much information as possible from your home and family and filled out family group records and a pedigree chart.

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Prefecture (都道府県)" category ⇒Select the "County or City (郡又は市), Town or Village (町又は村)" category ⇒Select the "Record Type (記録の種類)" category ⇒Select the "Title (題名), Volume (巻)/Page (頁), and Year (年)" category which will take you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have found the record that you have been looking for, the following will help you further your research:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth year

General Information About These Records
These records are used to identify individuals. You can obtain generational linkage, as well as names, places, and dates for village inhabitants. Some list only males, but others list both males and females, and some include children. Personal seals affixed to documents can be very helpful for differentiating between men who had identical given names. You may also find collateral lines that you cannot find in the koseki.

To learn more about how to use these records, go to Japan Village Records for more information.

Related Websites

 * Keizu - Japanese Genealogy
 * Japanese Genealogy Resources
 * Japan GenWeb

Related Wiki Articles

 * Japan Research Methods
 * Japan Village Records
 * Japan Record Loss

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata.