Japan Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Japan

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains a list of Japanese emigrants from the country as recorded by the Diplomatic Record Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The records are from an index of overseas travelers processed through Japanese emigration agents and related immigration papers for the years 1893-1941.

Japanese emigration records were generated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japanese Diplomacy office at the time when people emigrated from Japan.

Reading These Records
These records are in Japanese. See the For Help Reading These Records section for translation tools.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Passenger lists usually include the following information:


 * Full name of passenger
 * Address
 * Date of birth
 * Date of departure
 * Gender
 * Destination
 * Residence

Emigration records usually include the following information:


 * Passport Number
 * Full Name
 * Prefecture
 * Birth Date
 * Gender
 * Residence before departure
 * Date of Departure
 * Departure Age
 * Destination Place

How Do I Search the Collection?
These records are used to identify the permanent domicile of the head of the household, which is helpful in obtaining the koseki, the Japanese word for a family registry. These records are good linkage records. They are particularly helpful for American researchers who are trying to determine where their Japanese ancestor came from.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, place of birth, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page. 1.Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have. 2.Click Search to show possible matches.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Japanese. For help with reading the records, see the following resource:


 * The Genealogy of the Japanese Language
 * Japanese to English Translation

How Do I Analyze the Results?
This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * If you are wondering what to do next with the record you found, be sure to look at all of the information on other family records. This information will help you figure out relationships and form family groups.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date
 * Find the place of birth for your ancestor
 * Use the residence to locate census records
 * Use the destination information to look for immigration records
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor, search for your ancestor’s nickname and various spellings of the name.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):