Japan Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
日本, 戸口調査, 1661-1875

Record Description
This collection of Japanese census records originates primarily from Ehime-ken in Shikoku, Japan. The collection consists of records spanning from 1661-1875. The images in this collection derive from original records located in the Ehime-ken Prefecture Library and the Kyushu Historical Museum.

The census records included in this collection are called Shumoncho (宗門帳). The Shumoncho were created to check the religion of the villager in conjunction with a Christianity suppression law during the Edo period.

Record Content
Census records may contain the following information:
 * Residence
 * Names of family members
 * Birth dates of family members
 * Ages of family members at the time of census
 * Sect affiliation

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, help with reading the language, and tips to keep in mind as you research.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname as well as 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 Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Prefecture (都道府県)' category ⇒ Select the 'County or City (郡又は市)' category ⇒ Select the 'Title (題名), Volume (巻), Page (頁), and Year (年)' category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image. Compare the information you find with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading these Records
These records are in Japanese. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Glossary of Japanese Genealogical Terms

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

Related Websites

 * National Archives of Japan Digital Archive
 * Japanese Genealogy Blog
 * Annotated edition of Major Genealogical Record Sources in Japan (1974) by the Genealogical Society of Utah

Related Wiki Articles

 * Japan Census
 * Japan
 * Japan History
 * Japan Emigration and Immigration

Related FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Japan, Genealogies (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Japan, Village Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Japan, Passenger Lists (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

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