Japan Military Records

Asia Japan

What they are
These records are lists of heroic soldiers and patriots (aikokusha) who are honored and enshrined at various shrines and temples. The Yasukuni shrine (jinja) near Tokyo is government funded. They cover the time period from 1852—1945.

Use these records to
If you have military ancestry, you can use these records to identify specific individuals and find their death information. You can also use them to establish relationships.

Content
These records cover 40 to 50 percent of all soldiers who died during this period, about 30 percent of the total population. A typical Enshrined Patriot list contains:


 * Name
 * Date of birth
 * Permanent domicile

How to obtain them
The family History Library has a few of these microfilms, especially earlier ones. In Japan, they are found at the Yasukuni shrine, local shrines, memorial museums in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare Office. Printed materials are available to the public. Original documents are kept in the Yasukuni shrine, and are available to the relatives of the patriot only.