Decoding the Koseki: Navigating Japan’s Family Registry and Its Hidden Surprises

Curious about Japanese ancestry but confused by koseki records? This session goes beyond how to read a koseki and explores the family systems and legal concepts that shape Japan’s family registry. You’ll learn how ideas such as filial piety, adult adoption, family hierarchy (honke and bunke), and household headship influence what appears in the records—and why families sometimes disappear from the koseki altogether. Using real examples, this class helps you recognize common surprises, understand name changes and adoptions in context, and interpret koseki more accurately as historical and legal family documents. Whether you’re new to Japanese records or seeking deeper insight, you’ll leave with a clearer framework for making sense of one of Japan’s most powerful genealogical sources.