Encountering Old Family Registers
As you progress in your family tree research, you will inevitably encounter handwritten family registers from the Meiji and Taisho eras.
These registers were written with brush and ink by municipal office clerks of the time. They are recorded in "kuzushiji" (cursive characters) that are difficult for modern readers to decipher.
However, by knowing just a few key tips, you'll be surprised at how smoothly you can read them. This article covers concrete strategies for deciphering these historic documents.
Tips for Reading Cursive Characters
1. Learn Frequently Appearing Characters
The kanji that appear frequently in family registers are limited:
- 男・女 (Male/Female): Gender notation
- 長男・次男・三男 (First son, second son, third son): Family relationship
- 明治・大正・昭和 (Meiji, Taisho, Showa): Era names
- 生・死・婚姻 (Birth, Death, Marriage): Civil status matters
Simply learning the cursive patterns for these common characters will dramatically improve your ability to read old registers.
Era names like "Meiji," "Taisho," and "Showa" appear repeatedly, so once you recognize those patterns, the flow of an entire document becomes much easier to follow.
2. Infer from Context
Family register entries follow set patterns and formats:
"In the year XX, month XX, day XX, born in XX" / "Registered as the eldest son of father XX and mother XX"
Knowing these patterns allows you to understand the overall meaning even if some characters are illegible. For example, a date always precedes "birth," and a family relationship always precedes "registration." Keeping these templates in mind greatly improves your guessing accuracy.
3. Compare Multiple Registers
The same person may appear in different registers. Newer registers are often easier to read, providing clues for deciphering older ones.
For instance, a name that was unreadable in an original pre-reform register might be written more clearly in a removed register. Cross-referencing multiple documents gives you the confidence to read forward with certainty.
4. Use Digital Tools
In recent years, online cursive character dictionaries have become freely available, and kuzushiji recognition apps have emerged. Using these tools alongside manual research can dramatically speed up the deciphering process.
Organize Your Findings into a Family Tree
Once you've deciphered old family registers, the next step is to organize that information into a family tree.
It would be a shame to leave hard-won ancestral names and dates in a notebook. By compiling them into a visual family tree, your family's history becomes immediately visible at a glance.
The "Anotoki Kakeizu" app lets you intuitively compile information from registers into a family tree. Record names, birthdates, dates of death, maiden names, occupations, and even set family crests and profile photos — preserving each ancestor's record with care.
Experience Your Ancestors' Era with the Time Machine
The signature feature of "Anotoki Kakeizu" is the Time Machine function. Animate your family history from 1600 to the present day.
For example, if you discover from registers that your great-grandfather was born in Meiji 15 (1882), the Time Machine visually shows what era he lived through and how old other family members were at the same time.
The moment when events you read about in history textbooks overlap with your own ancestors' lives is genuinely moving.
Export and Share in Multiple Formats
Export your family tree in PNG, PDF (A4/A3/Letter), CSV, GEDCOM, JSON and more:
- Print a high-quality PDF and frame it as elegant home decor
- Share a PNG in your family group chat so everyone can enjoy the history
- Export as GEDCOM for compatibility with other genealogy software
A Family Tree as a Gift
A family tree created from deciphered registers makes the best gift for parents and grandparents.
Birthday celebrations, respect for the aged day — in an era where experiences matter more than things, a family tree is a one-of-a-kind gift that touches hearts deeply.
Start Creating Your Family Tree Today
Deciphering old registers can be challenging, but the reward is the irreplaceable experience of discovering your roots.
"Anotoki Kakeizu" is free to download. Available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, you can start creating your family tree today. Simply input the information you've gathered, one ancestor at a time, and a beautiful family tree takes shape automatically.