Koseki (Japanese Family Registry) Translation
Unlocking your family history, finally.
When the mysteries are solved and you can finally learn more about the lives of your family members hidden between the vertical lines of the Japanese handwriting from years past, it's a great feeling.
Do any of these sound familiar?
✔ You have koseki, or Japanese family registries, that you want to understand in order to trace your family history
✔ You’re looking for someone who can read handwritten Japanese from the Meiji area to connect with your roots
✔ You know some Japanese so want to be able to work closely with a translator who understands your wishes
✔ You've tried machine translation and gotten mixed results
Imagine having complete confidence in the nuance, cultural positioning, and specialization of the family registry documents you need translated.
What if I told you that you could...
✔ Be valued as a client and individual, with sensitivity to the project and clear communication prioritized
✔ Be confident that you can discuss nuance, historical and cultural context, and more
✔ Get a unique perspective that can only come from a biculatural translator who is also a linguist and language teacher
✔ Receive complimentary corrections for one week from the date of delivery
Understanding Your Koseki
The perfect guide for anyone looking to understand koseki better. This free, 7-page document outlines the history, different types of koseki, how to read them, and more!
With Sachi’s koseki translations, you will:
1. Create a customized service plan to meet your needs
Not all documents are the same, and not all client needs are the same. Before work begins, we’ll ensure that all of your needs are being met through a customized plan.
2. Guaranteed nuance and cultural appropriateness
Koseki translations require specialized knowledge of its various formats, dormant kanji characters, and historical context. A good translation also takes style, tone, and cultural appropriateness into consideration, and you’re guaranteed to get it all.
3. Receive complimentary revisions for one week from delivery
Is there a sentence that you’d prefer worded differently? Find a particular word that you’d like replaced? Not a problem! It’ll be fixed right away.
“I was familiar with Sachi’s skills as a translator from a previous project, and one of the reasons she was my top choice for this job was because I was so impressed by her thoughtful translation work and careful consideration of the nuances in language. Her translation work in our project was excellent, and the very high quality results reflect her careful and serious attention to detail, as well as the authors’ different points of view. I especially appreciated her flexibility, and quick and helpful communication throughout.”
— Liz Maly, Associate Professor, IRIDeS, Tohoku University
“Sachi translated historical and family documents that required a skill set and knowledge that she clearly possessed. She was thorough and her attention to detail was very important to this work. She was flexible and communicated very well. She completed the work with an absolutely high quality result.”
— Bill Hamade, Family Historian and Archivist
“Sachi provided me a comprehensive translation of four of my family's koseki including all life event details, from both handwritten and typed formats. [She] also shared useful comments on modern address changes, alternative name readings, and transcriptions for all names. I would definitely work with her again!”
— Aaron Nagao
“Sachi was an absolute pleasure to work with. When working with archival documents she was always clear, detail oriented and efficient, she was also open and sensitive to the project and priorities at hand. I look forward to working with her again.”
— Randall Okita, Director
“Her work is always excellent, delivered on time, and she goes above and beyond to ensure the end product is clear and ready for our immediate use. I highly recommend Sachi for any project.”
— Kate Firuz, Director, Digital Payments, Avanquest
“Sachi worked as translator, live interpreter and provided additional consultation during pre-production for a shoot in Japan with the National Film Board of Canada. She was incredibly communicative, flexible, reliable and highly contributed to the success of the shoot. Sachi is highly skilled and is a pleasure to work with, I would absolutely recommend her services.”
— Jennifer Bertling, Unit Productions Manager, National Film Board of Canada
Learn more about koseki
We share videos about koseki on social media. Check out the videos below and this YouTube playlist!
To read more about koseki, download this free guide.
Past Projects:
Today, I focus on koseki and disaster science translation, but I have experience translating in a variety of fields!
1. Koseki (Japanese Family Registries)
Koseki, or family registries, need to be translated for a variety of reasons - sometimes relating to international marriage or divorce, sometimes to prove family relations, and sometimes because people of Japanese heritage want to reconnect with their relatives. Randall Okita, a film director, required my koseki translation servcies to prepare for his documentary, The Book of Distance. Another client, Bill Hamade, required koseki translations for personal use. Registries began in the early 1800s and continue today. Although they are presently all digital, for many years, koseki were handwritten. Translating these documents requires the ability to read and decipher different calligraphic styles, the ability to research kanji no longer in use, as well as historic geographic names. Specializing in this area has proven to be rewarding for both my clients and myself.
2. Kataritsugi
Kataritsugi is an annual storytelling of survivor stories from the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters that occured in the Tohoku region of Japan. Every year, 7 survivors have their personal stories curated for a wide audience. For 4 years (2016-2018, 2021), I translated these stories. Personal stories are challenging yet fun because there is a lot of opportunity for subtle nuance and emotional expression. These stories are painful and raw narratives that allowed me to use excessible, conversational English to invite non-speakers into the lives of these survivors.
3. Brain Imaging Research
Since working at the Institute for Development, Aging, and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, I have had the opportunity to work with brain imaging researchers. One client is conducting research on wisdom - identifying what parts of the brain become active when someone provides advice. As with other specialized areas, scientific journal articles follow a specific format, style of writing, and vocabulary. This is both more challenging and easier than personal stories. Specific vocabulary is required, but the manner of expression is much more straightforward. As always, I confirm the meaning of any unclear phrases (using both languages) during the project to ensure trust and accuracy.
Your treasured documents - your family history - in a language accessible to you.
Want to chat first? Please complete a contact form here.
Here's what happens when we work together:
Step 1.
We will discuss your needs and create a customized service plan. If you have specific needs, please let me know!
Step 2.
Once the details have been confirmed, we agree and sign the necessary documents.
Step 3.
Work begins! If any confirmation is required, I reach out and make the necessary changes based on your response.
Step 4.
I provide complimentary revisions for 1 week from the date of delivery, so feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!
FAQs
1. What is a koseki?
A koseki (戸籍) is a form of civil registration, which also functions as proof of Japanese nationality. All Japanese citizens are listed in a koseki with the exception of the royal family. Any non-citizen who marries a Japanese citizen will have their name listed in the koseki among their spouce's (and any children's) details, but they will not have a separate entry unless they become a Japanese citizen.
Kosekis detail life events including births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and adoptions. They also include the domicile (address of which the koseki is connected to, which may or may not be the actual residence of each person), geographic name changes, and laws that trigger changes in the koseki.
To learn more about the history of koseki and how to read them, click here!
2. Do you only translate from Japanese to English?
Over the years, I have provided translation services in both directions - Japanese to English and English to Japanese. No matter which direction the translation occurs in, careful proofreading is done before delivery, and complimentary revisions are provided for one week from the date of delivery. Today, I focus on koseki and disaster science translation, which is often Japanese to English.
2. Do you provide interpreting services?
Sometimes! To inquire about interpreting, please click here.
3. Do you only work remotely?
Although I can work remotely and in-person, almost all projects are done remotely to accomodate clients from around the world. Whether we meet in person or not will depend on where you are located, and where I am in the world at the time. Because I travel, I may be able to come to you! For inquiries, please click here.
4. What fields do you translate in?
Thanks for asking! Today, I specialize in translating koseki, or Japanese family registries, and disaster science. However, over the years, I have worked in a wide variety of areas. Here are a few examples to give you an idea: I’ve translated brain-imaging research articles, personal stories of disaster survivors, disaster science research publications, in-house company magazines for car part manufacturers, and family registries. Other areas include consultation for documentary subtitling, proofreading for social work-related documents, interpreting for men’s bespoke shoe and clothing makers. The only request I ever turned down was the Japanese to English translation of a 200 year old, hand-written instructional manual for dancing! For inquiries, please click here!
5. I have Japanese ancestry and I’m searching for relatives who are still in Japan. Can you help me?
Yes, I can! We can create a customized combination of services to match your needs. This may include the following: Translation of the documents you have, searching Japanese-only websites for place names you may know or remember and creating a summary of those findings (this would be considered consulting), and interpretation during phone calls. For inquiries, please click here.
Understanding your koseki is the first step to unlocking the lives of your ancestors.
Want to request a translation? Please complete this request form.