Creating Bonds with Ancestors

Developments of Popular Genealogy in Japan

Abstract

This paper examines the growth of popular genealogical research in Japan, ‘the quiet boom’ in researching ancestral family lineages by lay members of the public. Such popular genealogy is not unique to Japan and has become popular on a global-scale by the publication of Alex Haley's Roots in 1976. Since around 2000, a number of recent factors have influenced the growth of popular genealogy in the Japanese context. One of the important factors in the rise of popular genealogy in Japan was the ‘traditional house consciousness’. Under this trend, some genealogists have a strong interest in knowing and passing on the family history of closer relatives. At the same time, the creation of the huge family tree has been strongly encouraged and aided by rapid developments in technology, such as a computer software Roots 2006. The visiting ancestors' place of origins has developed into a form of ancestral (or “roots”) tourism. These trends show that the recent popular genealogy in Japan is practiced as hobbies.