A Journey to Trace My Roots

Heritage Travel: Dialogue Across Time and Space

This journey has several research purposes, one of which is to explore my own ancestors. Speaking of ancestors, while it has become popular in immigrant countries like the United States to trace roots through DNA testing, in Japan there exists a completely different way to uncover one’s ancestry. Such trips are not yet common, but for several years now, I’ve been combining my unique explorations into ancient Japanese history with historical insights to trace my personal lineage.

There are various ways to explore one’s ancestors, but in my generation, it typically begins by investigating the hometowns of our grandparents. This is because our grandparents’ generation often left their hometowns during the post-war reconstruction period, causing a widespread migration into urban areas. In other words, grandparents generally belong to families that lived in the same region for several to many generations. Therefore, visiting the land where your grandparents were born typically becomes a significant first step in tracing your roots.

For instance, in my case, my paternal grandparents originated from the former Iwami Province (石見国; the coastal area of western Shimane Prefecture today), my maternal grandfather was from Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region, and my maternal grandmother was from an island in the Seto Inland Sea. Both sets of grandparents relocated to the Kansai region after World War II, making my parents natives of Kansai. To explore my maternal lineage, I have visited Tohoku and the Seto Inland Sea numerous times in recent years, where I spoke with locals and conducted personal research. Having gained some understanding of investigative methods, I’m now traveling through Shimane Prefecture to explore the roots of my paternal grandparents.

For this particular investigation, I initially obtained and studied materials collected by my uncle before visiting my grandmother’s hometown, where I met relatives and gathered their accounts. Next, I visited my grandfather’s hometown. However, the heir to my grandfather’s family passed away three years ago, leaving no one currently living there. In such a situation, how can one trace their roots? Surprisingly, the person I sought out to talk with was a local Buddhist priest.