Ancestry & Heritage Tours
Tracing your roots in Japan
A journey to Japan is also a journey into the past. Your heritage.
Whether you're visiting an ancestral hometown, searching the registries for family records, or meeting relatives for the very first time — we handle every detail, so you can be fully present for the moments that matter.
Even if the trail has gone quiet for a few generations, we might be able to help. Or simply, take a trip to “walk in your ancestor's steps” and recreate the life that they might have lived in your motherland before they immigrated.
RESEARCH & RECORDSBuilding your family tree
About TokudAw’s Ancestry services
We assist with tracing family members through national registries and municipal offices, obtaining land register information and cadastral maps, and compiling what we find into a meaningful picture of your family's history. For many guests, this is the foundation the rest of the journey is built around.
Click here to discover tips for how to get started on our blog
PLACES & MOMENTS OF SIGNIFIGANCEWalking in your ancestors' footsteps
From the towns and regions where your ancestors lived and worked, to the final resting places and cemeteries of family members — we plan visits with care and respect. Even the most rural and hard-to-reach locations are within reach with our private vehicles, and we document every meaningful site with professional photography.
We also recommend the museums and experiences that help you re-live what your ancestors might have—from the museums that showcase the regional architecture to those that feature life in a the right era like Meiji or Taisho, to the museums that depict the life of overseas Japanese immigrants and the interactive experiences that recreate their hobbies and professions such as weaving and miso-making.
Read about places to visit to retrace your ancestors steps on our blog
CONNECTION & DISCOVERY
Meeting your Japanese relatives
One of the most joyful parts of an ancestry tour is the people you meet. We arrange contact and introductions with your common relatives, coordinate meet-ups, and for those who want to go further, we can arrange genetic testing at partner facilities in Japan to provide a deeper understanding of your lineage.
What we offer
Every step of the journey, handled
Family tree assistance
We help you build and verify your family tree, tracing relatives through national registries and municipal records.
Land & cadastral records
Obtaining land register information and cadastral maps to locate properties and land associated with your ancestors.
Ancestral site visits
Visits to towns, homes, graves and places of importance — including rural and remote locations accessible by private vehicle.
Relative introductions
Arranging contact and coordinating meet-ups with Japanese relatives, however near or distant the connection.
Professional photography
Documentation of meaningful locations and family moments — photographs you'll carry long after the trip is over.
Genetic testing
Arrangements with partner facilities in Japan for genetic testing to provide a deeper understanding of your lineage.
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Yes — for first-time visitors to Japan with time to explore, we recommend our itinerary "Echoes of the Past: A Japanese Ancestry Journey." For guests keen on a more region or theme-specific trip, take a look at "3 Ancestry Tours in Japan to Discover Your Roots." Both are available in the Itineraries section of the site.
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Absolutely — this is exactly what we specialise in. We provide private vehicles for all our tours, including accessible options, and can reach locations that public transport simply doesn't serve. Just let us know where you'd like to go and we'll make it happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ancestry Tracing with TokudAw: Customer Experiences
Customer Experience 1:
A man reached out to TokudAw with a goal to bring his family of 9 (including seniors, adults, and teenagers) to multiple cities in Japan. When we were made aware that the man’s mother additionally sought to connect to her heritage by finding the family tomb, we jumped at the opportunity to help this family achieve both goals.
TokudAw’s team demonstrated our dedication by personally contacting local temple owners, verifying family lineage, and located the tomb and additional relatives with efficiency.
TokudAw doesn’t simply “plan trips”, we also connect travelers with their heritage, bridging generations through our passionate logistics team.
Customer Experience 2:
A Korean-American multigenerational family booked with the goal of connecting with their extended family in Japan. The challenge was, the American side only spoke English and the Korean side only spoke Korean. However, this is not a challenge with TokudAw! TokudAw arranged a Japanese guide who could speak both English and Korean to accommodate this family’s communication style, acting as a bridge between cultures.
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Let's discover your roots