Japanese descendants drive rise in roots tourism

Holding the passenger record documenting his 97-year-old father’s voyage from Japan to Brazil nearly a century ago, Sergio Kohatsu uncovered details of a journey that had long remained a mystery.

Kohatsu is among a growing number of descendants of Japanese emigrants traveling to Japan to trace their family roots, a trend driven by social media, the weak yen and rising interest in genealogy.

About 5 million people of Japanese descent are estimated to live overseas, and the growth of “roots tourism” is creating opportunities to boost regional economies while deepening cultural exchange and understanding.

“We’re so happy to have found our roots. It’s very emotional for us,” said a 68-year-old Japanese-Brazilian accountant from Sao Paulo during a mid-May visit to the Kobe Center for Overseas Migration and Cultural Interaction with his daughter, Jessica.

The center was originally established in 1928 as the National Emigration Reception Center, where emigrants stayed briefly before departing overseas. Until 1971, many emigrants passed through the facility before leaving for destinations including Brazil.

Kohatsu’s father was born in Nishihara, Okinawa Prefecture, in 1929 and left for Brazil later that year with relatives from three generations of his family, including his great-grandfather and grandparents, to work on a coffee plantation.

Because his father rarely spoke about emigrating, Kohatsu wanted to learn more about the family’s journey.

“I’ve always wanted to know how and with whom my father came to Brazil,” he said. “My father didn’t talk much about it, so I wanted to understand (the details of his departure).”

“These records are very important because they connect us with our ancestors,” he said.

The center provides visitors with detailed passenger manifests made available by the National Diet Library, along with copies of group photographs taken before departure, when available.

According to Masanori Yabu, executive director of the Japan-Brazil Association in Kobe, which promotes exchanges between the two countries, visitor numbers have been rising steadily. The center welcomed 165 groups in fiscal 2024, with the figure rising to 243 in fiscal 2025.

Yabu said the facility is believed to have gained wider recognition after being featured in popular social media videos, including those created by Japanese and Japanese-Brazilian couples.

Interest in tracing family history has also grown worldwide in recent years with the spread of genetic testing services that provide ancestry information.

The Japanese government is also paying close attention to the trend among overseas descendants of Japanese emigrants, as it could help expand inbound tourism.

Local governments and organizations are responding to the growing demand.

Since fiscal 2016, the Okinawa Prefectural Library has offered a service to help the roughly 400,000 descendants of Okinawan emigrants living overseas trace their family roots. The library receives about 250 requests each year.

The Mio district of Mihama, Wakayama Prefecture, known as “America Village” because many residents emigrated to Canada from the Meiji era (1868-1912) onward, has also been actively welcoming descendants seeking to learn more about their family history.

Kaju, a Tokyo-based company specializing in family tree creation and genealogical research, launched an English-language website last year to meet growing demand from overseas.

The company now receives between 30 and 50 inquiries a month and says the number continues to rise steadily.

Sachiko Kawakami, a professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies who specializes in the history of the Mio district, said people interested in their roots often return to the same places repeatedly.

She said the growing interest has the potential to promote regional revitalization while deepening understanding of local history through cultural exchange.

At the same time, she said the national government and local municipalities need to improve infrastructure to better accommodate visitors seeking to reconnect with their ancestral roots.

© KYODO