Mie, Japan Genealogy

Guide to Mie Prefecture, Japan ancestry, family history and genealogy registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Jurisdictions

Japan is divided into a number of areas called 'Prefectures' (abbreviated 'Pref.'), or 'Ken' in Japanese. These are analogous to states or provinces in other countries. They were created after the Meiji Restoration (1868) by consolidating feudal domains.[1] Some prefectures include a city by the same name within their boundaries. Ise Province, Shima Province, Iga Province, and part of Kii Province were merged to form Mie Prefecture (Mie-ken).[2]

Cities, Towns, and Villages

Mie Prefecture is sparsely populated compared to many other prefectures in Japan. It's capital city, Tsu, has a population of less than 300,000 people, and most of the thirteen other cities in Mie Prefecture are far less populous. Many of the historic towns and villages have been merged into the boundaries of larger cities during the last century. Most of the prefecture is rural in nature, and the cities have some space between them.

A list of current cities in Mie Prefecture, and the towns or villages that have been merged into them (with year, if known):

• Iga:
• Inaba:
• Ise:
• Kameyama:
• Kumano:
• Kuwana:
• Matsusaka:
• Nabari:
• Owase:
• Shima (志摩市, Shima-shi): Katada (1954), Wagu
• Suzuka:
• Toba:
• Tsu:
• Yokkaichi:

Genealogical Records

Koseki

Koseki [3] are the family registers that record births, marriages, and deaths of each family member. They record only those family members who are Japanese citizens. Koseki are considered to be private documents; therefore, you must establish a clear line of lineage with existing vital records in order to request a koseki for a Japanese ancestor.

To obtain koseki, you may write to the following locations:

• Iga:
• Inaba:
• Ise:
• Kameyama:
• Kumano:
• Kuwana:
• Matsusaka:
• Nabari:
• Owase:
• Shima: Resident Section, Shima City Hall; 3098-22, Ugata, Ago-cho; Shima City, Mie 517-0592; JAPAN. Email: [email protected]
• Suzuka:
• Toba:
• Tsu:

• Yokkaichi:

Cemeteries

For information on cemeteries in Mie Prefecture, contact:

• Iga:
• Inaba:
• Ise:
• Kameyama:
• Kumano:
• Kuwana:
• Matsusaka:
• Nabari:
• Owase:
• Shima: Environmental Division, Shima City Hall; 3098-22, Ugata, Ago-cho; Shima City, Mie 517-0592; JAPAN. Email: [email protected]
• Suzuka:
• Toba:
• Tsu:

• Yokkaichi: