Our Story
I've always been interested in the past.
Growing up Japanese-American, I didn't know a lot about my family's immigrant history. I was exposed to bits and pieces; I'd hear stories.
Stories about my father's estranged uncle who served in the 442nd or my maternal grandmother who came over as a "picture bride", but I never paid it much thought. After all, my family came to America to begin a new chapter, and I was already an active part in that story.
Over the years, I'd hear stories about my folks that had me questioning just how much of my own parent's life did I know?
Having left home at 17, I'd lived longer away from my folks than with them. Everything changed one NYC night. With my father's permission, I reached out to everyone in Wisconsin in search of finding my father's long lost uncle. I sat with my laptop open - thinking there would be an immediate response on the other end.
It was over a year before I'd hear back.
Someone eventually responded and confirmed my father's story and acknowledged that we were, in fact, related. In addition, my father and grandmother reconnected with a part of their family.
Fast forward a few years and we've completed 4 generations of our family tree, helped organize a family reunion, and moved to our ancestral land to learn more about our past.
In the process, we tried countless services in an attempt to record our own family's stories.
What you're looking at is a result of that journey.
We hope it's as useful to you as it was to us.