The Founder's Thoughts

Voices from Family History

Family History Record was founded in November 2023. In 2023, our organization celebrated its 10th anniversary, and I took the opportunity to reflect on the founding ideals once more. This journey began when my father fell seriously ill, prompting me to listen to his stories and delve deeper into my paternal ancestry.

I compiled the results of my investigations into a bound book and presented it to my family as a gift. Through this process, I uncovered aspects of my father's life that I had never known before, from his childhood to his youth during the war, and his experiences before and after marriage.

In further tracing our paternal lineage through generations, I discovered for the first time that our original roots lie in Iwate Prefecture, where I spent four years of my life as a student. It was a serendipitous discovery indeed.

Flipping through the pages of local history at the library, I learned about my ancestors' many exploits, such as transporting dried fish to Edo or serving as retainers to the Waga clan. I had the opportunity to delve even further back in history... This journey has allowed me to appreciate the fascination of tracing our heritage through the annals of time.

After graduating from the faculty of agricultural sciences, I worked as a researcher and developer at a food manufacturer for 28 years, leading a life completely disconnected from history. However, during my time in the industry where I was responsible for finding research themes from scratch and developing products that did not yet exist, I began to wonder if perhaps the clues I needed were hidden within the founder's ideals and the company's history. So, alongside my research and development responsibilities, I started delving into the company's history from sources other than official records, hoping to unravel where the founder's intentions lay.

,I often found myself listening to stories from strong-willed superiors, colleagues, subordinates, and researchers from other departments. Through these interactions, I realized that listening and eliciting thoughts could make tacit knowledge visible. Listening has been a habit since childhood, and it was also a characteristic of my own that I had shaped over time.

When I reached the halfway point of my career in my late 40s, I received the news of my father's serious illness.

At the age of 50, I founded the Family History Record, centered around the core principles of listening, researching, and documenting.

When introducing our services at exhibitions and other events, we attract highly talented staff members who are knowledgeable about gravesites, passionate about history, skilled in deciphering old handwriting, experienced in overseas living, adept at conducting interviews, proficient in researching military records, and capable of conducting on-site investigations in various regions.

Furthermore, recognizing the importance of presenting a well-crafted family history, we welcomed a designer to our team to ensure that our publications were aesthetically pleasing.

Over the course of 10 years, we've received over 300 requests, and our ability to satisfy our clients’ needs is largely due to the involvement of our talented team. We've shared the vision of delivering a precious volume that conveys the thoughts of our ancestors and their history to current family members and future descendants, and together, we've continued to pursue this goal.

Family History Record embodies a culmination of various strengths: the patience to diligently search for all kinds of records, the ability to engage with people during on-site investigations and extract information effectively, the skill to organize gathered information into coherent narratives that delve into the lives and thoughts of our ancestors, and the talent to design books that carry the weight of stories meant to be passed down through generations.

Moreover, we refuse to settle for the status quo and continuously strive to acquire new technologies and knowledge through ongoing learning. Our staff members are highly collaborative, actively sharing knowledge and information to enhance their capabilities further. It is our shared commitment to continually improve and meet the needs of our clients that drives us forward.

Many of us may have a curiosity about our parents' lives, as well as our grandparents' and great-grandparents' lives, even if we do not know much about them. When our children grow up and ask, "Where did our family come from? What was it like?" We want to be able to provide an answer, but often we do not know the answers ourselves. Or perhaps the next generation is scattered around the world, or they may not be interested now, but we still want to preserve our memories for the future. There are many different reasons why people may want to explore their family history.

Through the process of investigation, we can uncover the voices of our ancestors– voices wishing to be shared but were not able to for many years. These voices can become our support and inspiration, giving us courage and reminding us of the importance of life. They provide us with experiences that touch our hearts and enrich our understanding of our heritage.

Countless historical records still lie dormant, waiting to be discovered. Our memories, limited though they may be, are waiting to be heard. We invite you to experience the services of Family History Record and uncover the stories of your ancestors.

Family History Record　President
Fumiko YOSHIDA