In 2015, Takahito Tsutsumitani was tasked with writing a review for a literary magazine on a book titled, ¡°.¡± It was a how-to book on creating your own family tree, a pursuit that had become a bit of a fad thanks to the popularity of the NHK documentary series, ¡°Family History,¡± which explored the ancestral roots of various celebrities ¡ª similar to the PBS series ¡°Finding Your Roots¡± in the United States.
As a writer, Tsutsumitani specializes in topics relating to childhood education. He reviewed the book with the intention of using its suggested guidelines to trace his own lineage along with his 8-year-old son, a journey back in time that he hoped would become a memorable experience for both of them.
¡°At that point, I was only aware of where my father came from ¡ª Kyoto,¡± says Tsutsumitani, now 46. ¡°But as I began gathering koseki, a whole new, unknown world opened up before us.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.