Adventures in Japan Part One: Osaka

[Katashi_itto]

[AsahinaKimi]

1. Osaka is where my dad is f rom

The last time I was there, was when I was 6 months old, so of course, some day I want to visit it again!

[Katashi_itto]

2. Very cool, I've only been there once. I was looking into family history, Not much records from WWII

most everything is gone.

[Bonobo]

3. Family history?

Are you Japanese?

If so, I think you will find that the koseki system (family registry) goes far, far back. Much further than WWII.

[Katashi_itto]

4. Yes, half Japanese. On my mothers side

Grandparents married and they made it to the U.S. Both grandparents families had been wiped out. Not sure of all the details.

My Father is Maltese. Their family was displaced too. They lost everything buildings, wealth, from the air raids against Malta. After the war they ended up in the U.S. too. Again very sketchy on details, because I couldn't get much out of anyone about that time period. I know they spent most of the war, underground in Malta. Listening in the dark, to air raid sirens and bombs falling.

I had no idea about the registry you mentioned. I just had some addresses, and those were no good. Back then that trip was one of my first time in Japan and had no clue, it turned into an exploration and an opportunity to participate in Kendo matches, not to mention, learn more from masters. Where I live, Kendo isn't exactly brimming with Dojos. We have just two in the entire state, and one is more Iaido focused. Not that anything is wrong with that, since I will be taking my next exam in that sometime this year I think.

[Bonobo]

5. Do you do the iai-do oriented one?

Iai-do is fascinating.

As for the koseki, I am quite certain they exist. Do you know of ANY of your relatives in Japan?

Cousins or other distant relations? I would be happy to assist you in any way I can.

[Katashi_itto]

6. No idea at all. I got the impression there are none.Grandparents I think were rather traumatized.

They would never discuss anything from that time period.

My mother said they had almost starved. I never pressed for information, seemed way to touchy a subject.

I love Iaido, never saw it with a hypen though, either iaido or just Iai.

I enjoy working towards perfection as an iaidoka. Some day I would like to have a dojo in Japan and teach that and kendo as a sideline.

Right now I practice Iaido mainly due to a car accident I am still recovering from. Was rear ended and it fractured my right femur head. Still slowly recovering. Cant take the hard jars of Kendo as of yet and making the "foot stomp" in an attack, would cause pain. I could feel it from my heel to the top of my head. But I am recovering.

With grad school and such right now I'm limiting things to Iaido and practice working on my Japanese, which is pretty terrible.

I appreciate the offer. If I will look about to see if I have any other clues.

[Bonobo]

7. What's the last name?

Can't respond more fully as it is late here, but I also broke my tibial condyle and had plates and bone put it. Several ligaments and meniscus damage too.

Can't do kendo because I have an arthritic left big toe that won't bend at all, so I can't spring off my left foot as you must in kendo.

But my 9 year old son is doing kendo. I myself did karate for 6 years.

Goodnight.

[Katashi_itto]

8. Itto, Itou, Itoh or Ito

Thats part of the problem. I think they Americanized it. They went by Itto. However I had heard all four above. Very frustrating.

I feel for ya, yes I have gotten arthritis through the hip joint where the break is too. The VA even suggested I get a hip replacement. Something I'd like to hold off on because, even the VA stated I am young to get it.

[Bonobo]

9. Itou

Is a common last name, usually written like this:

伊藤

It is properly written as "Itou" or "Itoh" but not "Itto" (because there is no glottal stop or small 'tsu') and not "Ito" (because it has an additional "u" sound at the end -long 'u')

FYI, the "I" part of your name is a reference to "Ise Province" and the "Tou" (which is also read "fuji" (wisteria) denotes the family as being members of the ancient "Fujiwara" clan.

It may be surmised that likely your family was, at some point, perhaps samurai followers of the Fujiwara Clan in Ise Province. Maybe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_clan

[Katashi_itto]

10. Sounds reasonable, at this point I am just casting about, so willing to entertain any theory

I've so little information to go on, at least it's a good start

At least now I've got a better idea on what the last name actually is