How to order the koseki at the Japanese municipality
Ordering the koseki is a ritual with its own form (seikyūsho), its own payment (the kogitte postal money order) and a non-negotiable principle: only the honseki's municipality issues. This guide details the ritual — at the counter and by post — for whoever already knows where the honseki is (if you don't yet, start with the koseki-without-travelling guide).
The seikyūsho
The order form (downloadable from the municipal site) asks for:
- The honseki (registral address) and the hittōsha (the sheet's holder) — the two data points that locate the record.
- What to order: the koseki tōhon (full), and for lineages, the line's joseki and kaisei genkoseki — write it out in full.
- Who orders and the connection — with the documents proving the line for descendants.
- How many copies of each.
At the counter (madoguchi)
Whoever is in Japan solves it on the spot: a ticket, the form, an identity document, the fee in cash — and the set comes out the same day, even for old joseki (complex searches can take days). Hours: 8:30am-5pm working days, no creative exceptions — Japanese punctuality applies to closing too.
By post
The postal order carries: the filled seikyūsho, a document copy, proof of the connection, the kogitte (the fixed-value postal money order — bought at the Japanese post office) in the exact amount, and the henshin-yō fūtō: the stamped, addressed return envelope. If any piece is missing, the envelope comes back whole — the Japanese municipality does not improvise.
After issuance
Destination Brazil: apostille at the MOFA (Tokyo/Osaka — as a rule free) and tracked shipping. A lineage's set can run dozens of pages — weigh it before choosing the shipping, and digitise everything: the ancestors' kanji are the key to future searches.
Frequently asked questions
What do I write if I don't know the hittōsha?+
The name of the ancestor who anchors the sheet (in kanji, ideally — from the immigration documents). The municipality searches with the honseki + name; the more precise the kanji, the deeper the search reaches.
Can I pay with yen in cash in the envelope?+
No — cash in an envelope is refused. The ritual requires the kogitte; from abroad, someone in Japan buys it (the typical mission) or intermediaries do it for a fee.
Informative content about request procedures. We do not cover citizenship or visa eligibility. Rules and amounts may change; always confirm before acting.