Materials
Search our collections using the online catalog.
Materials available include:
- Books: over 5,000 books in English and Japanese.
- Primary source materials: archival collections (manuscripts, diaries, letters, etc.), oral history transcripts, and historic photos.
- Periodicals: print and digital versions of back issues of the Hawai‘i Herald newspaper.
- Vertical file materials: newspaper clippings, pamphlets, etc.
- Audiovisual materials: a large collection of old phonograph records of Japanese music that was popular among Japanese Americans in Hawaii before, during, and just after World War II.
- Fragile or rare books, as well as archival documents and other primary source materials, are stored in closed stacks, with usage supervised. Researchers wanting to use these materials must complete this Researcher Registration Form once every year.
It is recommended that researchers contact us in advance to make an appointment before visiting; the Resource Center staff may be able to pull relevant materials for you in preparation for your visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
We would like assistance with conducting genealogical and family research.We are updating our Koseki and Translation Services program. New requests will not be accepted until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience. The JCCH does not have any genealogical resources in-house. The JCCH can assist with acquisition and translation of the koseki tohon from Japan. Before we can help, you need to first go to the Japanese Consulate in Nuʻuanu and get your Issei ancestor’s immigration card. Please visit their website for more information. See the "How do I get a koseki?" question below. If you have just begun their genealogical search, you should start at the Hawaiʻi State Archives. They have all of the birth, death, and marriage records in the state. The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System (HSPLS) offers free access to ancestry.com to all library card holders: If you have questions about which plantation their ancestors worked at, they should visit the Hawaii Sugar Plantation Association (HSPA) archives at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library. |
What is a koseki tohon and why do genealogists need them?A koseki tohon is a Japanese family register. It’s a combination birth/death/marriage certificate for each member of a family. The koseki system was officially created during the Meiji Restoration in the 1870’s. This means that the koseki is helpful for anyone who wants to know more about any relatives their Issei ancestors left behind in Japan. For information beyond the 1800s the user should consult with the local temple in their ancestor’s hometown. They often kept birth and death records. Koseki translation is the only genealogical assistance the JCCH can provide. We do not have the government records that genealogists usually need, and they should go to the Hawaii State Archives instead. |
How do I get a koseki?
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Iʻd like to make a book or document donation to the JCCH.We are not currently accepting donations unless they are of historical materials to add to the archives. Please email resource.center@jcchawaii.org with photos and a description of the materials so we can determine if we can accept them into our archive. |
Iʻd like to tour HonouliuliThe JCCH is not currently conducting Honouliuli tours. |
Volunteer Opportunities
Would you like to learn more about the Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i? Would you like to support a valued organization in our community? Join us, as a volunteer, in operating the Resource Center. We welcome anyone who is willing to utilize their knowledge and skills to perform various tasks to support the day-to-day activities of the Tokioka Heritage Resource Center. Activities may include: data entry, cataloging or inventorying materials, maintaining the book collection, transcribing oral history interviews, scanning photos and documents, or translating.
Phone:
(808) 945-7633 Ext. 42