In this example, we will study the Nishikawa family members located on the Passenger Manifest records of the Korea Maru which sailed from Yokohama on September 14, 1928. Be mindful that quite often, the original document may be comprised of multiple pages. Be sure to remember to download all of the pages to ensure that you have access to the full set of data.
Hint: Use the line numbers on the left side of the pages as a reference guide when multiple pages exist.
- There appears to be 3 Nishikawa family members on this manifest; Chisato, aged 10 years 10 months old, Minoru, aged 8 years 2 months old, and Haruyo, aged 7 years 8 months old.
- Records give us information when tends to validate gender, marital status, job occupation, ability to read/write Japanese, and nationality (US or Japan).
- Most importantly, we are in search of written documentation of place of birth, name and address of relative in Japan, and name and address of relative in the United States. This information will tend to solidify and connect your immigrant relative to a specific location in Japan. Associating these two data points will typically be sufficient proof of your relationship to your Japanese relatives.
- On the second page of the manifest (Lines 19, 20, 21) , we find information which identifies:
- Z. Nishikawa as the brother of S. Nishikawa
- Probable Japanese address of extended family at 9 Yokkaichi, Kameyama-mura, Asa-gun, Hiroshima-ken
- US address in Lodi, California
Hint: It is sometimes very difficult to associate which typewritten information to which line. Look for the distinct style in which the recordkeeper enters data in forms. Remember that manifests are generated by individuals and each person will tend to follow their own style of entry. In this analysis, the FIRST line of a “family” has all the data with the single quote symbol in each preceding section indicating that the same info applies.