Overview
Renewal:
Schools:
Locating an Adult
Locating a Servicemember
Locating a Child
In an emergency the Embassy or our Consulates will attempt to locate Americans who are believed to be in Japan and are not in communication with family or friends.
Inquirers should be aware, however, that the Privacy Act prevents divulgence of information unless the subject of the inquiry gives his/her permission. If s/he does not give such permission, our only alternative after the individual has been located is to inform him or her that relatives or others are concerned and ask him or her to communicate directly.
We maintain no comprehensive listing of Americans in Japan, though many Americans voluntarily register with us. If you are asking us to attempt to locate an American, our chances of success are greatly enhanced if you can provide his/her full name, date of birth and any recent contact information you may have for him/her in Japan.
We cannot locate non-Americans, such as Japanese friends. Persons serving in the U.S. military in Japan are located by contacting the person's service branch (Army, Marines, etc.) directly.
We cannot send, forward or receive mail on behalf of American Citizens.
Write a letter to the soldier. Place this letter in a sealed and stamped envelope, including your full name and return address. Write a letter addressed to the National Personnel Records Center requesting their assistance with your search. Be sure to include the service member's name, serial number and/or social security number, and date of birth if available. Place your envelope addressed to the service member AND the letter to the National Personnel Records Center in ONE envelope. Address this envelope to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5200. Please note current addresses for discharged service members are not maintained at the records center - this center only has the service member's last officially recorded address. Letters to service members that the record center cannot identify, or who are known to be deceased, will be returned to you.
Japanese citizens living in Japan may be located through their family register which contains civil records held at the city, ward or town office where the family has its permanent address. The family register can be released only to the family member or a lawyer practicing in Japan. The Embassy cannot obtain these documents on your behalf. List of Attorneys in Japan List of Private Detectives in the Tokyo Area Follow this link for additional information from the Department of State about welfare and whereabouts inquiries. Need translation help? Unfortunately, we cannot provide translators. We do, however, have list of professional translators available. In the U.S. calling Japan? For short-term, live, telephone translation assistance, you may wish to look into the services offered on this site, www.languageline.com. We cannot take sides in such a dispute. We will, however, attempt to locate children and can transmit information to either parent regarding the child's health and well-being.
To begin, please FAX us at 81-3-3224-5856 with the child's full name, date of birth, last known address and phone number in Japan and the name of the person in Japan the child is likely residing with. Please understand that the we do not have police powers and cannot visit a child without the cooperation of the adult(s) the child resides with in Japan.
Note that Japan has not signed the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Follow this link for information on the Department of State's Office of Children's Services, and for information on child custody issues world-wide. You can also contact The Office of Children's Issues by phone at (202) 736-7000, or by Fax at (202) 663-2674.
The Department of State has available general information on international child abduction. Information specific to Japan on international child abduction is also available online.