For years, I have walked the winding paths of the Yoshigoro Ichinose family history. While the fine details of our ancestors in Japan often remain shrouded in the mists of time, I believe I have finally illuminated a valid passage into our true lineage—one that diverges significantly from the official records.
To understand the truth, we must first reconcile a vital discrepancy in the koseki (family registry). The official record names Isokichi Ichinose and his wife, Toku, as Yoshigoro’s parents. However, my research reveals that this was not a bond of blood, but one of necessity and adoption. While the koseki correctly identifies Shime as Yoshigoro’s sister, she, too, was brought into Isokichi’s household to secure the family’s future.
The story truly begins with Zembei Ichinose (born circa 1808) and his wife, Matsu Yamaguchi. They held the lands of 293 Oaza Kuwahara in the Yame-gun region of Fukuoka. Zembei had two sons who would split the family’s destiny: Isokichi, who inherited the primary estate at plot 293, and Ichiroji, who established a "branch house" on the neighboring plot, 294.
Tragedy haunted the main house. Isokichi and Toku saw their firstborn daughter survive only three days in 1873; three years later, a son was stillborn. The main lineage stood on the precipice of extinction, childless and without an heir.
In stark contrast, life flourished in the branch house. Ichiroji and his wife, Kiko, were blessed with sixteen children. Though several were lost in infancy, the household remained full. Among them were Yoshigoro and Shime. Because the preservation of the "Main House" was paramount in Meiji-era Japan, Yoshigoro—the eldest surviving son—and Shime were adopted by their uncle Isokichi to become the rightful heirs to the 293 estate.
The narrative takes a global turn following Yoshigoro’s marriage to Tome. In 1899, they made the monumental decision to leave Japan for the Territory of Hawaii. In October of that year, Yoshigoro, Tome, and their daughter Osamu boarded the SS Carlisle City. They were joined by Yoshigoro’s biological brother, Nenokichi. Their sister, Kura, had intended to join them, but she was tragically flagged by medical inspectors at the Port of Yokohama. Suffering from trachoma, a contagious infection strictly barred by Hawaiian authorities, she was forced to stay behind—one of many families torn apart on the docks of Japan.
Nenokichi eventually returned to Japan around 1912 to take his place as the heir to the Ichiroji plot (294). Meanwhile, back at the main house (293), Isokichi passed away. This left Shime as the head of the household, a position traditionally reserved for men. To maintain the patriarchy of the lineage, a man named Kinnosuke Tono was brought in as an "adopted husband" (muko-yoshi). He took the name Isokichi Ichinose II, ensuring the 293 headship remained in name, if not in blood.
In a final, fascinating twist of fate, this new Isokichi was actually the brother of Tome Tono—Yoshigoro’s wife. Thus, through a complex web of adoption and marriage, the Ichinose and Tono families became inextricably linked across two continents.
The following is a travel log on the journey from Kurogi-machi to Hawaii
THE DEPARTURE LOG: NOVEMBER 1899
Route: Kurogi-mura → Kobe → Yokohama → The Pacific
Phase I: The Mountain Descent (Kurogi to Kurume)
The Start: The group leaves Plot 294 in the early morning. Yoshigoro (25), Tome (17), the infant Osamu, Nenokichi (23), and Kura (20).
Transport: Jinrikisha or horse-drawn cart for the heavy wooden trunks (yanagi-gori) containing their bedding, dried food, and the Ichinose family altar items.
The Atmosphere: They follow the Yame river valley down toward the plains. At Kurume Station, they see the smoke of the Kyushu Railway. This is the first "Noise" of the industrial world—a sharp contrast to the tea fields of Koya.
Phase II: The Kyushu Rail & The Strait (Kurume to Shimonoseki)
The Train: They board the Kyushu Railway. The wooden carriages are narrow, smelling of coal smoke and wet wool. Tome holds Osamu tightly; the motion of the train is a new frequency for the child.
The Crossing: They reach Moji. To get to the main island of Honshu, they must board a steam ferry to cross the Shimonoseki Strait. The water is choppy. They look back at Kyushu—for most of them, it is the last time they will ever see their home soil.
Phase III: The Sanyō Express (Shimonoseki to Kobe)
The Long Stretch: At Shimonoseki, they board the Sanyō Railway. This is a superior line, faster and more modern. They pass through the coastal villages of the Seto Inland Sea.
Arrival at Kobe: They arrive at Kobe Station. The city is a whirlwind of foreign sailors, merchants, and hundreds of other emigrants from Hiroshima and Kumamoto.
Phase IV: The Stillness at the Gate (The Kobe Medical Exam)
The Center: The group is taken to the Kobe Imin-kan (Emigration House) for processing.
The Inspection: A uniformed doctor lifts their eyelids with a glass rod, looking for the tell-tale scarring of Trachoma.
The Refusal: Kura is pulled aside. The official ink is stamped: Shukkoku-Teishi (Departure Suspended).
The Split: A devastating silence. Kura must return alone. She boards the westbound train back toward Kurume, watching her brothers and sister-in-law vanish toward the docks. It is a painful separation.
Phase V: The Coastal Transit (Kobe to Yokohama)
The Ship: The survivors board the SS Carlisle City.
The Route: The ship does not head for Hawaii yet. It sails east, hugging the coast of Japan for two days.
Yokohama: They dock at the Great Pier. More passengers board. The ship’s purser finalizes the manifest. Because this is the "Last Gate," the records now list the Ichinose group as departing from Yokohama.
Phase VI: (Crossing the Pacific)
The Departure: The lines are tossed. The SS Carlisle City moves into the deep blue of the Pacific.
The Horizon: Yoshigoro and Tome stand on the deck. Behind them, the shadow of Mt. Fuji disappears into the mist. Ahead, nothing but the the open sea and the unknown frequency of Hawaii.
