さて昨日は今回の移動目的の最大ポイントについて探訪を重ねた。
　それはわたしの家系のなかで、これまで故あってもっとも困難だった「祖母」の個人情報の入手であります。その目的のため日本の戸籍制度が確立した幕末〜明治期にまで遡る時期の戸籍情報を獲得するために、この広島県と岡山県の境界に位置する山間地域の広島県神石高原町を訪ねた次第。
　実を言えば今回現地に来るまで、ここが「広島県」だということすら知らなかった（！）。また、完全なる「山間地域」だということも知らなかった。やはり人間は、その場に行かなければ実相はわかり得ない。その場に来てはじめて空間情報すべて含めて「全体像」が見えてくるのだなぁと実感していた。
　そういう全体環境、人間を包み込んでいる自然から人間社会の痕跡までを総合させてこそ、リアルな「生き様」というものは初めて見えてくるのだなと深く思い知らされた。
　こういう不完全な情報の中でも「あたって砕けろ」的な行動が不可欠なのでしょう。
　写真は訪ねた神石高原町の庁舎。山間地域ののどかな自然環境の中に、現代社会の情報の「くさび」が打ち込まれているようなモダンな外観を見せてくれていた。やはりこういった現代性はありがたい。
　祖母についての戸籍情報を得るためには、祖父との婚姻に至る戸籍謄本類と、わたし自身が彼女の「肉親である」ことを証明する戸籍謄本類が必要になることは理解し、準備して行きました。それでも、様々に困難は予想できたのですが、窓口から戸籍担当者のみなさん、たいへん誠実・真摯に対応していただけました。
　そしてついに祖母のきわめて「個人的な情報」を受け取ることができた次第です。彼女が生まれたのは明治11年の1878年。現在まで148年の歳月が経過している。そしてわたしは祖母の愛を直接受けていたのは、たった２年しかなくて、もの心もついていなかったので、記憶痕跡もない。
　そうであるのに戸籍謄本類がいただけたときは、年甲斐もなくつい涙腺が一部崩壊してしまった。

　彼女と曾祖母から先の縁者については、いよいよ戸籍制度が及ばない。しかし、逆に日本の戸籍制度の世界に冠たる優秀さには、まったく心底、揺さぶられておりました。その後、さらに探究のために山間地域を巡っていましたが、その景観から「残響」を感じ続けていました。・・・

●お知らせ
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English version⬇

[I’m almost moved to tears by the brilliance of Japan’s family registration system]
The modern family registration system was established in the early Meiji period and traces its origins back to the late Edo period. The Japanese people have been able to build this transparent and fair information environment. I can truly feel how amazing it is. …

　Well, yesterday I spent the day exploring the main reason for this trip.
That reason was to obtain personal information about my “grandmother”—the most difficult task I’ve ever faced within my family lineage. To achieve this goal, I visited Jinseki Kogen Town in Hiroshima Prefecture, a mountainous region located on the border between Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, in order to obtain family register records dating back to the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods, when Japan’s family registration system was established.
　To tell the truth, until I actually arrived here, I didn’t even know this place was in “Hiroshima Prefecture” (!). Nor did I realize it was a truly “mountainous region.” It really is true that people cannot understand the true nature of a place unless they go there in person. I truly felt that it is only when you arrive on the spot that the “big picture”—including all the spatial context—becomes clear.
　I was deeply struck by the realization that it is only by synthesizing the entire environment—from the nature that envelops us to the traces of human society—that a genuine “way of life” first becomes visible.
Even with such incomplete information, a “just go for it” approach is probably essential.
　The photo shows the town hall in Jinseki Kogen Town, which I visited. Set amidst the tranquil natural environment of a mountainous region, it presented a modern exterior that seemed to drive a “wedge” of modern society’s information right into the landscape. I’m truly grateful for this kind of modernity.
I understood that to obtain my grandmother’s family register information, I would need certified copies of the family registers leading up to her marriage to my grandfather, as well as certified copies proving that I myself am her “blood relative,” so I prepared these documents in advance. Even so, while I had anticipated various difficulties, everyone—from the front desk staff to the family registry officials—treated me with great sincerity and dedication.
　And so, I was finally able to receive my grandmother’s highly “personal information.” She was born in Meiji 11, the year 1878. A total of 148 years have passed since then. I only received my grandmother’s love directly for a mere two years, and since I was too young to even understand what was happening, I have no memories of that time at all.
　Even so, when I received the family register copies, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears—which, given my age, was a bit embarrassing.
　As for her and her relatives going back to her great-grandmother and beyond, the family registry system simply does not apply to them. However, conversely, I was truly and deeply moved by the unparalleled excellence of Japan’s family registry system. After that, I traveled through mountainous regions to further my research, and I continued to sense a “lingering echo” in the scenery there. …

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Posted on 8月 28th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類