How can I locate an old friend in Japan??
- Thread starter price876
- Start date
epigene
相変わらず不束者です
- 10 Nov 2004
- 4,354
- 179
A question like yours comes up once in a while here at JREF. Most of the time, it's not possible. In your case:
(1) You have the name of your friend, but do you know how to write it in kanji (Japanese characters)? Many, many Japanese names, both first and last, are homonyms--pronounced the same but written differently.
(2) You have the city where s/he lives "possibly"--which reduces the chances of finding this person tremendously. Even if you can pinpoint the city, the Japanese white pages are not published on the Web for privacy reasons. We only have the old-fashioned paper versions, and access to white pages for cities other than one's own is difficult (needing a trip to a major library, etc.).
So much for the chances...
Although the chances may be slim, you can try looking for this person on Facebook and other SNSes. Is there a group for alumni of your high school? If not, you should create one and wait and hope for your friend to join the group!
Just my two cents!
(1) You have the name of your friend, but do you know how to write it in kanji (Japanese characters)? Many, many Japanese names, both first and last, are homonyms--pronounced the same but written differently.
(2) You have the city where s/he lives "possibly"--which reduces the chances of finding this person tremendously. Even if you can pinpoint the city, the Japanese white pages are not published on the Web for privacy reasons. We only have the old-fashioned paper versions, and access to white pages for cities other than one's own is difficult (needing a trip to a major library, etc.).
So much for the chances...
Although the chances may be slim, you can try looking for this person on Facebook and other SNSes. Is there a group for alumni of your high school? If not, you should create one and wait and hope for your friend to join the group!
Just my two cents!
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank you
I appreciate your help and suggestions.
I tried looking on some social networks, but unfortunately he is not on the one's used in the U.S.
And I am not versed in japanese or the japanese social networks to locate him.
I figured I would through his name out there with the slightest chance someone knows him.
His name is Shigeru (shig) Hada. I believe he lives in Toyonaka, Osaka. He is 33/34 years old.
I appreciate your help and suggestions.
I tried looking on some social networks, but unfortunately he is not on the one's used in the U.S.
And I am not versed in japanese or the japanese social networks to locate him.
I figured I would through his name out there with the slightest chance someone knows him.
His name is Shigeru (shig) Hada. I believe he lives in Toyonaka, Osaka. He is 33/34 years old.
Last edited:
- 20 Aug 2003
- 4,910
- 416
What line of work do you think he's in? You might try contacting him through related professional organizations.
He's not on LinkedIn or ReaD.
Contact city hall?
http://www.ehow.com/how_6672712_search-person-japan.html
Call the telephone operator for Toyonaka?
Contact NTT?
how to find people
Put an ad in a newspaper?
The Japan Times
Daily Yomiuri
Asahi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
If you know the name of a company where he, a friend, or a relative works, you might find that connecting address with iTownpage and use it to contact him indirectly.
http://english.itp.ne.jp/
Come to Japan (or search a U.S. library) and get your hands on a white pages. Or ask the U.S. embassy in that area to look him up in their white pages. You'll need a good reason for them, of course.
Can you contact your high school and see if they are willing to give you some information on where he returned, or what business his father was in?
He's not on LinkedIn or ReaD.
Contact city hall?
http://www.ehow.com/how_6672712_search-person-japan.html
Call the telephone operator for Toyonaka?
Contact NTT?
how to find people
Put an ad in a newspaper?
The Japan Times
Daily Yomiuri
Asahi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
If you know the name of a company where he, a friend, or a relative works, you might find that connecting address with iTownpage and use it to contact him indirectly.
http://english.itp.ne.jp/
Come to Japan (or search a U.S. library) and get your hands on a white pages. Or ask the U.S. embassy in that area to look him up in their white pages. You'll need a good reason for them, of course.
Can you contact your high school and see if they are willing to give you some information on where he returned, or what business his father was in?
i had the same problem,but with what u guys are saying,i guess i dont have much chance...u know, i think i have his name and adress(of about 12ys ago1:| ) in kanji...how do i use that?
btw,in another forum there was this guy who said one could join a japanese site which name i dont remember,and there try to find ur friend...according to him it's a very popular site,like facebook or sth...
the thing is he didnt mention that it needs ur cell's number in order to complete ur register!!!!!!that's where i got pissed off!!!
btw,in another forum there was this guy who said one could join a japanese site which name i dont remember,and there try to find ur friend...according to him it's a very popular site,like facebook or sth...
the thing is he didnt mention that it needs ur cell's number in order to complete ur register!!!!!!that's where i got pissed off!!!
- 20 Aug 2003
- 4,910
- 416
We're talking about locating someone you lost touch with 12 years ago! Read the (extremely helpful) posts here. The culture in Japan is such that without a phone book white pages, you will have to follow only the routes outlined here if you want to find your friend. Are the chances slim? Maybe, depends on whether you are a "glass half full, half empty" person.
My question is, have you even tried the things suggested here yet? If not, then we are the ones to complain!
If you can post the kanji here, someone who can read it would probably be able to tell you at the very least whether is matches up with the name Shigeru Hada. There are various kanji spellings, so we would have to see it to know. You might not be able to write it, but you could scan an image and post it.
As for the address, it's already been explained that without white pages, your best bet is to contact city hall and point out that info and ask if they are willing to tell you more. Just consider what any government bureaucracy would say with such a request on someone's privacy. That's where your odds get slim.
What is the address anyway?
My question is, have you even tried the things suggested here yet? If not, then we are the ones to complain!
What do you mean you think? You either have the name in kanji or you don't, and it was the address 12 years ago or it wasn't. What exactly do you know for sure?
If you can post the kanji here, someone who can read it would probably be able to tell you at the very least whether is matches up with the name Shigeru Hada. There are various kanji spellings, so we would have to see it to know. You might not be able to write it, but you could scan an image and post it.
As for the address, it's already been explained that without white pages, your best bet is to contact city hall and point out that info and ask if they are willing to tell you more. Just consider what any government bureaucracy would say with such a request on someone's privacy. That's where your odds get slim.
What is the address anyway?
hi!thanks alot for ur such early attention!!and ur explanations 2!and im not complaining,it's just that it's unreasonably hard to find some1 in japan...i've tried some of ur suggestions,online searches,but nothing so far...and i wanned to try the NTT thing,but when went to the site,it says{"English i-townpage" service has been terminated as of September 30, 2010. Thank you very much for using our website over the years.} 
but found some other sites related...
by "think" i meant that i have it,but dont know where i put it!:joyful: so i have to find it.after all it's for 12ys ago...he was somewhere in nagoya...and his name is "ikai kazuki"...i know it wouldnt do and has to be in kanji,but just in case...
im "half full" kinda person,but in long term!
ill just keep on searching(long term)! thanks for ur help!really appreciate it!
but found some other sites related...by "think" i meant that i have it,but dont know where i put it!:joyful: so i have to find it.after all it's for 12ys ago...he was somewhere in nagoya...and his name is "ikai kazuki"...i know it wouldnt do and has to be in kanji,but just in case...
im "half full" kinda person,but in long term!
ill just keep on searching(long term)!
thanks for ur help!really appreciate it!maincharm03
後輩
- 28 Oct 2010
- 1
- 0
i too am looking for a friend in japan. She was our exchange student 22 years ago n came over 10 years ago for her honeymoon. Im searching for Masayo & Kenji Onoda. I have their last known address and telephone number (from 10 years ago) but our mail got returned and the phone number doesnt reach the right person. Please keep an eye out for them in your searches. 
I know they hav a daughter (approx 8-9 yrs old,) Mana. Last know address was 14-23-1101 Akashi-cho Chuo-ku Tokyo. (exactly how she wrote it in our address book).
Thanx, any help is GREATLY appreciated.
I know they hav a daughter (approx 8-9 yrs old,) Mana. Last know address was 14-23-1101 Akashi-cho Chuo-ku Tokyo. (exactly how she wrote it in our address book).
Thanx, any help is GREATLY appreciated.
epigene
相変わらず不束者です
- 10 Nov 2004
- 4,354
- 179
This has become a People Search thread.
Moved to People Search.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, it's virtually impossible to find people because Japanese white pages are not available on the Web. Once people move, they are responsible for informing friends their new addresses. Otherwise, third parties can't do it for you.
Another obstacle, as I said before, is name written in alphabetical characters. Names must identified with Japanese kanji/kana characters.
Moved to People Search.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, it's virtually impossible to find people because Japanese white pages are not available on the Web. Once people move, they are responsible for informing friends their new addresses. Otherwise, third parties can't do it for you.
Another obstacle, as I said before, is name written in alphabetical characters. Names must identified with Japanese kanji/kana characters.
Another person searching for someone I knew long ago in Okinawa , Japan. It has been forty years and she would be 70 years old now. Her name is/was Yoko Miyagi. Back then she lived in the town of Kitamae, has two 'babysans' , had been divorced twice, and worked in a Japanese bar in Futema. I lived on Okinawa for about 8 years back in the 80's and got to know her... Not much to go on, I know, but I thought I would give it a shot. I do not want to contact her, as it may upset her life too much, but I would like to know that she has done ok since we split so long ago...thats all. Any advice on how I might find her would be very greatly appreciated.....and yes, its very possible she has since married and changed her name...I am aware of that but figured I would try.
