The Tanaka Heritage Project was created as part of Tanaka Day at Tanaka Farms to preserve, celebrate, and share the stories, photographs, traditions, and history of Tanaka families whose journeys connect Japan and the United States.

Some families came to America more than 100 years ago. Others arrived more recently. Some stories include farming, military service, incarceration during World War II, family businesses, education, community service, or the challenges of beginning again in a new country.

Together, these stories form a living history that deserves to be remembered and passed on to future generations.

Our mission

To preserve the stories, roots, traditions, and legacy of Tanaka families by creating a growing archive that can be shared with future generations.

The four collections below are the beginning of that effort.

Explore the collections

• Tanaka Family Journey Collection

  Share the story of your Tanaka family’s journey to America, along with photographs, memories, and experiences that shaped your family.

  Learn More Submit Your Journey Collection

• Tanaka Family Kamon Collection

  Help preserve your family’s kamon, the Japanese family crest associated with your Tanaka family line.

  Learn More Submit Your Kamon Collection

• Our Roots in Japan

  Share your family’s Ken, the Japanese word for prefecture, and, if known, your hometown or village in Japan.

  Learn More Submit Your Our Roots in Japan

• The First Tanaka in America

  Tell us about the first Tanaka in your family who settled in the United States and began building a new life.

  Learn More Submit Your The First in America

Why participate?

Family history can disappear in a single generation.

A photograph without names, a forgotten hometown, an unknown family crest, or a story never written down can be lost forever.

The Tanaka Heritage Project encourages families to gather photographs, ask questions, record memories, and preserve the stories that connect generations.

Every contribution, whether large or small, helps build a richer understanding of the many journeys that make up the larger Tanaka story.

This is only the beginning

The four collections featured here are the foundation of the Tanaka Heritage Project.

For now, the project focuses on Tanaka families whose journeys connect Japan and the United States. As the project grows, we hope it may inspire additional stories, discoveries, and connections among Tanaka families beyond this first chapter.