敷田家

（英語だけ）

1. Origins of this Shikida family (updated in 2025, November, 5th)

According to the oral tradition of our family and some old mortuary documents, this family is approximately 180 years old. The first family’s name was Shikijitani (敷地谷), followed by the name Atarashiiya (新屋) which I suppose is due to the Meiji’s restoration era and, finally, the name Shikida (敷田). I suspect my family is originally from the Japanese location of Shikijitani (same as the name), but I am not sure about this as my grandmother spent much of her life in Hiroshima before coming to Brazil.

Our family name came from my grandmother’s family because of an old Japanese tradition. As she is the only daughter (no brothers or sisters), her family name was adopted by my grandfather. However, it’s known that as a landlord, her father had several feud servants and one of them received the last name Shikida by his own merits. I know this man or his son (or grandson?) is a Budhist monk and he takes care of the Shikida’s tombs.

Recently, with the help of IA, I could scan and translate those documents. Here is what I found so far.

Early Edo Period Ancestors

Date (Era + Western)	Kaimyō (Kanji)	Romaji	Type	Secular Name (Kanji)	Secular Name (Romaji)	Notes
1610-05-20 (Keichō 15)	桂巌俊翁居士	Keigan Shun’ō Koji	居士 (layman)	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1617-03-10 (Genna 3)	妙傳大姉	Myōden Daishi	大姉 (laywoman)	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1625-08-24 (Kan’ei 2)	桂山俊翁居士	Keizan Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1626-02-19 (Kan’ei 3)	桂雲俊翁居士	Keiun Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1628-10-19 (Kan’ei 5)	妙雲大姉	Myōun Daishi	大姉	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1630-08-02 (Kan’ei 7)	妙徳大姉	Myōtoku Daishi	大姉	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1633-11-15 (Kan’ei 10)	桂林俊翁居士	Keirin Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1635-08-13 (Kan’ei 12)	桂林俊翁居士	Keirin Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1637-09-18 (Kan’ei 14)	妙光大姉	Myōkō Daishi	大姉	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1647-07-08 (Shōhō 4)	妙傳大姉	Myōden Daishi	大姉	敷田宗兵衛妻	Wife of Shikida Sōbee	Female ancestor
1657-12-14 (Meireki 3)	智山童子	Chizan Dōji	童子 (boy)	敷田宗兵衛子	Son of Shikida Sōbee	Child
1663-07-13 (Kanbun 3)	桂林俊翁居士	Keirin Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田七左衛門	Shikida Shichizaemon	Male ancestor
1663-10-23 (Kanbun 3)	桂岩俊翁居士	Keigan Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田宗兵衛	Shikida Sōbee	Male ancestor
1665-04-10 (Kanbun 5)	桂巌俊翁居士	Keigan Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1671-03-10 (Kanbun 11)	妙光大姉	Myōkō Daishi	大姉	敷田七左衛門妻	Wife of Shichizaemon	Female ancestor
1671-12-17 (Kanbun 11)	妙慧大姉	Myōe Daishi	大姉	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1672-08-15 (Kanbun 12)	妙傳淨音大姉	Myōden Jōon Daishi	大姉	敷田六郎左衛門母	Mother of Rokurōzaemon	Female ancestor
1674-05-18 (Enpō 2)	桂山俊翁居士	Keizan Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田某	Shikida [unspecified]	Male ancestor
1679-01-06 (Enpō 7)	即真童子	Sokushin Dōji	童子	敷田宗四郎子	Son of Shikida Sōshirō	Child
1679-08-25 (Enpō 7)	妙雲大姉	Myōun Daishi	大姉	敷田某妻	Wife of Shikida ancestor	Female ancestor
1694-05-15 (Genroku 7)	俊榮妙光大姉	Shun’ei Myōkō Daishi	大姉	敷田宗四郎妻	Wife of Shikida Sōshirō	Female ancestor
1695-09-19 (Genroku 8)	本空良然居士	Honkū Ryōnen Koji	居士	敷田宗四郎	Shikida Sōshirō	Male ancestor
1695-12-15 (Genroku 8)	智山童女	Chizan Dōjo	童女	敷田七左衛門子	Daughter of Shichizaemon	Child
1699-12-19 (Genroku 12)	智雲童子	Chiun Dōji	童子	敷田六郎左衛門子	Son of Rokurōzaemon	Child

1700s to Early 1800s

Date (Era + Western)	Kaimyō (Kanji)	Romaji	Type	Secular Name (Kanji)	Secular Name (Romaji)	Notes
1700-06-17 (Genroku 13)	涼心童女	Ryōshin Dōjo	童女	敷田光祖娘	Daughter of Mitsumoto	Died young
1700-06-17 (Genroku 13)	一傳了觀居士	Ichiden Ryōkan Koji	居士	敷田孫次郎弟	Younger brother of Magojirō	Male relative
1724-09-23 (Kyōhō 9)	玄中童子	Genchū Dōji	童子	敷田光祖子	Child of Mitsumoto	Died young
1724-10-27 (Kyōhō 9)	精密刻観大姉	Seimitsu Kokkan Daishi	大姉	敷田先祖	Shikida female ancestor	Recorded as “ancestor”
1770-04-19 (Meiwa 7)	本木童子	Honmoku Dōji	童子	敷田孫次郎子	Son of Magojirō	Child, died young
1780-12-20 (An’ei 9)	秀道信士	Shudō Shinji	信士	敷田源右衛門父	Father of Gen’emon	Male ancestor
1786-12-13 (Tenmei 6)	桂岩俊翁居士	Keigan Shun’ō Koji	居士	敷田五郎右衛門	Shikida Gorōemon	Male ancestor
1798-10-15 (Kansei 10)	桂岩智海居士	Keigan Chikai Koji	居士	敷田源右衛門	Shikida Gen’emon	Male ancestor

1800s (Late Edo to Early Meiji)

Date (Era + Western)	Kaimyō (Kanji)	Romaji	Type	Secular Name (Kanji)	Secular Name (Romaji)	Notes
1805-12-03 (Bunka 2)	桂雲妙光大姉	Keiun Myōkō Daishi	大姉	敷田五郎右衛門妻	Wife of Gorōemon	Female ancestor
1817-03-05 (Bunka 14)	桂雲妙瑞大姉	Keiun Myōzui Daishi	大姉	敷田源右衛門妻	Wife of Gen’emon	Female ancestor
1829-12-12 (Bunsei 12)	桂光智傳居士	Keikō Chiden Koji	居士	敷田五郎右衛門子	Son of Gorōemon	Male ancestor
1832-09-18 (Tenpō 3)	桂岩智順大姉	Keigan Chijun Daishi	大姉	敷田五郎右衛門子	Daughter of Gorōemon	Female ancestor

Mid/Late 1800s (Meiji Period)

Date (Era + Western)	Kaimyō (Kanji)	Romaji	Type	Secular Name (Kanji)	Secular Name (Romaji)	Notes
1868-04-26 (Meiji 1)	釋青山信士	Shaku Seizan Shinji	信士	田原村西野之内 屋新助	Ya-Shinsuke of Tahara/Nishino	Non-Shikida individual, possibly in-law
1888-09 (Meiji 21)	—	—	—	敷田姓採用	Adoption of surname SHIKIDA	Recorded at Ryūge-ji, Nishino-mura / Hongō-mura, Kōnu-gun (Hiroshima)
1896-09-09 (Meiji 29)	長善院俊室義光大姉	Chōzen-in Shunshitsu Yoshimitsu	大姉	立石村 妻マツ（70）	Wife Matsu (70), of Tateishi	Female ancestor
1896-09-19 (Meiji 29)	釋清月真照居士	Shaku Seigetsu Shinshō Koji	居士	守三郎（秋原村）	Morisaburō of Akihara	Non-Shikida individual, possibly affinal link
1898-04-06 (Meiji 31)	芸徳院端照釈君士	Geitoku-in Tanshō Shaku Kunshi	君士 / 居士	敷田甚兵衛義晴	Shikida Jinbei (Jinpei) Yoshiharu	Died aged 64 — pivotal ancestor
1898-04-06 (Meiji 31)	正月吉祥霊	Shōgatsu Kisshō Rei	—	ユタ（3歳）	Yuta (3 years old)	Child, died very young

Transition to 20th Century & Brazil Branch

Date (Era + Western)	Kaimyō (Kanji)	Romaji	Type	Secular Name (Kanji)	Secular Name (Romaji)	Notes
20th c. (Shōwa era)	玄宗院殿宗光大姉	Genshū-in-den Shūkō Daishi	大姉	敷田悠子	Shikida Yūko	Wife, ancestor
20th c. (Shōwa era)	敷田ミサオ立霊	Shikida Misao Ritsurei	立霊	敷田ミサオ（三男・父：哲照）	Shikida Misao, third son of Tesshō	Descendant
1982-10-19 (Shōwa 57)	釋幸輪	Shaku Kōrin	信士	敷田昭男	Shikida Akio	Died in Vila Gustavo, São Paulo (Rua Júlio Bueno 26)
20th c. (Shōwa era, Brazil)	釋榮道信士	Shaku Eidō Shinji	信士	敷田栄治	Shikida Eiji	Died in Vila Gustavo, São Paulo

Some remarkable facts: (1) By the late 1700s–early 1800s, the Shikida family had several distinct branches: (a) Gorōemon line (五郎右衛門) with his wife, son, and daughter; (b) Gen’emon line (源右衛門) with father + wife noted; (c) Magojirō (孫次郎) and Mitsumoto (光祖) lines also appear with children recorded.

From the Meiji era: (a) 1868: Non-Shikida name (Ya-Shinsuke) shows intermarriage/in-laws in Tahara village; (b) 1888: Official adoption of the surname “Shikida”, a milestone for the whole lineage; (c) 1898: Death of Shikida Jinbei Yoshiharu (甚兵衛義晴), whose kaimyō is Geitoku-in Tanshō Shaku Kunshi; (d) Transition into modern descendants: Yūko, Misao (son of Tesshō), and the Brazil branch (Akio, Eiji).

And I also have the reconstruction of family ties.

Reconstructed Relationships from Registers

1600s

• Shikida Sōbee (宗兵衛)
  • Wife: 妙傳大姉 (Myōden Daishi, 1647).
  • Child: 智山童子 (Chizan Dōji, 1657, son).
• Shikida Shichizaemon (七左衛門)
  • Wife: 妙光大姉 (Myōkō Daishi, 1671).
  • Child: 智山童女 (Chizan Dōjo, 1695, daughter).
• Shikida Rokurōzaemon (六郎左衛門)
  • Mother: 妙傳淨音大姉 (Myōden Jōon Daishi, 1672).
  • Child: 智雲童子 (Chiun Dōji, 1699, son).
• Shikida Sōshirō (宗四郎)
  • Wife: 俊榮妙光大姉 (Shun’ei Myōkō Daishi, 1694).
  • Child: 即真童子 (Sokushin Dōji, 1679, son).

1700s

• Shikida Mitsumoto (光祖)
  • Daughter: 涼心童女 (Ryōshin Dōjo, 1700).
  • Child: 玄中童子 (Genchū Dōji, 1724, son).
• Shikida Magojirō (孫次郎)
  • Younger brother recorded: 一傳了觀居士 (Ichiden Ryōkan Koji, 1700).
  • Son: 本木童子 (Honmoku Dōji, 1770).
• Shikida Gen’emon (源右衛門)
  • Father: 秀道信士 (Shudō Shinji, 1780).
  • Wife: 桂雲妙瑞大姉 (Keiun Myōzui Daishi, 1817).
• Shikida Gorōemon (五郎右衛門)
  • Wife: 桂雲妙光大姉 (Keiun Myōkō Daishi, 1805).
  • Children: 桂光智傳居士 (Keikō Chiden Koji, 1829, son), 桂岩智順大姉 (Keigan Chijun Daishi, 1832, daughter).

1800s–1900s

• Shikida Jinbei (甚兵衛義晴, Yoshiharu)
  • Died 1898, pivotal ancestor.
  • Likely head of household at the time of official surname adoption (1888).
  • Appears as ancestor to later Brazil branch.
• Shikida Tesshō (哲照)
  • Child: 敷田ミサオ立霊 (Shikida Misao, third son).
• Shikida Akio (昭男) and Shikida Eiji (栄治)
  • Appear together in Brazil (Vila Gustavo, São Paulo). Likely siblings or cousins descending from Jinbei’s line.

My Grandmother, Mitsuru Shikida

My grandmother came to Brazil from Hiroshima before the 2nd World War, in the ship “La Plata Maru”, in March of the year 1931. In Brazil, she had ten children. Nowadays, almost all members of the family live in Brazil. I believe that we only have one Shikida that has emigrated to Japan.

As most of this is due to the oral tradition, I always search for new information to correct the data about the origins of our family. If you have any information and would like to share it with me, I would appreciate it (my email is on the main page of this site).

Sample of Documents

Below you will find two copies of the mortuary documents mentioned above.

As you can see, the photo above explains the changing of the names using those beautiful old Kanjis that Japanese used (still used in Taiwan) before the end of the 2nd World War. The next picture complements the information given above.

The next two prints register the arrival of the couple in the seaport of Santos, in the state of São Paulo, in 1931.

Next, the register of Kazushi (21 years old) and Mitsuru Shikida (19 years old), Ume Amano (51 years old), his mother, and his sister Chiyo Amano (then 12 years old).

In 2005, my cousin, Mona Shikida (敷田モナ) interviewed my grandmother for her final research on Art in the Sao Paulo University (USP, サオパウロ　大学). The interview is a compilation of information about the Shikida family from Japan to Brazil. Mona did a limited number of copies of this in DVD for members of the family. In my humble opinion, it is a high quality work with subtitles done by an official translator. The cute girl in the photo is, of course, my grandmother in her younger years. If you want to know more about this work, contact me and I will transmit the information to Mona.

UPDATE [2015/07/28]: My cousin Anderson Maeda just started to scan some old photo albums and we found some interesting pictures of our grandparents in Japan and also in São Paulo.

We can see below some scanned photos from graduation album. It seems to me the school was destroyed when the A-bomb was dropped in Hiroshima.

Below, some more photos of my grandmother and friends (unknown names). Also, photos of her and her classmates.

In São Paulo, my grandparents worked with agriculture and also teached Japanese for the children. Below, the photo of the school of Álvares Machado, a small town located in the state of São Paulo. Also, some students.

Finally, my grandparents first house in Brazil. As you can see, Japanese immigrants in Brazil had not an easy life.

Finally, some years ago I created an entry in Nikkeypedia for my grandmother. It’s here.

UPDATE (2017/Jan/08): That’s the old “Immigration Card” from Brazilian government.