Reunion of lost siblings over 60 years, between US and Japan

人探しで涙の初対面

当社の調査成果が沖縄タイムズで取り上げられました！

当社は、外国顧客への調査サービスを提供する日本では数少ない探偵社です。

ガラパゴスと呼ばれる特殊性の強い日本と諸外国とのカルチャーギャップを埋める調査サービスを提供し、常に国際的な視点に立って活動しています。

そうしたいつもの活動が報われ、日米に分かれて生まれ、お互いの存在を知らぬまま暮らしていたきょうだいを60年の時位を経て初対面させることができました。

この成果が新聞(沖縄タイムズ)に取りあげられ、依頼者と対象者から感謝の言葉をいただきました。

First reunion of siblings

Our case on Okinawa local newspaper!!!

We commenced surveillance on this case, researching American client’s sister in Japan.

As we located the sister’s address, the siblings between Japan and the U.S. were finally able to meet.

Okinawa local newspaper took up this case, and the siblings gave us a message expressing appreciation.

The article and message were shown below.

沖縄と米国で暮らすきょうだいが涙の初対面　60年の時を経て

Siblings between Okinawa and U.S. were Finally able to meet over 60 years

　沖縄市胡屋で飲食店を営む金城悦子さん（６１）が、米国オレゴン州に住む異母兄のマーク・ダンリーさん（６２）と初めて対面し、互いの絆を深めている。昨年４月に亡くなった父親のドナルド・ダンリーさんの遺言書で沖縄に妹がいることを初めて知ったマークさんが、悦子さんの所在を突き止めて１月末に来沖した。悦子さんは兄の存在を知っていたが「まさか会えるとは思わなかった」と６０年を経ての対面を喜んでいる。

Okinawa City Goya Etsuko Kaneshiro engaged in a restaurant in (61), the United States Oregon to his half-brother Mark Danley who lives (62) for the first time face-to-face, the bond between two of them was deepened. For the first time, Mark had noticed that there is sister in Okinawa in the late father of Donald Danley’s last will and testament in April last year, Mark came to Okinawa the end of January as locating the whereabouts of Etsuko by using Private Investigative Agency. Even though Etsuko had been aware of the existence of a brother, she is willing to face-to-face after 60 years saying “He was the last person I expected to see.”

　父ダンリーさんは１９５３年３月から１年間、陸軍兵として沖縄に駐留した後、米国に戻った。悦子さんは母親から住所を教えてもらい８４年に父親を沖縄に招待。その際、異母きょうだいの兄のデービッドさん（６３）とマークさん、妹のデアさん（５４）がいることを教えてもらったという。

　その後、音信は途絶えていたが、昨年肺がんのため８４歳で亡くなったダンリーさんの遺言書に悦子さんの名が記されていたことから、マークさんは悦子さんの存在を初めて知った。東京の調査会社に依頼して突き止め、昨年６月インターネット電話スカイプを使って初めて会話した。

　マークさんは「人生で一番の思い出。お互いに泣いた」と振り返る。妻のケイさん（６２）と１月末に来沖したマークさんは悦子さんに、米国にいる他のきょうだいや家族を写したアルバムをプレゼント。また悦子さんの長女里奈さん（３８）には、長兄デービッドさんが幼少時に着ていたまつりの法被を贈った。悦子さんは沖縄駐留時代の父親の写真を見せ、会話を弾ませた。

　マークさんは今月９日まで滞在する予定。３日、悦子さんの営む飲食店でマークさんの歓迎会が開かれ、常連客から花束を手渡されたマークさんは「会いたくないと言われるかもと心配もあった。本当に感動している」と感極まった様子。悦子さんはマークさんと仲良く腕を組み、「小さいころ、兄がいたらいいな、腕を組んでみたいと思っていたが、その夢が実現した。きょうだいと認めてくれてうれしい」と喜んだ。

対象者の長女の里奈さんからのメール

“遅くにすみません。小山さんのお陰で、会うことが出来ました。
本当にありがとうございました。
Markさんは小山さんに物凄く敬意をはらっています\( •̀ω•́ )/
ありがとうございます☆”

“小山様の、忍耐と熱意。その一生懸命さのおかけで今回、こう言った素晴らしい異母兄妹の絆と他のファミリーの絆をもっと、もっと大きな宝にして下さいました。
リサーチ会社は本当にご苦労も多い事だと思います。大変な事も、私達の想像以上だと思います。
でも、こうした消えかけた縁が再び繋がり合う縁もあるという事、そして、その架け橋となる、小山様の様な人柄とお仕事を、どうか、これからも自信を持って頑張って下さい(*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡
お父さんへの電話まで、たどり着くまでの経緯は本当に大変だったと思います。
小山さんからの電話は父が入院中でしたので、この入院がまだまだ、延びていたら、この日が来る事は無かったでしょう。
奇跡的とは有りましたが、小山さんの、さがす！っと言う気持ちや行動が奇跡を呼んだのだと私は確信しております♡(´,,•ω•,,`)

E-mail from Client’s first daughter Ms.Rina.

Thanks to Mr.Koyama we were finally able to meet each other. Thank you very much. Mark appreciated so much, too.

Mr. Koyama’s passion and tenacity did bear fruit and gave us strong ties of family between half-siblings.

This case seemed to be very difficult and I think it is a miracle.

So I hope you continue to have these courageous attitudes to your work!! Good Luck!!

Mr.Koyama

I cannot tell you how pleased I am for your work. I doubt my testimony will give you any additional work, but if you would like a statement from me regarding how you conducted yourself, please let me know and I will do so.

I have been texting Etsuko’s family using LINE, and we’re making plans on a conversation directly with Etsuko (using an interpreter) this next weekend.

Perhaps we shall meet someday, but if not, I hope you know you have made a fundamental difference in my life and with several other people. In my culture, we have a word, mensch, which means a really good person, one whom you can trust and respect. You, sir, are a mensch. It is an honor to have worked with you.

Mark Danley

調査経緯 – 執念と奇跡の結晶

Details of surveillance

American client Mr.Mark had only information of address and telephone number that was moved 30 years ago, family name of the subject(Erabu), her husband name. Add to these, there was a record that some International Communications Association supported Etusko and her father for their meeting.

This information had a little clue because the address had already moved so that we cannot locate the subject and also the telephone number had been changed and furthermore the association had been dissolved more than 10 years ago.

We think Erabu might be Japanese name 伊良部, so we telephoned “Irabu(伊良部） Tomio” as much as possible trying to locate the subject, but it was no answer.

Next, we tried to telephone around the address that was moved but there was no record and we noticed that we were not able to locate her without going Okinawa. So we started a field survey.

Arriving at Okinawa, we commenced research interviewing around the subject’s former address. At first neighbor’s attitude was not so cooperative. However, they suddenly remember they came to be cooperative. Thanks to their cooperation, we could have a clue to the location of the workplace of the subject’s husband. So we visited the former location of the workplace. Arriving at the workplace, some elder worker gave us a clue about the subject’s husband’s address. Then we noticed that the area of the address corresponded to the address that we had seen and once telephoned at our office.

So we decided to go to the address and visited the house, the old man around 60-year-old came out. He was Tomio Irabu, the ex-husband of the subject. We talked to him about the inheritance trying to get his ex-wife location. He talked about his divorce from Etsuko(subject) and her father Donald, and that her daughter Rina knew Setsuko’s address so that we can get subject’s location and contact address.

Finally, we could get in contact with Etsuko, the subject. We visited her place and saw her and her daughter Rina. We gave the documents of the inheritance, our mission completed.

However, one problem came up that how Etsuko and Rina can communicate with American Client Mark because they cannot speak English.

So, we recommended use communication app LINE which has the function of translation so that they can communicate with each other.

That was the end of our investigation.

Thank you for reading!!

We will continue to make efforts to bridge building between Japan and other countries by the investigation.