# Locating unknown relatives

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-unknown-relatives/607741>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 29, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-unknown-relatives/607741 "2011-12-29T18:14:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-unknown-relatives/607741/1 "2011-12-29T18:14:22Z")

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My father was a pilot and flew to Japan for many years. He loved Japan and its people. We are pretty sure he a mistress or a girlfriend in Tokyo. There have been a couple of relatives and a friend that have vaguely hinted at my brothers and I that we may have a step brother/sister we don’t know about. (“I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys have a half brother over there.” Or, a fellow pilot who didn’t know I was his son and didn’t notice me, said with guy-code admiration, “I heard about your operation you got set up over there, Marty!”

My brothers and I would like to try to find out if we have a half brother/sister, but we don’t have the slightest idea of how to go about it. I don’t think they were married, so I don’t think it would be as easy as looking up our last name in a Tokyo directory.

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locating-unknown-relatives/607741/2 "2011-12-29T18:18:45Z")

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How about even known? My real dad died years ago but I know I have half-siblings, and while I don’t want to mess up their lives, I’d sure like to find out about my dad’s wife.

Unfortunately she’d probably think of me as a product of sin. ☹