FBI Discovers Stolen Artifacts From Japan During WWII
The items have been returned from a Massachusetts Attic, including six painted scrolls and a hand-drawn map of Okinawa—all from the 18th and 19th centuries.
A number of historic Japanese artifacts allegedly looted from Okinawa Island in the dying days of World War II (WWII) have been returned home to Japan after a family from Massachusetts discovered 22 items in their late father’s attic.
In a March 15 report, the FBI revealed the artifacts were missing for nearly 80 years until the FBI Boston Field Office received a message from a Massachusetts family who found what they described as “valuable Asian art” in their deceased father’s belongings. He served in WWII.
“There were some scrolls, there were some pottery pieces, there was an ancient map,” Mr. Kelly said.
“They looked old and valuable. And because of this, they did a little research and they determined that at least the scrolls had been entered about 20 years ago in the FBI’s National Stolen Art File,” he added.
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Many such artifacts were taken from Japan following the war, including priceless swords with many years of history attached.
One of the more famous is the Honjō Masamune sword, considered a national treasure in Japan. It was taken from a police station in Tokyo in 1946 by a fictional representative of the Foreign Liquidations Commission of the Army Forces, listed as Sgt. Coldy Bimore.
The sword has been missing ever since.
