22 artifacts looted after the Battle of Okinawa returned to Japan

1 year ago 24

BOSTON: Twenty-two historic

artifacts

that were looted following the

Battle of Okinawa

in World War II have been

returned to Japan

after a family from Massachusetts discovered them in their late father's personal items, the FBI said on Friday. The 22 artifacts, some of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, represent a significant piece of Okinawan history. They include six portraits, a hand drawn map of Okinawa from the 19th century, and various pieces of pottery and ceramics, officials said.
The Boston division of the FBI said they helped orchestrate the return of the items, which had been missing for almost 80 years to the government of Japan, Okinawa prefecture. A formal repatriation ceremony will be held in Japan at a later date.
In 2001, the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education registered some of the artifacts with the FBI's National Stolen Art File, a database of art and cultural property that have been reported stolen to the FBI by law enforcement agencies in the US and abroad.
The artifacts were discovered when a family, who wishes to remain anonymous, came across what appeared to be valuable Asian art in their late father's personal effects, according to the FBI.

Their father was a World War II veteran, but never served in the Pacific Theatre. The family then checked the National Stolen Art File and discovered that at least four of the items were missing 18th century portraits that had been listed in the database.
The FBI was able to authenticate the artworks.
"This case highlights the important role the public plays in recognising and reporting possible stolen art. We'd like to thank the family from Massachusetts who did the right thing in reaching out to us and relinquishing these treasures so we could return them to the people of Okinawa," Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, said in a statement.
On Friday, Denny Tamaki, the Governor of Okinawa prefecture, announced the return of the artifacts to the people of Okinawa, Japan, according to the FBI.

Article From: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Read Entire Article



Note:

We invite you to explore our website, engage with our content, and become part of our community. Thank you for trusting us as your go-to destination for news that matters.

Certain articles, images, or other media on this website may be sourced from external contributors, agencies, or organizations. In such cases, we make every effort to provide proper attribution, acknowledging the original source of the content.

If you believe that your copyrighted work has been used on our site in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please contact us promptly. We are committed to addressing and rectifying any such instances

To remove this article:
Removal Request