Massachusetts family finds looted World War II artifacts in attic, helps return them to Japan 

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.

Twenty-two historic artifacts that were looted after 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 in an attic, according to the FBI.

The collection included six painted scrolls from the 18th and 19th centuries, a hand-drawn map of Okinawa dating to the 19th century and various pieces of pottery and ceramics, the FBI Boston Field Office said Friday.

A typewritten letter detailed the collection process and confirmed they were looted during the last days of World War II. The artifacts had been considered missing for over 80 years.

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 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad have reported stolen to the FBI.

The family found the artifacts while they were sorting through the belongings of their deceased father in an attic. He was a World War II veteran, although he never served in the Pacific Theater. They contacted authorities after they researched the items and determined that some of them were in the National Stolen Art File.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/massachusetts-family-wwii-artifacts-japan-rcna143864

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