Centuries-old items pillaged following the Battle of Okinawa during World War II have been reclaimed and repatriated to Japan, as stated by the FBI. The FBI’s Boston division disclosed that 22 historical items, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, were unearthed in an attic by a family in Massachusetts, USA, amidst their deceased father’s personal belongings.
The FBI emphasized that these retrieved artefacts, lost for nearly 80 years, epitomize a significant segment of Okinawan history. A comprehensive inquiry, initiated in January 2023 subsequent to a family’s notification about discovering what seemed to be valuable Asian artwork among their late father’s possessions, led to the recovery.
Among the 22 items were a 19th-century hand-drawn map of Okinawa, as well as various examples of pottery and ceramics, officials indicated. Geoffrey Kelly, a special agent and art theft coordinator at FBI Boston, underscored the collective importance of these artefacts, stressing, “When taken together, they really represent a substantial piece of Okinawan history.”
The family, choosing to maintain anonymity, verified that their father had been a World War II veteran but had not served in the Pacific Theater.
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