Guidlines for Handling World War II Artifacts
The Government of Japan recognizes that the original owners (or their family) would greatly appreciate the return of articles lost during World War II. That is why we are promoting the return of those artifacts. To facilitate the return of these artifacts the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of the Government of Japan will attempt to locate the original bearer of a WWII artifact or surviving kin of the original bearer provided the party requesting the investigation agrees to tender the item to the Embassy of Japan without demand for compensation, if and when the search is successfully completed. Please be aware that the online auction or sale of WWII artifacts (especially on articles on which the names of the war dead are clearly visible) would deeply offend the feelings of the war bereaved. The Government of Japan would greatly appreciate your cooperation in refraining from the sale or purchase of such articles.
The procedure for the return of such artifacts is as follows. As stated in 3. below, please do not send the item to Embassy or Consulate General before the investigation is completed:
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Please mail or fax the completed request form to the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage along with photos or photocopies of the artifact. Any identifying markings should be enlarged and clearly legible. Complete details, including how and where the item was recovered, are crucial to the success of the investigation and should therefore be described in full on the request form. Mailing Address: Phone:
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The materials will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for investigation. Investigation typically takes several months, but in some cases may take a year or more to complete. |
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You will be notified as soon as the investigation is conclusive. You will then be asked to send or bring the artifact(s) to the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage. The Consular Office will only receive the actual items at this stage of the process and only if the item has been traced back to its origin. Due to rigid legal codes, military swords must be sent directly from the individual requesting the investigation to the original bearer of the artifact or their surviving kin. |
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The Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage can only accept requests from individuals residing within its jurisdiction, which is the state of Alaska only. Those residing in other areas are asked to contact their regional Consulate office. |
Should you have any further questions, please contact the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage by phone or email.
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