BOSTON — It has taken nearly 80 years, but 22 historic artifacts looted in Japan following the Battle of Okinawa have been returned to where they belong.
FBI officials in the agency’s Boston Division announced the recovery of the items, which include some pieces dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The pieces include six portraits, three of which were originally one piece, a hand-drawn map of Okinawa and various pieces of pottery and ceramics.
Denny Tamaki, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, spoke of the return of the artifacts in a news conference in Japan on Friday. He stated that it was “very meaningful that the FBI, along with others in the U.S. government, have cooperated to realize this return.”
The items were discovered last year by a Massachusetts family going through their late father’s personal effects, according to an FBI news release. Realizing that the pieces appeared valuable, they checked the FBI’s National Stolen Art File, a database of art and cultural property that law enforcement agencies both in the U.S. and abroad have reported stolen.
The family, who wishes to remain anonymous, learned that at least four of the pieces were missing 18th-century portraits reported stolen by Japan. An unsigned, typewritten letter found with the artifacts indicated that the pieces were taken from Okinawa during the final days of World War II.
Their late father was a World War II veteran but had never served in the Pacific Theater, the FBI reported. It was not immediately clear how the items ended up in his hands.
“It’s an exciting moment when you watch the scrolls unfurl in front of you and you just witness history, and you witness something that hasn’t been seen by many people in a very long time,” said Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly, a member of the FBI’s Art Crime Team. “These artifacts are culturally significant; they’re important pieces of Japan’s identity. These were especially important because they were portraits of Okinawan kings dating back to the 18th, 19th centuries.”
Watch below as FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly describes the return of the artifacts. See photos of all of the pieces here.
Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the Boston Division, described the return of the long-missing items as “incredibly gratifying.” She also talked about the importance of the public in recovering some of these priceless artifacts.
“This case highlights the important role the public plays in recognizing and reporting possible stolen art,” Cohen said. “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.”
The National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institute helped ensure that the artifacts were properly packaged for transport back to Japan, FBI agents said. A formal repatriation ceremony is planned in Japan for a later date.
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