World War II Artifacts
2024/11/20
The Government of Japan recognizes that the original owners (or their family) would greatly appreciate the return of articles lost during World War II. For this reason, 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 No. 3 below, please do not send the item to The Consulate General before the investigation is completed:
1. Email, mail, or fax the completed REQUEST FORM to The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna 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. In the absence of inscriptions indicating the name and address of the original bearer of the artifact or aforementioned details, reaching a conclusive outcome will be highly unlikely. Please be advised that all photos and photocopies of the artifact(s) cannot be returned.
Email:
infocgj@ag.mofa.go.jp
Mailing Address:
Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna
ATTENTION: WWII Artifacts
P.O.Box AG Hagatna ,GU 96932
2. The materials will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan for investigation. Investigation typically takes several months, but in some cases may take a year or more to complete.
3. You will be notified as soon as the investigation is conclusive. You will then be asked to send or bring the artifact(s) to Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna. The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna 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.
4. The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna can only accept requests from individuals residing within its jurisdiction, which includes GUAM. Those residing in other areas are asked to contact their regional Consulate office (https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/consulate-guide.html)
➢ For those of you who have memorabilia of Japanese war dead, such as Nisshoki with messages or Senninbari (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000039987.html)
➢ MHLW’s project “The surveys for the return of the wartime articles to war-bereaved families”
This fiscal year, MHLW is working with Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association), contractor of this project, and its subcontractor, Obon Society* to facilitate the return of wartime articles to war-bereaved families.
*Obon Society acts as an overseas support services subcontractor of this project for Nippon Izokukai.
Should you have any further questions, please contact Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna by phone or email.
Phone:
(671) 646-1290
Email:
infocgj@ag.mofa.go.jp
Request for Investigation of Lost Articles: WORD, PDF
The procedure for the return of such artifacts is as follows. As stated in No. 3 below, please do not send the item to The Consulate General before the investigation is completed:
1. Email, mail, or fax the completed REQUEST FORM to The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna 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. In the absence of inscriptions indicating the name and address of the original bearer of the artifact or aforementioned details, reaching a conclusive outcome will be highly unlikely. Please be advised that all photos and photocopies of the artifact(s) cannot be returned.
Email:
infocgj@ag.mofa.go.jp
Mailing Address:
Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna
ATTENTION: WWII Artifacts
P.O.Box AG Hagatna ,GU 96932
2. The materials will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan for investigation. Investigation typically takes several months, but in some cases may take a year or more to complete.
3. You will be notified as soon as the investigation is conclusive. You will then be asked to send or bring the artifact(s) to Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna. The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna 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.
4. The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna can only accept requests from individuals residing within its jurisdiction, which includes GUAM. Those residing in other areas are asked to contact their regional Consulate office (https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/consulate-guide.html)
➢ For those of you who have memorabilia of Japanese war dead, such as Nisshoki with messages or Senninbari (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000039987.html)
➢ MHLW’s project “The surveys for the return of the wartime articles to war-bereaved families”
This fiscal year, MHLW is working with Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association), contractor of this project, and its subcontractor, Obon Society* to facilitate the return of wartime articles to war-bereaved families.
*Obon Society acts as an overseas support services subcontractor of this project for Nippon Izokukai.
Should you have any further questions, please contact Consulate-General of Japan in Hagatna by phone or email.
Phone:
(671) 646-1290
Email:
infocgj@ag.mofa.go.jp
Request for Investigation of Lost Articles: WORD, PDF