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 artifact(s) 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 artifact(s) Consulate General before the investigation is completed:
- Email, mail, or fax the completed REQUEST FORM to Consulate-General of Japan in Houston (if you like live in Texas or in Oklahoma) 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(s) 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: ryoji@ho.mofa.go.jp
Mailing Address: 909 Fannin street Suite3000. Houston TX 77010
ATTENTION: WWII Artifacts
FAX: 713-651-7822
- The artifact(s) will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for investigation. Investigation typically take several months, but in some cases may take a year or more to complete.
- 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 Houston (if you like live in Texas or in Oklahoma). Consulate-General of Japan in Houston will only receive the actual artifact(s) at this stage of the process and only if the artifact(s) 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(s) or their surviving kin.
- Consulate-General of Japan in Houston can only accept requests from individuals residing within its jurisdiction, which includes Texas and Oklahoma. Those residing in other areas are asked to contact their regional Consulate office or the Embassy (http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/consulate-guide.html)
Should you have any further questions, please contact Consulate-General of Japan in Houston by phone or email.
Phone: 713-652-2977
Email: ryoji@ho.mofa.go.jp
Request for Investigation of Lost Articles:  WORD,  PDF |
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