The Ministry of Health, Labor 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 Consulate General of Japan without demand for compensation, if and when the search is successfully completed. The procedure for the return of such artifacts is as follows:
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Fax or mail the completed REQUEST FORM to Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles 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, is 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, it is virtually impossible to reach a conclusive outcome. Please be advised that photos and photocopies cannot be returned.
Mailing Address:
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
350 S. Grand Avenue, Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90071
FAX:
(213) 617-6727
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The materials will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for investigation, which can take several months or in some cases over a year.
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You will be notified as soon as the investigation is conclusive, and asked to send or bring the artifact to the Consulate General of Japan. The Consulate General of Japan 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 Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles can only accept requests from individuals residing within its geographic jurisdiction, which includes Southern California (San Luis Obispo County, Kern County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Diego County and Imperial County)and the State of Arizona. Those residing in other areas are asked to contact their regional Consulate office.
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Should you have any further questions, please contact the political section.
Request Form for Investigation of Japanese WW II Artifacts
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