Returning World War II Items to Japan

The Government of Japan recognizes that the original owners, or their surviving relatives, would greatly appreciate the return of items lost during World War II. To promote and 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 Consulate-General of Japan without demand for compensation if and when the search is successfully completed. Please be aware that the purchase or sale of WWII items, especially those with the names of war dead clearly visible, are deeply disrespectful to the 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.

1.  Request Form	Email or mail the completed REQUEST FORM to the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville along with photos or photocopies of the item. Any identifying markings should be enlarged and made clearly visible. Complete details, including how and where the item was recovered, are crucial to the success of the investigation and should be described in full on the REQUEST FORM. In the absence of inscriptions indicating the name or other details that could be used to identify the original owner, reaching a conclusive outcome will be highly unlikely. Please be advised that all photos and photocopies provided with the REQUEST FROM will not be returned.   Email: info@nv.mofa.go.jp   Mailing Address: Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville ATTN: WWII Items 1801 West End Avenue, Suite 900,  Nashville, TN 37203
2. Investigation	The materials will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for investigation. Investigations typically take several months, but in some cases may take a year or more to complete.
3. Notification	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 Nashville. The Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville 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. Jurisdiction	The Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville can only accept requests from individuals residing within its jurisdiction, which includes Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Those residing in other areas should contact the regional Consulate office responsible for their area: https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/consulate-guide.html
Contact	Should you have any further questions, please contact Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville by phone or email. Phone: (615) 340-4300 Email: info@nv.mofa.go.jp