Made in Occupied Japan

Have you ever bought a figurine or piece of pottery and discovered it said "occupied Japan" on the reverse? You may have wondered why this was marked as such.

After World War II the allied forces occupied Japan until the early 1950's. Their ceramics, pottery and china were stamped "made in occupied Japan" or simply "Occupied Japan".

Now these pieces are becoming very collectible and the savvy collector is always on the search for something that will only increase in value. These are not only of interest to a collector of Japanese art and design but also to historians.

There are many places to find figurines, pottery , or china that are stamped with the "occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan".

Ebay is a great place to start, there are usually several people who sell frequently on that site. Because the stock on Ebay is always changing, it is a good idea to check back often. Remember with Ebay, if you like something , buy it because it may not be there tomorrow or even in an hour.

Another place will be traditional auction houses. These may be found in boxes and sold as a job lot so it is important that you look in as many boxes as possible because it is likely it won't be listed in the sales brochure.

It is possible to find some at charity shops such as Salvation Army and Goodwill but normally they sort through and sell these separately. If you speak with them they may be willing to keep them back and sell them to you.

Swap meets, garage sales, and if you are in the UK, car boot sales. These are always good places to find these things. It is best to arrive early so you can have the best selection. Talk to traders and see if they have more than what is on display.

Antique shops may also have them but you will pay a much higher price than the previous places.

Below is a link to a site where Cathy Anderson from Seatlle has photographed and listed various manufactures and designs of cups and saucers which are marked "occupied Japan" or "Made in occupied Japan". She herself is a collector.

There are several reasons these could be stamped like this. Firstly for export reasons. After the war there was continued animosity against the Japanese and as such people didn't want to buy their products. People didn't want to support Japan by buying their products.

At that time, their products were also inferior it was thought. If you have seen the film "Back to the Future" they make reference to this. In the 1950's Japan was synonymous with poor quality and now it is produces some of the highest quality goods available.

It could have also been that they used these marks as a stamp of defiance against being occupied.

Whatever the reason, they now are becoming collectible and are increasing in value.

Would you like to write here on Hubpages? It's free to join and you can earn money by writing articles about a wide variety of topics that you choose.

Hubpages take care of the technical side. When someone clicks on an ad, you get money into your account. When your balance reaches the payout level, currently $50, you are paid by Hubpages. It's easy to use and there is a great bank of knowledgeable Hubbers (people who write on Hubpages) wiling to help you over any rough patches.

Everyone that you read about in the success stories started with their first hub. Then they wrote another and kept at it. Now, they are making money not just from their current articles but the ones they wrote when they first started. How great is that!