HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE PHILIPPINES: Hunting for Yamashita?s war booty

HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE PHILIPPINES: Hunting for Yamashita?s war booty (GEOFF BOTTING - The Yomiuri Weekly)
June 20, 2005 6:26 PM

Yomiuri Weekly (June 19)

He was known as the ?Tiger of Malaya.? A skilled commander in the Pacific War, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita masterminded the quick capture by the Imperial Army of Malaysia and Singapore against a much larger force of Allied soldiers. Toward the end of the war, Yamashita?s forces tried in vain to repel U.S. forces retaking the Philippines.

* Tokyo Confidential surveys popular vernacular magazines ? often ?salacious, libelous and utterly unreliable? ? to discover what the Japanese are ?really thinking.? See also below:
Sparring with the women-only set
By Michael Hoffman
Spa! (June 7)
Sleeping on the job pays dividends
By Mark Schreiber
Nikkei Trendy (July)

Yet despite such an illustrious career as a battlefield commander, Yamashita?s name these days is most frequently connected to his purported ?treasure? ? a vast amount of gold, gems and currency looted from various Asian countries during the war.

According to treasure hunters and a few investigative journalists, Yamashita ordered some of his soldiers to stash the loot in various places in the Philippines during the closing stages of the war.

Yet 60 years and countless search attempts later, no one has managed to find even a scrap of it. That, however, has failed to dent the enthusiasm of legions of treasure hunters, including many from Japan, according to Yomiuri Weekly.

Of the 200-odd hardcore treasure seekers from around the world who are based in the Philippines or regularly go there in search of Yamashita?s treasure, about 30-40 are Japanese nationals, reckons Mitsuhiro Yaeno, author of ?Nihon no Maizokin 100 Hanashi (One Hundred Stories of Japan?s Buried Treasures).?

Treasure hunters are, by nature, a secretive lot, and that?s the case with the Japanese intent on grabbing a piece of Yamashita?s loot. The magazine, however, does some digging of its own on the lives and activities of some of these adventurers.

One, whom the magazine identifies only as ?M,? had formerly searched for valuables left behind by the Tokugawa shogunate. ?However, he got hold of some documents and maps of the Yamashita treasure. The prospects appeared good, so he went to live in the Philippines, where he has three trucks? as part of his search operation, says Akira Kittaka, the head of a Japan-based group of treasure hunters.

Others have given up conventional careers in Japan to devote their energy into tracking down the war-era loot.

?K,? a native of Saitama Prefecture, once worked for a small trading company. Then one day his employer sent him on a business trip to the Philippines in 2003. After becoming fascinated by the tales of the famous booty while in the country, he decided to quit his job and relocate there, where he has been snooping around ever since.

?T? once served in the Self-Defense Forces and worked as a Tokyo cab driver. He too quit his job several years ago to become a full-time seeker of Yamashita?s treasure.

He is apparently chasing a hot lead these days. ?I have purchased some fresh information. However, it concerns an area that?s quite dangerous, as it?s under control of armed insurgents,? he wrote recently in a message to Yaeno.

So what would happen should any of these people actually find any of Yamashita?s cache? Surely, since the Japanese looted it from other countries, wouldn?t the right thing be to give all that money, gold and gems back to their rightful owners? Such concerns, however, seem to be the last things on the minds of the treasure hunters.

Translated by The Japan Times

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,3374.msg23793.html#msg23793

		Quote:			Posted by Christian
	HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE PHILIPPINES: Hunting for Yamashita?s war booty (GEOFF BOTTING - The Yomiuri Weekly) June 20, 2005 6:26 PM Yomiuri Weekly (June 19) He was known as the ?Tiger of Malaya.? A skilled commander in the Pacific War, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita masterminded the quick capture by the Imperial Army of Malaysia and Singapore against a much larger force of Allied soldiers. Toward the end of the war, Yamashita?s forces tried in vain to repel U.S. forces retaking the Philippines. * Tokyo Confidential surveys popular vernacular magazines ? often ?salacious, libelous and utterly unreliable? ? to discover what the Japanese are ?really thinking.? See also below: Sparring with the women-only set By Michael Hoffman Spa! (June 7) Sleeping on the job pays dividends By Mark Schreiber Nikkei Trendy (July) Yet despite such an illustrious career as a battlefield commander, Yamashita?s name these days is most frequently connected to his purported ?treasure? ? a vast amount of gold, gems and currency looted from various Asian countries during the war. According to treasure hunters and a few investigative journalists, Yamashita ordered some of his soldiers to stash the loot in various places in the Philippines during the closing stages of the war. Yet 60 years and countless search attempts later, no one has managed to find even a scrap of it. That, however, has failed to dent the enthusiasm of legions of treasure hunters, including many from Japan, according to Yomiuri Weekly. Of the 200-odd hardcore treasure seekers from around the world who are based in the Philippines or regularly go there in search of Yamashita?s treasure, about 30-40 are Japanese nationals, reckons Mitsuhiro Yaeno, author of ?Nihon no Maizokin 100 Hanashi (One Hundred Stories of Japan?s Buried Treasures).? Treasure hunters are, by nature, a secretive lot, and that?s the case with the Japanese intent on grabbing a piece of Yamashita?s loot. The magazine, however, does some digging of its own on the lives and activities of some of these adventurers. One, whom the magazine identifies only as ?M,? had formerly searched for valuables left behind by the Tokugawa shogunate. ?However, he got hold of some documents and maps of the Yamashita treasure. The prospects appeared good, so he went to live in the Philippines, where he has three trucks? as part of his search operation, says Akira Kittaka, the head of a Japan-based group of treasure hunters. Others have given up conventional careers in Japan to devote their energy into tracking down the war-era loot. ?K,? a native of Saitama Prefecture, once worked for a small trading company. Then one day his employer sent him on a business trip to the Philippines in 2003. After becoming fascinated by the tales of the famous booty while in the country, he decided to quit his job and relocate there, where he has been snooping around ever since. ?T? once served in the Self-Defense Forces and worked as a Tokyo cab driver. He too quit his job several years ago to become a full-time seeker of Yamashita?s treasure. He is apparently chasing a hot lead these days. ?I have purchased some fresh information. However, it concerns an area that?s quite dangerous, as it?s under control of armed insurgents,? he wrote recently in a message to Yaeno. So what would happen should any of these people actually find any of Yamashita?s cache? Surely, since the Japanese looted it from other countries, wouldn?t the right thing be to give all that money, gold and gems back to their rightful owners? Such concerns, however, seem to be the last things on the minds of the treasure hunters. Translated by The Japan Times

I have been heard something about that story from my grandfather. He said to me that his father told him that his grandfather share some information about that Yamashita's treasures. Yeah, during the war they hid their high precious things in different part of the Philippines. But  don't know if they already found it all. :

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,3374.msg90125.html#msg90125

 Hello:   I do not agree with your artical in complete text. Yes, much gold has been recovered in the Phillipines.  Naturally Japan wish to disqualify this true  story. Answer this please. USA General McArther's play in the gold after World War II - The United States part in the Gold Recovery, and the buy out of Japan, and those  Empire wealthy Japense Familys who are still in control of the economy of Japan.  The Truth has surfaced and the Gold came from many Asian Countries long before World War II and  much was burried in the old mineing tunnels and covered and  deathly booby traps installed,  water traps for any treausre hunters, this can mean sudden death. This is why   the gold is so hard to recover, and not only gold but diamonds and jewels.  There are many treaure hunters, and soon the truth will be found and knowledge released.  There was a period of time when Japan was a ruthless nation to it's neighbors, and even during  WWarII.  Our boys were slaughtered  in the Pacific Islands, and Phillipines. Our boys were placed in prison, starved, and marched to die.     This has all been covered up by people in high places, but we who faught the War to save our country the Great USA will never forget. The Gold and Treasure will soon be found, and the Greatest Story is yet to be told.  Hitler was known, to the world, and he stripped the Jewish People of their wealth, and transported them to death camps, we have Hollywood to thank for the great stories in the movie industry, revealing the truths.  but Japan has been secretly protected, only because of the Great Gold Coverup by greedy politians in our own USA.  for actions  soon after WORLD WAR II and the Gold that was recovered.  Marcus recovered much gold, and hid it away. One of the largest lawsuits in the US has been over Phillipine Gold.  It is all in the records. Just search it out.    I assume you are of Japanese decent, and you have a lot to learn.     Your USA Friend IB

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,3374.msg140499.html#msg140499

Thankyou for your information.    How do the Phillipine Historians  Expain Marcus Wealth, and the known recoveries made by him.  The large Gold Budda is still a mystery. What do you know about that,  what is written by the Historians??     IB

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,3374.msg142224.html#msg142224

MY father was one of the people in one of the prison camps he spent his 21st birthday there so i know what went on there coz i had to live with the end result of it

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,3374.msg142248.html#msg142248