Have you ever looked at the bottom of a little figurine or vase and seen the words "Made in Occupied Japan"? Perhaps you know what that means, but for those of you who don't, let me clue you in.
A typical Made In Occupied Japan stamp:
Items marked "Made In Occupied Japan" or simply "Occupied Japan" were manufactured after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II and was occupied by the Allies. During the years 1946-47 Japan was banned from exporting except for controlled territories that were allowed to export the specially marked items, much of which were kitchen ware and home decor. The markings were used even after the ban was lifted for a time because the Japanese were in a rush to rebuild their economy and the tooling that produced the marks was gradually replaced at the various factories into the 1950's.
Now some collectors covet the Occupied Japan marked items, because it represents a specific time period in American and Japanese history. Items with the "OJ" marking will have more value than a similar item without the mark.
Mitzi
