Yamashita treasure - Japanese gold
World War II Japanese gold still haunts treasure hunters
Asia-Pacific News
Baguio City (Philippines),
June 19 (DPA) For decades, tales of buried vaults packed with gold ingots, gems and other treasures hidden by the Japanese Imperial
Army in the Philippines have lured treasure hunters from all around the world
Stories abound about cryptic maps that allegedly lead to the treasures buried by Japanese soldiers in more than 100 sites in
the Philippines before Japanese commander General Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to American troops in 1945. According to accounts,
the Yamashita treasures came from gold, jewels and artefacts stolen by Japanese soldiers from 12 countries in East and South-East
Asia during its World War II invasion of the region. Sterling and Peggy Seagrave, authors of the book ‘Gold Warriors, America’s Secret
Recovery of Yamashita’s Gold’, said Roxas’ Golden Buddha was an example of treasures looted from Burma (Myanmar).The Seagraves said
that while most of the looted treasures reached Japan via Korea, the rest of the booty ended up in the Philippines after US forces
successfully blocked the sea routes to Japan in early 1943.Japanese princes, led by Emperor Hirohito’s brother Prince Chichibu, allegedly
oversaw he burying of the treasures in 175 ‘imperial’ vaults constructed in a maze of underground tunnels in the Philippines.
In
all there were 172 'documented' Philippine burial sites (138 land and 34 water sites) left by the Japanese Imperial Forces. This is
not to even mention the numerous 'private' burials of WWII loot by greedy officers and renegade soldiers.
There was still much treasure
remaining to be buried when the U.S. abruptly invaded the islands. Japanese Forces took all of this with them up into the mountains
in the northern Philippines and other areas durning their retreat, where it was buried at many different locations. Anywhere there
was Japaneses forces there could be treasure. Many tunnels and camp areas are located in the southern Philippines. Many have
yet to be explored.