Federal authorities had been notified by 2023 and found the valuable objects in a private residence, counted as 22 cultural treasures from Japan’s Okinawa region.

The FBI referred that the residence previously was owned by a World War II veteran who died, and family members found the works while going through their father’s estate.

Among the objects were six painted scrolls from the 18th and 19th centuries, a 19th-century hand-drawn map of Okinawa and pieces of pottery.

The works were eventually repatriated to Okinawa Prefecture in Japan and Denny Tamaki, local governor, received them in an official ceremony, ArtNews revealed.

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