Mystery pirate treasure

[KANACKI]

Hola Amigos

What can I say?

The following legend or story is just a unsolvable mystery. I have no idea that these events actually happened or was just hoax story created in the early 1950's? Or had some basis in some truth regardless of the baseless claims of a treasure being found on a cave off Japan with gold and silver, being connected to Captain Kidd.

Straight away that aspect of the story rang alarm bells that story was perhaps just a silly invention of a reporter looking for gap filler in the newspaper?

The following newspaper article Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 23 June 1952, page 3

Capt. Kidd's Treasure

"In A Cave"

TOKYO, June 22 (A.A.P.-Reuter). - The Tokyo newspaper "Mainichi" said to-day that

Japanese treasure-hunters had found the treasure of the British pirate, Captain William Kidd.The newspaper said the treasure was hidden in a cave on tiny uninhabited Yokoate Island near Amanio Shima ; northernmost island of the Ryukyu group

In the cave were many "steel chests." On opening one of them the Japanese found silver bars and old coins. "Mainichi" said that Masahiro Nagishima, who financed the expedition had said he would give all the treasure to the Japanese Government

The treasure was worth ?stg100 million In London treasure-hunter George Shepherd said he is organising a small expedition to search for the treasure. He thought it improbable the Yokoate treasure was Captain Kidd's.

"There is no record of Captain Kidd ever having been in Japanese waters,"Shepherd said. "I think he buried his treasure near Singapore?

Was there more to this yarn?

Kanacki

 

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[KANACKI]

Hola Amigos

Japan has a long history of isolating itself from the rest of the world. Most notably: Between the 17th and 19th century, when the country adopted a policy to confine itself from the rest of the world. Set up by the Tokugawa Shonugate, the government enforced strict guidelines — going insofar as of imposing death penalty to those who had contact with the outside world.

In Japanese Sakoku means “chained country.” It was an order that spanned for almost two millennia. Only a few foreign nationals were given permission to trade or visit the country, and the policy was strictly enforced. They worked to expel the various religious and colonial influences of Portugal and Spain that threatened the shonugate power.

The Tokugawa shonugate was the last feudal military government in Japan. Their rule is known as the Edo period, where Japan experienced political stability, internal peace, and economic growth brought by the strict Sakoku guidelines.

Tokugawa Iemitsu is known as the authority behind the Sakoku mandate. He ruled from 1623 until 1651, and strictly enforced the edicts and guidelines behind the isolation policy. It was during his rule that Japan crucified Christians, expelled Europeans from the country, and closed the borders of the country to the outside world.

During the Tokugawa shogunate, trade was limited to four gateways. The Matsumae Domain was allowed to trade with the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Japan and Russian islands of Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, and Kamchatka Peninsula.

Tsushima Island’s clan was allowed to trade with the Joseon Dysnasty in Korea. The Dutch East India Company was given permission to trade with Chinese merchants, and the independent Japanese kingdom of Ryukyu was also granted permission to trade with mainland Japan.

The ruling was only overturned when the shogunate under Tokugawa Iemochi underwent internal turmoil that forced him to establish relations with the United States. Sakoku officially ended on March 31, 1854, when he signed the Treaty of Peace and Amity with Commodore Matthew Perry from the United States.

The Island where this alleged discovery the tiny uninhabited Yokoate Island near Amanio Shima ; northernmost island of the Ryukyu group independent Japanese kingdom of Ryukyu. So it is not beyond the realms of possibility the Ryukyu islanders engaged in trade with Chinese and the Dutch east India company that at one time had settlements in Formosa which is called twain today, Taiwan?

Spanish Silver was being sent from south America and Mexico to Philippines in the Manila Trade where Chinese merchants would trade goods and services for silver. That became a highly prized commodity.

Tokugawa Shogunate in japan mandated all high value transactions be in silver.

In 1765, the Tokugawa Shogunate government issued silver coins with fixed weight (Meiwa Gomonme-gin <5 monme-gin> silver coins) to be exchanged at an official exchange rate of 1-ryo of gold for 60 monme of silver, and subsequently in 1772, issued Meiwa Nanryo Nishu-gin silver coins with denominations based on gold coin units. The government promoted the use of the coins by proactively making loans to moneychangers (ryogaesho), and in the first half of the 19th century, silver coins with denominations were circulated all over the country.

The Gomonme-gin silver coin carried the fixed denomination of “5 monme,” and moneychangers, who had been earning profits from fluctuations of exchange rates in the market, strongly objected to use these coins. On the obverse of the Meiwa Nanryo Nishu-gin silver coin, it was indicated that eight Nanryo Nishugin silver coins could be exchanged for one 1-ryo Koban gold coin. In line with the government’s policy, the coins began to be circulated widely as supplementary currencies of Koban gold coins, since it was more convenient to use silver coins with denominations rather than those traded by weight. In 1768,

So Tokugawa Shogunate in japan trade with the Japanese kingdom of Ryukyu was a source of obtain better quality silver via the Manila galleon trade rather than relying on the quality of silver in japan from mining.

In the course of trade with the Japanese Ryukyu kingdom with Japanese Shogunate ( Japan) the island of Yokoate is halfway between both kingdoms.



But what happened? Why was it left in a cave on the island?

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Amigos

Trade between the two Japaneses kingdoms went on for at least 2 and half centuries. However the Manila galleon trade ended in 1815 and source of Spanish Mexican silver dried up. Tokugawa Shogunate reports in 1837 there was volcanic eruption of island of Yokoate which lasted several years.

From eruptions and earth quakes the from of the cave roof of the lava tube collapsed sealing the chests of silver in side the cave.

Ryukyu kingdom eventually by 1874 was annexed by Japan. A history moved on and the cave that was lost forgotten?

Here is the island below.....







Kanacki

 

[freeman]

It's not a yarn. It actually happened but got a bit mixed up in the telling due to having to cover it up at that time. Later reports tell the full story.

Yes, there was a number of steel chests containing gold etc found in a coastal cave. From memory it was some local fisherman who stumbled across them.

After the authorities got involved (remember this was occupied Japan) a few people had some explaining to do.

What really happened is that prior to WW2 ending and Japan being occupied a bank didn't like the idea of the Americans getting their hands on all the loot. So they emptied their vaults, stashed it all in the cave and played dumb when MacArthur turned up looking for the gold.

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Probably close to the mark. It appears others thought along the same likes at the time.

Crow

 

[Red-Coat]

You might be interested in this well-researched take on how the Japanese islands of that region might have become historically associated with Captain Kidd in a folklore sense, despite there being absolutely no evidence that he ever sailed into those waters. It’s a downloadable article from the Journal of Marine and Island Culture (2014) 3, 20-30 titled:

“Takarajima: A Treasured Island - Exogeneity, folkloric identity and local branding” by Philip Hayward and Sueo Kuwahara. The Kidd-related portion starts at the bottom of page 24 (the 5th page of the pdf actual):

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/...egion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20210801194758

 

[freeman]

I found I had some articles still about this but not the one that identifies the bank. Don't quote me but I think it was the Bank of Japan that did it.

A local fisherman accidentally stumbled across it and he began to tell others.

As word got out it spiraled out of control so the bank had to 'fess up.

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Amigos

All very good points amigos. Quite possible.

I cannot find any trace of this story in Japan. It seem a story that came and went. I cannot confirm the events or even trace the key person in the story. None of this alleged treasure turned up anywhere.As elusive as person making the alleged discovery.

I did find a picture of the possible cave in a Japanese website on the Yokoate Jima island. However even has to be tentatively because on Language translation difficulties.



Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

You might be interested in this well-researched take on how the Japanese islands of that region might have become historically associated with Captain Kidd in a folklore sense, despite there being absolutely no evidence that he ever sailed into those waters. It’s a downloadable article from the Journal of Marine and Island Culture (2014) 3, 20-30 titled:

“Takarajima: A Treasured Island - Exogeneity, folkloric identity and local branding” by Philip Hayward and Sueo Kuwahara. The Kidd-related portion starts at the bottom of page 24 (the 5th page of the pdf actual):

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/...egion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20210801194758

Hola amigo

It an interesting article in modern terms you could say cultural misappropriation. In Australia there is a legend of a Japanese pirate but virtually unknown in Japan. Yet some how Captain Kidd had some how become infused with treasure island story that was translated into Japanese. The above article refers to kidds alleged connection to the folklore of Takarajima:

Yet strangely absent in this article is no mention of is this alleged 1952 treasure discovery on island of Yokoate

Kanacki