Yamashita’s gold, also referred to as the Yamashita’s treasure, is the name given to the alleged war loot stolen in Southeast Asia by Japanese forces during World War II and hidden in caves, tunnels and underground complexes in the Philippines. It is named for the Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita, nicknamed “The Tiger of Malaya”. The rumored treasure has been the subject of a complex lawsuit that was filed in a Hawaiian state court in 1988 involving a Filipino treasure hunter, Rogelio Roxas, and the former Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos.
Above: Ferdinand Marcos with wife Imelda.
Below: Some of the missing booty?
Here’s an excerpt from our international thriller novel The Ninth Orphan on this subject:
Few knew more about Yamashita’s Gold than Naylor did. His own father had served in the Philippines under General MacArthur and, at the end of World War Two, had witnessed the earliest discoveries of Japan’s massive plunder.
Naylor had also confirmed that the former president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, had obtained much of his personal fortune from later discoveries.
He knew Japan had gained enormous wealth when it invaded China and a dozen or so other Asian countries during the Second World War. The Japanese looted bullion by the truckload.
In addition to the incalculable amounts of gold, gigantic quantities of diamonds, silver and religious artifacts had also been stolen. These colossal treasure troves were shipped to the Philippines in preparation for transportation to Japan. However, as the war in the Pacific intensified, the ever-increasing presence of Allied ships made the transport of such treasure problematic for Japan. As a result, much of it was hidden in the Philippines.
General Tomoyuki Yamashita
There’s also a British/Royal connection to Yamashita’s Gold. Here’s another excerpt from The Ninth Orphan:
Kentbridge had instructed Seventeen not to mention anything about Yamashita’s Gold. The last thing they needed was another competitor. As much of the lost treasure was originally Britain’s, Kentbridge knew they’d want it back if they found out about it.
Britain’s connection with the treasure dated all the way back to Hitler’s rise to power. Fearing Germany was going to invade, Britain had shipped the bulk of its gold reserves, including the Royal Family’s massive stockpile, to Singapore, which was under British rule at the time. When Singapore suddenly fell to the Japanese in 1942, Britain lost nearly all of its gold supplies overnight.
Find out more about Yamashita’s Gold in our novel The Ninth Orphan here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
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