Items imported into the United States during the Occupation were required to be marked "Made in Occupied Japan," "Occupied Japan," "Made in Japan," or "Japan." Many of the pieces that were marked "Made in Occupied Japan" and "Occupied Japan" are highly collectible, since Japan only used these marks for roughly six years. Those marked "Japan" or "Made in Japan" may still have value to other types of collectors but will probably not hold the attraction to "Occupied Japan" collectors because it would be difficult to figure out whether a piece was manufactured before or after World War II.
How valuable are "Occupied Japan" pieces? It depends on the individual piece. Piano babies can range from roughly $25 to $100. Toby mugs can range from less than $10 to $85, depending on the size and the depiction. Salt and pepper shakers list from $10 to $40 per pair. An individual collector might be willing to pay more for a coveted piece.
Who were the manufacturers? Some of them continue to be well-known names today, such as Lefton, Mikado and Noritake. These companies are collectible in and of themselves.
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