Yamashita's Gold

Yamashita's gold refers to the supposed billions of dollars in gold that were looted from East and Southeast Asia by Japan during World War II and left behind hidden in the Philippines. Most people believe the reports of gold to be an urban legend, yet there are still many treasure hunters who believe in the stories and comb the Philippine countryside in search of the gold.

Story

The gold itself is believed to have been anything from gold bullion to religious statues. The idea was that the gold from Asia would finance Japan's war effort, since that nation is poor in resources. The gold had to be transported from the continent back to Japan, via the sea. Most of the stolen gold from South East Asia was first shipped to the port of Singapore, where it was then relayed to the Philippines. From the Philippines the gold was intended to be shipped to the Japanese home islands. However, as the war in the Pacific progressed, the US Navy took a heavy toll on Japan's shipping. The Japanese then took the gold and hid it in caves and underground complexes throughout the Philippines, hoping to recover it after the war was over. However, many of those who knew of the locations of the gold were either executed or incarcerated for war crimes, including General Tomoyuki Yamashita, the General in charge of the Philippines, and alleged ringleader of the operation. Thus, the whereabouts of the gold were lost. Many have attempted expeditions to recover the gold, most turn up empty handed. Ferdinand Marcos claimed to have discovered the location of the gold and used it to finance his lifestyle. This has been discredited, and Marcos was proven to be a ruthless dictator who stole from the Filipino treasury.

A number of fictionalized creations involved Yamashita's Gold. Among them the computer game Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon, and a Filipino film,