The only source I have ever been able to find in order to identify
Japanese ceramics is:
 
Stitt, I.
   1974  Japanese Ceramics of the Last 100 Years.
         Crown Publishing, Inc., New York.
 
The Japanese export industry was established in 1861.  Between 1891
and 1915 a small number of major companies and some 50 to 60 small
companies were exporting ceramics.
 
Backstamps with "NIPPON" generally date 1891-1921.  Those marked
"MADE IN JAPAN" post-date 1921.  In North America, this was due to
passage of the McKinley Tariff Act (1890) in the USA.
 
Therefore, most MADE IN JAPAN marks date from late 1920.
 
Here in Vancouver, Canada most of these wares were imported on the
Canadian Pacific Railway Empress steamship liners, then transhipped
by rail throughout North America.
 
Although I excavated a 1913-1932 garbage dump that had Japanese
ceramics, I don't recognize the backstamps found in Australia.
 
Stitt (1974) may have them ...
 
Stan Copp
Anthropology
Langara College
Vancouver, B.C.
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