Actually, the first occupation troops landed in Japan in October of 1945. No
production was authorized at that time and the factories were not geared to
resuming production of trade with the United States. When occupation forces
under General Douglas MacArthur worked out the details to resume trade, factories
began making dies and building molding machines and MacArthur required the
mark "Made in Occupied Japan" to be imposed on all manner of trade items up until
1952. I would think nothing dates before 1946. The Korean War also put a
crimp in this trade for a while.

Ron May
Legacy 106, INc.