Yamashita's Gold
Legend says a Japanese general buried a vast hoard of looted treasure in the Philippines at the end of the war.
What was reported
Yamashita's gold is said to be loot taken by Japanese forces across Southeast Asia during the Second World War and hidden in tunnels and caves in the Philippines in 1945. It's named after General Tomoyuki Yamashita, the commander there.
In 1971 a Filipino treasure hunter, Rogelio Roxas, said he had found a golden Buddha and gold bars near Baguio, which he said were then seized on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1996 a court in Hawaii found in his estate's favour against Marcos's estate.
Explanations offered
Historians are divided on how much looted treasure was ever hidden in the Philippines, and most think tales of vast hoards are greatly exaggerated. The Roxas case showed that he had found something valuable. Treasure hunters still dig, sometimes damaging historic sites.
- When
- Rumoured since 1945
- Where
- Near Baguio, Luzon, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Rumour, treasure hunters and a famous lawsuit
- Status
- Never found
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.