hi, before and a little after wwii all Japanese items imported were marked occupied Japan,then after they were to drop the occupied and just have Japan on the imports. the patterns run pretty consistent on imported wares of that era.They had been importing whiteware porcelian during the Victorian era for American women to paint,but the Wars cut that back to ruin a beautiful artistic pasttime and deprive the world of some handpainted porcelain dishes that were and are very beautiful and collectible.You can look up import laws of the United States to give you a broader view of what was allowed into the States and why..Just an interesting way to learn history is to relate it to your passion.