Just in Time for the Football Season Opener

From time to time, I collect small shoe box toys and trinkets that I find interesting. I illustrate them, display them for a while and then resell them on ebay so I can buy something new. This illustration is of a vintage 1940's "Occupied Japan" celluloid football player doll. (OJ) is a term used for the time period from 1945 (after World War II) through 1952; it was during this time that the Allies "occupied" Japan. As Japan needed to rebuild their economy after the war, part of the agreement to allow them to export goods out of their country was that they had to mark items with "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan."