10/08/2026
Did you know Fairhaven had its own famous heist? 🗡️ 🕵️
On July 4, 1918, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States presented a 14th-century Samurai sword to the Town of Fairhaven.
For nearly sixty years, the sword was carefully preserved in a glass case at the Millicent Library. But in 1977, the sword was stolen and has never been recovered.
The loss of this beautiful object was heartbreaking; not only for its historic value, but because of the story it symbolized. Shipwrecked as a young fisherman, Nakahama Manjiro was rescued by Captain William Whitfield and brought to Fairhaven, where he would begin a remarkable life that made him a pivotal figure in the early relationship between Japan and the United States. More than just a sword, this was a symbol of friendship between two nations, and the remarkable story that connected their people.
Recognizing the significance of this relationship, a replacement sword was later presented to the Town through the joint efforts of the Library and Dr. Kikuoka, Director of Japanese Studies at Seton Hall University. At the 1982 ceremonial presentation, Dr. Hiroshi Nakahama, grandson of Toichiro Nakahama, reflected on both the sadness of the sword's loss and the resilience of those who worked to replace it:
“The sword which my grandfather presented was a symbol to express gratitude toward the kindness which Captain Whitfield and the people of Fairhaven showed Manjiro. Though the sword was lost, the spirit it contained never died and remains unchanged.”
❓ Want to learn more? Read the historic pamphlet from the original sword’s presentation in 1918, digitized here: https://archive.org/details/presentationofsa01mill/page/n11/mode/2up
✨ And if stories of missing masterpieces and real-life art theft have you intrigued, join us on Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 PM at the Town Hall Auditorium for:
📖 The Rembrandt Heist with Anthony Amore
Anthony Amore, acclaimed art theft investigator and Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, will discuss his book The Rembrandt Heist and the fascinating world of recovering stolen masterpieces. Register here: https://millicentlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/author-talk-with-anthony-amore-the-rembrandt-heist/
