Why would the Japanese government secretly hold Amelia Erheart prisoner?

None. They had diplomatic relations with the US, and they would have told the nearest embassy they’d picked her up.

^^^ Jake’s absolutely right.

A conspiracy theory is always so much more fun than the mundane truth, and Amelia Earhart stories are especially persistent. It’s too dull to imagine her crashing into the ocean and perishing.

I know nothing about Amelia Earhart other than she was famous in her time and she was lost in the Pacific
So I did some quick research
People who seek money and notoriety have come up with scores of preposterous theories about her disappearance.
The record seems to indicate she got lost and ran out of gas.

Although they had considered the Marshall Islands to be sovereign territory for many generations, the Japanese had come into possession of the Islands during WWI and there was still some contention as to who really owned them. Prior to that they were a part of the German empire and Germany still claimed that they were illegally taken from them. Although there were still questions of ownership, Japan was given the rights to the islands by the League of Nations, there were strictures in place to keep the Japanese from fortifying or militarizing the islands. But, by the mid 1920’s Japan had decided that because of the economic development they were pushing, they needed to do so, in spite of these restrictions and were surreptitiously engaged in a military build-up in both the Naval and Army branches of the Imperial forces. The US and Britain were certainly not happy with this prospect and were probably engaged in all kinds of subterfuge and espionage to gain further information; information that the Japanese would just as soon remain private.
By chance or by design, Earhart ended up in a location sensitive to the Japanese. Whether it was an overzealous local official or orders from on high, both she and Noonan probably died because they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The bigger question is whether the US government knew this and went along with the subterfuge so as not to give away any of their other assets in the area and if so were accomplices in the disappearance and subsequent cover up. And the fact that it appears they did so, since the photo came from US archives, would lend credence to the theory that Earhart was actually spying for the US in this matter.

For those who aren’t aware, this does not seem to be just another conspiracy theory. It seems a photo has come to light that appears to be Earhart and Noonan with the Japanese. There is a program being shown about it on the History Channel. I read an article on it.

@rojo seems to have a logical take on it.

It wasn’t “pre-war” for the Japanese, just for us. In 1937 Japan invaded China as a step (and not the first one) on their path to world conquest. Other possibilities aside, a captured American aviator, and a high-profile one at that, would have made a powerful bargaining chip. There’s no reason to think that Japanese officials would have just handed her over.

@janbb I’ve seen the photo. (I love this stuff; how could I not look?!)

The picture was taken from a considerable distance. We see “Amelia” from the back. The person could be either male or female, appears to be working with something on the pier, and seems to be wearing the same outfit as the man to the immediate left. As for “Fred Noonan,” the man is partially obstructed and obscured by shadows.

It’s all very unconvincing…fun to ponder, but…

@Love_my_doggie I’m not saying it’s proof; I’m just saying there may be something there.