Below the letterboxing area under the picture and they are able to be masked out in software when making the anamorphic conversion?

All the japan releases have them even episode 1.

One reason no one has ever to bother transferring the pan and scan japan editions prior to the Japan Special collections which were released in analog only for star wars and empire, or the re-issues with digital sound.

Another reason might be because they are the same masters as the USA releases. But that did not stop people from preserving the Japan Special Collection which is the same master as the USA special widescreen trilogy releases.

Only difference the japan release had subtitles burned in and the picture positioned in the higher portion of the screen not centered, like the miss framed pre THX USA release of Jedi.

Also the Japan releases were also in CAV format unlike the American release in CLV.

Prior to the special transfer done exclusively for european pal markets that moth3r did a transfer of all releases worldwide came from the same NTSC masters. Even the PAL pan and scan releases in germany and the UK.

But then the worldwide release of the Gout sets came from the same masters as well worldwide. They did not bother to transfer over the PAL masters, people in PAL land were screwed.

There is no difference in quality in the Japan region 2 release of the gout, except it included for the first time as far as i know on home video the theatrical audio for the 1978 japan release of star wars. But the picture is the same as the American Edition. Not restored, not anamorphic.