Metal Detectors ????

[Grandpa Frank]

Anyone ever see someone using a metal detector in Japan. I would think all the battle sites would be loaded with old artifacs. I have a feeling Japan is the type of country that would claim ownership of all items found. Any archaeologists in Japan that are on the forum ?

Frank

 

[budd]

i saw an old man with one once, but i think he was just passing the time

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Anyone Know If You Could Bring One Through Customs??

Anyone ever see someone using a metal detector in Japan. I would think all the battle sites would be loaded with old artifacs. I have a feeling Japan is the type of country that would claim ownership of all items found. Any archaeologists in Japan that are on the forum ?

Frank

Been a while since I first posted this without much luck; thought I'd try once more.

 

[mdchachi]

I've seen them used at beaches such as Enoshima. Obviously looking for jewlery, etc that beachgoers lost. I'm sure they keep what they find. Don't know about battle relics tho.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Bump It Up !

Never did have any luck with finding an answer on this.

Uncle Frank

☝

Bumped up for Goldfinger.

 

[Index]

A bit lean isn't it...

 

[jeisan]

found this in the google...

http://www.had.com/forum/messages/389.html

 

[made of stone]

I've just ordered a metal detector for my Dad which should arrive tomorrow.

I must confess I always thought it a rather unappealing hobby, but looking into it more and more the attractions have become clear.

Are there any other metal 'detectives' on the forum? :?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I gave up on mine, LOL.

In two years of searching all over southern Maine, I never found anything that covered the cost of all the batteries used to run the detectors. I will admit all the digging and walking and carrying is good exercise.

Uncle Frank

 

[made of stone]

Sorry to hear that Frank - have you given up totally? Do you still have the equipment?

I guess the best thing is to have the interest in getting out and about and the exercise, as you say. In England, popular beaches the morning after they've been busy in the summer are meant to be good places to make back the cost of the equipment...

It's meant to be quite a rewarding hobby round here - we have lots of historical sites, Roman ruins and the like. I think I'll just be happy if we find some old, pre-decimal coins. That would certainly be enough reward for my dad.

I'll try to post some of our finds on here (if we make any lol)

 

[made of stone]

I'm not really expecting to find as much as these lucky folk, but who knows!:

Viking Treasure Hoard Uncovered

 

[epigene]

Anyone ever see someone using a metal detector in Japan. I would think all the battle sites would be loaded with old artifacs. I have a feeling Japan is the type of country that would claim ownership of all items found. Any archaeologists in Japan that are on the forum ?
Frank

Because there were no battles in "mainland" Japan -- only air raids -- there aren't any war-related artifacts to be found by metal detectors. In some rare instances, however, failed US bombs have been found at construction sites, but they have become very few and very far between. I bet that most of habitable land in Japan has been uncovered that finding something metal is no longer likely.

There may be some in Okinawa and Iwojima, but the islands have already been scoured for remains (human, that is), so the chances there are slim, too.

Japanese war artifacts are most found in the islands of Micronesia and others in the South Pacific. The island of Truk (Chuuk), for instance, has sunken Japanese warships and airplanes that now have become haven for fish and scuba divers.

The surviving families of the war dead and missing are still conducting searches in these islands, though sporadic in recent years. ☝

http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/micronesia/about_destin/spn_history3.html

On a side note, there is a crazy guy (maybe two?) who is committed to the search of the treasures of Hideyoshi, believing that the famed feudal lord had stashed away treasures somewhere... From what I heard, he's already spent a fortune on that!

 

[Ultraman]

I found a fair bit of war junk last year. I'll post a wee story tommorrow afternoon.

good night

 

[Mike Cash]

The best source of Japanese junk.

 

[Ultraman]

I was working in Ogasawara last year for a construction company. One site was the location of 2 old hotels, and a couple of old coastal gun emplacements.
The back hoe was putting an access road through the site, and a hole in the embankment was exposed. Shards of porcelain were falling out, so I went for a look.
The hole was full of serving bottles for sake, of only two types. It was lined with bleached coral.I spent most of the day pulling them out. About 200 whole pieces, and more than that were broken.
My work mates avoided the hole. No-one went near it.They were polite when I showed them a piece, but completely ignored the subject all day.

The next week-end, I was having a meal with my work mates. The story about the site came out. The two hotels were the recreation centres of the Navy and the Army during the war. Just before the American occupation forces arrived, the hotels buried the sake serving bottles so that the invaders would not have the pleasure of using the same drinking vessels as the Japanese forces had. All the alcohol was tipped out, and the glass bottles broken.

When I left the island, I still had 200 porcelain sake bottles. I couldn't elicit any interest in that particular discovery. I took them up the hill behind the house, and buried them in the loose soil at the end of a cave. Ready for the next person...