Last night I went hunting at Kariyushi Beach. The tides were against me, but I hunt whenever I can, and if that means hunting the dry sand at high tide, I'll take it. I called Bobbypins during the day, who grumbled about hunting at high-tide, but still had some interest in hunting that night. But when 8:00PM rolled around, I couldn't reach him on his phone. His family just came back from the States, so I understand that he has his hands full. I just say this because I missed him. It is never as much fun hunting alone as it is with a good hunting buddy.
My first few times hunting at Kariyushi beach were dismal. The dry sand was packed rather hard since the clean up crews drive all over the beach. If anyone drops a ring on the beach it is like dropping it on cement. It doesn't sink into the sand very well and it easy to find. Having said that, the last time I hunted here with Bobbypins, I found a nice Platinum wedding band an inch down in the hard packed sand. Surely the water holds a lot of treasure, but it isn't easy to get to when you are hunting at high tide. Also this beach has about 100 aluminum beach chairs set up that sound loudly in my headphones whenever I get anywhere near them. I didn't find much in the dry sand until I got the idea to move the chairs out of the way, search the spot beneath them, and then return the chairs. Is this cheating? It was a lot of work, but I managed to find 3,600 yen ($40) in Japanese clad and two tungsten rings. But it wasn't fun. I felt more like a maid finding coins in the sofa cushions instead of a treasure hunter.
Right next to the beach is a big rock, about the size of a three story building. Everytime I came here, I only hunted around the swimming and Volleyball areas. I never thought to hunt around the rock. in the image below, you can see the hotel on the hill, the beach and the huge rock.
I headed over there and nearly had a heart attack. On a tree branch, just above my head, three giant fruit bats were hanging upside down. As soon as I got close to them, they dropped and flew away, nearly knocking me over. Imagine three pit bulls with wings coming at you. Once I regained the ability to breath, I hunted around the sandy areas of the rock. Lots and lots of can slaw and condom wrappers everywhere. Then I got a 80 reading on my At Pro. Usually 81 is a common Japanese 10 yen coin, so I was expecting that, but what I scooped up was a very old Japanese copper coin with a square hole. I know that many of the hunters up on mainland Japan, find these often, and they are not worth anything, but still it was a huge thrill for me. I searched around in the same area and found a 83 reading, and again I found another similar coin. I haven't identified them yet. I'll photograph and post more about them after I talk with the local coin dealer.
But what really made the night exciting was a few minutes later. I got a very faint whisper of a high tone. 88 on the ATPro. Nearly always that is a silver ring, so I scooped carefully. It was pretty deep in the stony sand; about 9 inches down. But it wasn't a ring. It was wrapped in some slimy material. Maybe originally leather? It smelled awful, but once I got it free I was delighted. Check it out, a small silver compass, which still works.
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It isn't marked silver anywhere that I can see, but it was black when I found it and it polished like silver. What is incredible is the hand engraving. The Japanese kanji characters on the compass dial depict North, South, East, and West, which at least tells us that it is a Japanese artifact. I heard from the locals that this rock had a machine gun nest at the top during the war, but it was quickly cleaned up by the marines when they arrived in April of 1945. I wonder if one of those Japanese soldiers dropped it.....? I am just guessing that the compass is from that time, but who knows. The coins are probably far older, so probably not related, though it is interesting that the compass was much deeper in the sand than the coins.
In any case, it was a memorable hunt, and I bet Bobbypins is kicking himself for not picking up his phone.
My first few times hunting at Kariyushi beach were dismal. The dry sand was packed rather hard since the clean up crews drive all over the beach. If anyone drops a ring on the beach it is like dropping it on cement. It doesn't sink into the sand very well and it easy to find. Having said that, the last time I hunted here with Bobbypins, I found a nice Platinum wedding band an inch down in the hard packed sand. Surely the water holds a lot of treasure, but it isn't easy to get to when you are hunting at high tide. Also this beach has about 100 aluminum beach chairs set up that sound loudly in my headphones whenever I get anywhere near them. I didn't find much in the dry sand until I got the idea to move the chairs out of the way, search the spot beneath them, and then return the chairs. Is this cheating? It was a lot of work, but I managed to find 3,600 yen ($40) in Japanese clad and two tungsten rings. But it wasn't fun. I felt more like a maid finding coins in the sofa cushions instead of a treasure hunter.
Right next to the beach is a big rock, about the size of a three story building. Everytime I came here, I only hunted around the swimming and Volleyball areas. I never thought to hunt around the rock. in the image below, you can see the hotel on the hill, the beach and the huge rock.
I headed over there and nearly had a heart attack. On a tree branch, just above my head, three giant fruit bats were hanging upside down. As soon as I got close to them, they dropped and flew away, nearly knocking me over. Imagine three pit bulls with wings coming at you. Once I regained the ability to breath, I hunted around the sandy areas of the rock. Lots and lots of can slaw and condom wrappers everywhere. Then I got a 80 reading on my At Pro. Usually 81 is a common Japanese 10 yen coin, so I was expecting that, but what I scooped up was a very old Japanese copper coin with a square hole. I know that many of the hunters up on mainland Japan, find these often, and they are not worth anything, but still it was a huge thrill for me. I searched around in the same area and found a 83 reading, and again I found another similar coin. I haven't identified them yet. I'll photograph and post more about them after I talk with the local coin dealer.
But what really made the night exciting was a few minutes later. I got a very faint whisper of a high tone. 88 on the ATPro. Nearly always that is a silver ring, so I scooped carefully. It was pretty deep in the stony sand; about 9 inches down. But it wasn't a ring. It was wrapped in some slimy material. Maybe originally leather? It smelled awful, but once I got it free I was delighted. Check it out, a small silver compass, which still works.
It isn't marked silver anywhere that I can see, but it was black when I found it and it polished like silver. What is incredible is the hand engraving. The Japanese kanji characters on the compass dial depict North, South, East, and West, which at least tells us that it is a Japanese artifact. I heard from the locals that this rock had a machine gun nest at the top during the war, but it was quickly cleaned up by the marines when they arrived in April of 1945. I wonder if one of those Japanese soldiers dropped it.....? I am just guessing that the compass is from that time, but who knows. The coins are probably far older, so probably not related, though it is interesting that the compass was much deeper in the sand than the coins.
In any case, it was a memorable hunt, and I bet Bobbypins is kicking himself for not picking up his phone.
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