Ok, next questions:
1) I realize that md'ing is not a big hobby in Japan. It's simply not in their culture, from what I hear. I've bumped into Japanese tourists here, when md'ing the beach, and they are totally mystified as to what I am doing. When they finally get a grasp of it (because they watch me dig a coin or something), they are EQUALLY as mystified as to why anyone, in his right mind, would be doing this. And I was told that this is just a cultural thing. And thus the reason that not much md'ing is going on there (except for perhaps some American Ex-pats ).
Is this characterization true , from what you've seen there ?
2) For those persons there who are hunting the beaches, do you know if any of them are wise to erosion-chasing techniques ? Or do they just simply ply the sand (whether wet or dry) at any random times ? Because when the erosion conditions are *just right*, there would be zero tabs, foil, etc.... Only heavy items like coins, sinkers, rings, etc..... Since the sand is being washed out, and leaving only the heavy items behind.
Because seeing as how the Japanese are fond of their 22k, 24k, and plat, then I can only imagine how good those-type conditions would be.
There is an American Ex-pat I know, who lives in Tokyo (which, unfortunately, is not near any beaches, except some man-made ones). He mail-ordered a detector, but didn't know what the heck he was doing. And made the mistake of ordering a nugget machine. Doh! Nonetheless, he took it to a beach on the coast somewhere over @ Choshi or Kamisu area. He was/is dependent on public transportation (as everyone there tends to rely on mass transit). So he didn't really have a choice of times or beaches, and ... as said ... had no idea what he was doing. Still though, he managed a few dozen coins and a gold ring ! He was hooked.
He also tried the nugget machine on a beach closer to Tokyo, in the Tokyo bay. Unfortunately however, it was all man-made beach. Which had been built on "fill material" that comes from earth-moving projects. Ie.: they dump rubble out into the water, over the decades, that makes the shoreline extend out further. Then cover it with a foot of sand or whatever, and ... presto, a man-made beach. But the trouble is that the rip-rap , concrete, rubble, dirt, etc... that was trucked in and dump, contains ENDLESS little bits of wire, slag, etc.... So ... he crossed that beach off his list
When he came to the USA to visit his family, we hooked up and I sold him an Explorer. That's when I got a sampling of all the Japanese coins. And he told me of how Japanese tend to frown on *mere* 14k and 18k. That it's 22k, 24k, or platinum. At least for wedding rings anyhow. Perhaps other jewelry isn't so pure.
He's invited me to join him any time I care to go there. But I think he got out of the hobby soon thereafter, d/t health issues. So I've lost touch with him. But have always wanted to .... someday, do some md'ing there. One of my hunting buddies here is bi-lingual in Japanese, so ... he and I are scheming to some day put together a trip
