Metal detecting in Japan

[Tommyboy Japan]

Hey everyone, this is my first post here. Seems to be a great community, I've really enjoyed reading about peoples finds and adventures.

I'm living in Japan and have decided to pick up metal detecting as a hobby. So far I've found a couple of bullets and coins. It's really relaxing, the time seems to just glide by while I search for targets. It's like fishing on the land.
I've only been detecting in parks as they're nearby and I'm still very green to detecting. The thing is, the surface in parks where I live is mostly dirt and gravel mixed up. The dirt is very tough and full of stones about the size of chicken eggs. When I locate a target, I find it really draining digging through the stones and tough soil to reach it. I was wondering if there were any specific digging tools you could recommend that would give me an easier time cutting through the ground.
To be honest, the current tool I'm using is a serrated gardening tool. It is sturdy, but I think it's probably not the right thing to use for digging. When it meets any tree roots it can't cut through without excessive thrusts. Rocks/stones give it a hard time too.

Also, any general tips from veterans for a newbie in this hobby?
Cheers.

 

[hoser]

Welcome to the forum. You came to the right place for answers about detecting and equipment. The digger most of us use is the Lesche. It is very tough, has a more pointed tip that works quite well when digging in a stoney or gravel type ground. A slim screwdriver also works great for getting in between rocks or stones and loosening them up for easier digging. Hope you find all the info you need.

 

[metaladdict]

I dig with a pointy shovel at my big rock beach. Rock digging is a pain.
If I were you I would find a beach and use a sand scoop to dig there.
Go on low tides.
You can find coins and platinum silver and gold jewelry.

 

[oldkoot]

Hey everyone, this is my first post here. Seems to be a great community, I've really enjoyed reading about peoples finds and adventures.

I'm living in Japan and have decided to pick up metal detecting as a hobby. So far I've found a couple of bullets and coins. It's really relaxing, the time seems to just glide by while I search for targets. It's like fishing on the land.
I've only been detecting in parks as they're nearby and I'm still very green to detecting. The thing is, the surface in parks where I live is mostly dirt and gravel mixed up. The dirt is very tough and full of stones about the size of chicken eggs. When I locate a target, I find it really draining digging through the stones and tough soil to reach it. I was wondering if there were any specific digging tools you could recommend that would give me an easier time cutting through the ground.
To be honest, the current tool I'm using is a serrated gardening tool. It is sturdy, but I think it's probably not the right thing to use for digging. When it meets any tree roots it can't cut through without excessive thrusts. Rocks/stones give it a hard time too.

Also, any general tips from veterans for a newbie in this hobby?
Cheers.

I have a friend that now lives in Japan and has for a while I will ask him what he is using there and let you know, he detects all the time also in japan

if you want you can contact my friend on Facebook, he said it was ok to give you his name so I will PM you

 

[Donguri]

You should be careful about digging in dirt/gravel in parks where you will leave a mark. Kind of frowned upon.
Also cutting through roots like that is technically illegal in Japan. And yes, they will enforce it. Moreso because you're a foreigner.
Anything of value found must be turned in to the police. If no owner is located you can claim it.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

Welcome to the forum. You came to the right place for answers about detecting and equipment. The digger most of us use is the Lesche. It is very tough, has a more pointed tip that works quite well when digging in a stoney or gravel type ground. A slim screwdriver also works great for getting in between rocks or stones and loosening them up for easier digging. Hope you find all the info you need.

The screwdriver is a fantastic idea, never thought of that. Thank you for your help!

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

Welcome to the forum. You came to the right place for answers about detecting and equipment. The digger most of us use is the Lesche. It is very tough, has a more pointed tip that works quite well when digging in a stoney or gravel type ground. A slim screwdriver also works great for getting in between rocks or stones and loosening them up for easier digging. Hope you find all the info you need.

Unfortunately I don't live particularly close to any beaches. But there are a not of nature rich places. Getting permission is the harder part for those nature rich locations haha

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

You should be careful about digging in dirt/gravel in parks where you will leave a mark. Kind of frowned upon.
Also cutting through roots like that is technically illegal in Japan. And yes, they will enforce it. Moreso because you're a foreigner.
Anything of value found must be turned in to the police. If no owner is located you can claim it.

Oh yeah absolutely. The always try to treat my digging sites how I would my own garden. After extracting a target I always refill the hole and try to make it look like nobody dug in the first place.
I am aware of the valuables found being given to the police, but I did not know about roots being cut being illegal! Thank you for letting me know, I will avoid cutting roots!

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

I dig with a pointy shovel at my big rock beach. Rock digging is a pain.
If I were you I would find a beach and use a sand scoop to dig there.
Go on low tides.
You can find coins and platinum silver and gold jewelry.

Unfortunately there aren't any beaches nearby where I live, but perhaps one day in the future I can use a MD at a beach on a day out
Thank you!

 

[Donguri]

Oh yeah absolutely. The always try to treat my digging sites how I would my own garden. After extracting a target I always refill the hole and try to make it look like nobody dug in the first place.
I am aware of the valuables found being given to the police, but I did not know about roots being cut being illegal! Thank you for letting me know, I will avoid cutting roots!

Yeah it falls under the Destroying Public Property statute. I was warned once when police were called on me in a park.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

Yeah it falls under the Destroying Public Property statute. I was warned once when police were called on me in a park.

I'm glad to learn about this early on into the hobby, thank you very much for letting me know. I'm always so conscious of myself when I am detecting, I don't want to break any laws lol.

 

[Beachhunter]

Welcome aboard Tommyboy! They have brass pointed type of probes similar to screwdrivers that work excellent and leave little to no trace to the lawn. Probably would get by the stones easier because of the point. Best of Luck!

 

[TheFrood]

Hey everyone, this is my first post here. Seems to be a great community, I've really enjoyed reading about peoples finds and adventures.

I'm living in Japan and have decided to pick up metal detecting as a hobby. So far I've found a couple of bullets and coins. It's really relaxing, the time seems to just glide by while I search for targets. It's like fishing on the land.
I've only been detecting in parks as they're nearby and I'm still very green to detecting. The thing is, the surface in parks where I live is mostly dirt and gravel mixed up. The dirt is very tough and full of stones about the size of chicken eggs. When I locate a target, I find it really draining digging through the stones and tough soil to reach it. I was wondering if there were any specific digging tools you could recommend that would give me an easier time cutting through the ground.
To be honest, the current tool I'm using is a serrated gardening tool. It is sturdy, but I think it's probably not the right thing to use for digging. When it meets any tree roots it can't cut through without excessive thrusts. Rocks/stones give it a hard time too.

Also, any general tips from veterans for a newbie in this hobby?
Cheers.

This sounds like the the conditions where pin-pointers are most useful (so it seems from reading this forum mind you, not from first-hand experience).

With the millennia of constant metal using habitation and civilization there it makes me really excited to read about some of your future finds!

 

[Rock Jock]

In rocky places that are not manicured and mostly a simple dirt/cobble surface I bring along a tool that has three scratcher tines on one end of the head and a horizontal blade on the other end. The blade is also handy for prying obstinate rocks up. It's pretty aggressive so you will need to tidy up afterward. The handle is wood and about 16 inches long. I don't know what it is called.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

Welcome aboard Tommyboy! They have brass pointed type of probes similar to screwdrivers that work excellent and leave little to no trace to the lawn. Probably would get by the stones easier because of the point. Best of Luck!

I'm going to give them a look up right now! Thank you for the tip.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

This sounds like the the conditions where pin-pointers are most useful (so it seems from reading this forum mind you, not from first-hand experience).

With the millennia of constant metal using habitation and civilization there it makes me really excited to read about some of your future finds

After looking at how effective pin-pointers are on Youtube, I think that would be something absolutely worth investing in. I'll get one along with a new digging tool.
I don't expect to find anything very valuable, at least not for months/years. But I will certainly post any interesting finds I make here before turning them over to the police.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

In rocky places that are not manicured and mostly a simple dirt/cobble surface I bring along a tool that has three scratcher tines on one end of the head and a horizontal blade on the other end. The blade is also handy for prying obstinate rocks up. It's pretty aggressive so you will need to tidy up afterward. The handle is wood and about 16 inches long. I don't know what it is called.

It sounds like quite a versatile tool, I wouldn't know what to call it either, but I will look up tools that match the description. Thank you!

 

[Donguri]

After looking at how effective pin-pointers are on Youtube, I think that would be something absolutely worth investing in. I'll get one along with a new digging tool.
I don't expect to find anything very valuable, at least not for months/years. But I will certainly post any interesting finds I make here before turning them over to the police.

More likely to find old stuff hunting in the 'wild' vs parks. That said, I have found some old coins and things at parks. Usually parks that have a history behind the location.

 

[Tommyboy Japan]

More likely to find old stuff hunting in the 'wild' vs parks. That said, I have found some old coins and things at parks. Usually parks that have a history behind the location.

I'm living in Kyoto so there is quite an abundance of nature here, I would one day love to hunt in the wilder parts. A forest or something would be ideal as I am always conscious of people watching me. The nearby places that aren't parks though are kind of fenced off and/or have no entry signs so I cannot legally hunt in those locations unfortunately.
Since it is a very new hobby for me and I'm still learning a lot, I'm currently not really thinking of finding anything of real note, I'm simply enjoying the hobby. If I find a gold ring or something, fantastic. If I find bottle caps and nails, so be it. I never imagined it could be so relaxing.
The only problem though - which is why I made this thread - is that digging is a real pain. My wrist is actually in pain as I type this from excessive pushing and wriggling of the tool I'm using to dig. My dad always told me a bad workman blames his tools. I do think this holds truth and I also think I could refine my technique on digging better. But this tool is really not good for digging these types of holes, it's designed for gardening. I should of bought one designed for metal detecting from the start lol.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I knew a guy who hunted some beaches in Japan. An American Ex-pat. He had gone to Japan for a job representing a USA firm's interests. While there, he took up the hobby of md'ing. He Said that the hobby is virtually unknown, because of the culture/mindset there. Passerbys can't understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. Ie.: They stare at him, wondering what he was doing. And then, after he explained, would just be bewildered why anyone would waste their time doing such a thing. He found a few gold rings, coins, etc.... on his first few treks to the beaches.

.....Anything of value found must be turned in to the police. If no owner is located you can claim it....

The same thing can be said of the USA, if you asked long enough & hard enough. So too do we have "Lost & Found" laws. In all 50 states. Born out of wandering cattle laws of the 1800s. That say something like : If you find something of $100 (or $250 or whatever) value or more, you must turn it in to the police. If no one claims it in 30 days, you can claim it . After paying storage fees, or advertising fees (if notices had been put in a local classified section of a newspaper), etc....


Yet, last I checked, beach hunters here are finding gold rings, and no one is "rushing to the police station" nearest to them to do this. It is just generally assumed, for the items we find, that no one is still looking for them. And that the police are also powerless to re-unite with owners. And your item will likely simply be lost in the bureaucracy. So the L&F laws were never meant to apply to fumble fingers things of years-old. But technically : COULD THEY BE ? Of course. But WOULD THEY BE ? Of course not.

I realize that if you wonder if the same "real world" application applies to Japan, that : The way someone would get to the bottom of this, is to simply go ask a lawyer there in Japan "can I ?". And then the self-fulfilling vicious circle ensues. Ie.: You get the technical answer to the question you just asked. But the real question is : Did anyone *really* care before you asked ?

So to apply this to Japan's L&F laws : Is it actually applied to fumble fingers rings on the beach ? I dunno. The guy I talked to said that it didn't apply to beach jewelry . Or, at least .... no one said squat to him. Does this mean that if he had gone asking enough bureaucrats there "Can I ?", that he might have been appraised otherwise ? Sure. And then he'd have just become the latest victim of : "No one cared TILL you asked"