I've beachcombed since I was a youngster. It's still a favorite pastime of mine. Most of the stuff I've found has been discarded off the deck of a boat (someone else's trash), lost off a fishing line or net, and occasionally, swept off a ship in a storm. The debris that may wash up on our beaches from Japan will have quite a different origin and a history of tragedy attached to it.

So, Irie, what I was trying to say in my previous post was...when you find that waterlogged, barnacle encrusted Ken Doll and you're all excited, take a moment to contemplate the catastrophe that started this piece of flotsam on its journey.