The Found Camera Follow-up

So two weeks ago I found a camera on a beach.  It was my most amazing beach find yet, but the coolness was overshadowed by the earthquake news.

Well, I received a good tip in the comments to look up the Bluefield Dive Shop, which is located on the Okinawan mainland.  I did so and wrote them a big long Japanese email and included 10 pictures from the camera hoping that the dive guides would recognize the faces or the dive locations (from above-water photos). I got this email back:


Hi David!!

It turned out that it's the camera that one of our staff lost last year!
She used it at the Whale shark dive site in the main island, then had a day of diving in the Keramas, that's where she lost it (the girl in a red shirt).
It will be nice if you can send it back to us with Chakubarai (Cash on Delivery)!
Then, we can send the picture data to the customers!




I'd be lying if I said I was psyched about this outcome.  Of course I am pleased the rightful owner is being reunited with the camera, but the fact that it's a business is a disappointment.  I was really hoping it'd go to a real person who would be ecstatic to get his/her underwater vacation photos five months later (and would then send me a cool Japanese thank-you note).  Instead, it will go to a company which has probably already replaced the camera.


Oh well, I didn't need the camera and it was worth the effort to take a chance at an awesome story.  Plus I'm sure it'll be a good story for them to tell their dive clients.