While doing work on the campus of an elementary school outside of Tokyo, crews performing drilling work started running into the items at a depth of 3-7 feet.
Stuff like this:
A Lil Ballistol will fix these Arisakas right on up.
Since then, an estimated 1,400 firearms, as well as 1,200 “swords” (actually Type 30 bayonets from the look of things) and a number of grenade projectors, have been cataloged.
Click to big up 1800×301
Japanese Arisaka Type 99 7.7x58mm bolt action rifle with grenade damage and inscribed presentation plaque captured at Saipan 16 June 1944. The “mum” is present on the receiver, a rarity in an of itself. This rifle recently came up at auction with an estimated price of $1,500.
The right side of the buttstock has a small brass plaque that reads “AT 0440 ON THE MORNING OF 16 JUNE 1944,/AN AMERICAN INFANTRYMAN JUST LANDING/ON THE SHORES OF CHARAN-KANOA BEACH,/SAIPAN, THREW A HAND GRENADE AT A/JAPANESE SNIPER, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY./THE FORWARD STOCK OF THE RIFLE/WAS DAMAGED BY THE EXPLOSION./PRESENTED BY/COMMANDER WALTER BANTAU, USNR”.
