Hundreds of safes, which had been swept away by the Tsunami that hit the coastline of Japan. And as the metal boxes, containing untold valuables are being collected by Ofunato police, it appears the mystery of both who they belong to and how they made their way back to shore will get quite heavy very soon.
The safes, coming in every shape and size have been labeled as industrial strength home safes owned likely by hundreds or thousands of residents whose homes were destroyed by the deluge caused after a series of Earthquakes hit Japan. Some have suggested with so many safes containing the life’s savings of so many, there may have been another perhaps higher force at work here – hopefully returning some hope to those who otherwise would have lost everything.
But there is still at least one problem left for those who recovered the safes. In addition to scattering the residents of the region after their homes were destroyed, many of the safes bear no identifying marks that would connect them to their rightful owners. And so it seems one of the biggest problems in seeking out the true owners of the safes will be even starting to learn who the rightful owners are so they can use the contents of their safes in order to begin rebuilding their lives. The best approximation that would exist currently would be to hope the owners show up with the right key and can open them. And even then it’s possible the keys themselves could have fallen into the wrong hands.
Meanwhile, the safes sit in the parking lot of the Ofunato police station, each one an enigma to be left unopened. And there may be fewer times when the survivors of this tragic disaster might need assistance more desperately. By the end of it all with any luck there will be some answers. The contents of the safes have been estimated to be tens of millions of yen. And while it may not be a fortune large enough to allow the owners of the cash cache to recover completely from their ordeal, it would help soften the blow to a few families who believe they may have lost everything.
But the question on so many peoples’ minds regarding these safes is just how they found their ways back to shore and into the hands of the authorities. Authorities have suggested an unusually high number of safes have been recovered in the aftermath of this incident. And while some are sure it’s because of precautions taken ahead of time and safes made of hardened plastic alloys rather than the more traditional lead or steel. And a combination of both could have allowed the survivors of the Earthquake, and their families, a second chance at recovery. Still others suggest it might have been something else working to see these family fortunes got home safe.