# What's This in Tokyo Bay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672 "2006-03-01T21:29:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/1 "2006-03-01T21:29:42Z")
Inspired by [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=360220&highlight=Libya) I was looking around at different cities via Google Earth (hoping to find the spot where the Queen Elizabeth burned up off Hong Kong, w/o success) and came across something odd in the waters just off Tokyo. [What are these things?](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=35.514343,140.20752&sspn=8.580892,14.985352&hl=en&q=Tokyo+Bay&t=k&ll=35.631951,139.803826&spn=0.008371,0.014634&t=k) They kinda look like shipping containers, but I they seem to be in the water on their own. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/2 "2006-03-01T21:37:00Z")
zooming in as far as the map will allow - to me they look like pieces of Sudoku boards ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/3 "2006-03-01T21:40:47Z")
Godzilla? šŸ™‚ If you zoom in they sure do look a lot like shipping containers but really huge. If no one has the answer, Iā€™ll ask over a sci.lang.japan. One fo the regulars drives a truck in Tokyo for a living and Iā€™d bet heā€™d know. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/4 "2006-03-01T23:37:59Z")
WAG - an art installation/project of some kind ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/5 "2006-03-02T03:15:02Z")
Iā€™m pretty sure theyā€™re barges of shipping containers. Theyā€™re probably just anchored there until a tug can get to them and take them to the assigned dock. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/6 "2006-03-02T04:10:58Z")
They look pretty big (and tall, judging by the shadows) for shipping containers. Perhaps mooring stations for the larger boats (compare their size with the ship docked at the upper right), or supports for future construction. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/7 "2006-03-02T05:59:25Z")
Iā€™m taking the JR train line that passes by that area (Shiomi) this weekend. Iā€™ll try to see if they are still there. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/8 "2006-03-02T06:13:04Z")
SURVEY 1215, Finding the spot the liner Queen ELizabeth burned up in Hong Kong harbor wont work. After the fire the liner was cut up for scrap and no longer exists. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/9 "2006-03-02T06:13:23Z")
Soke of those Google Maps/Google Earth pics can be pretty old. And they seem to be older than the copyright date on them. For instance, the pics of the Toronto Airport show New Terminal One as [under construction](http://maps.google.com/?t=k&ll=43.683096,-79.61292&spn=0.006921,0.014634&t=k), with the new approach roads only half-built, and itā€™s been in use for well over a year. The boxes or whatever they are may very well not be there. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/10 "2006-03-02T09:58:43Z")
The boxes comprising the objects look like they are about 15 ft square. No one in my office had any ideas either. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/11 "2006-03-02T10:26:30Z")
Strange, theyā€™re large, about half the length of that ship docked nearby and arranged so haphazardly šŸ˜• As an aside (sorry to hijack) I Google-mapped for ā€œArea 51ā€ and came up with a rather anonymous looking civilian airport in higher definition that the surrounding desert, is this the Area 51 that alien lovers harp on about so much? ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/12 "2006-03-02T11:06:19Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > As an aside (sorry to hijack) I Google-mapped for ā€œArea 51ā€ and came up with a rather anonymous looking civilian airport in higher definition that the surrounding desert, is this the Area 51 that alien lovers harp on about so much? If it is NW of Vegas that is indeed Area 51. For a ā€œcivilianā€ airport it sure has a lot of buildings, yet nothing that could be described as a terminal and a very odd runway layout, including runways on the dry lake north of the field. Alien theories aside, it sure looks like a research facility. Yā€™know, the kind of place where the might develop secret aircraft. Much more plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/13 "2006-03-02T13:12:00Z")
From my knowledge of US geography (from a National Geographic map on my bedroom wall as a teenager) I recognised it as being in Nevada. I thought civilian looking at the aircraft there. Seems odd to have high-resā€™ photos of supposedly secure buildings, at least two Territorial Army bases here in Belfast are included on high-resā€™ photos. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/14 "2006-03-02T15:23:36Z")
Dunno what they are. The Fort Knox of Lego? Anyway, while looking round the area, i found something people might be interested in: what appears to be a [submarine](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=35.514343,140.20752&sspn=8.580892,14.985352&hl=en&q=Tokyo+Bay&t=k&ll=35.123919,139.734689&spn=0.002124,0.003659&t=k) leaving the Bay. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/15 "2006-03-02T15:43:45Z")
For what itā€™s worth, the pair of silver rectangular buildings just to the west is Tokyo Big Sight\*, a major exhibition center. But I donā€™t think those ā€œboxesā€ are related to that - itā€™s on the ā€œbackā€ side of the Big Sight, opposite from the main entrance and train stations. Iā€™ve been to the Big Sight many times and never noticed these things. The harbor immediately surrounding the mystery boxes are occupied by steel, textile and cement companies. \*I always wonder if they meant to call it ā€œBig Siteā€ and screwed upā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/16 "2006-03-02T16:19:14Z")
Noone in my office knows whatā€™s in the bay either (of course, weā€™re admissions people at a small college, not port authoritah types, so thats no surprise). Meanwhile, I took a peek at the pics for my local airport (Lambert Field in St. Louis) and found what appears to be [one of those fancy new half invisible airplanes.](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.435463,59.941406&hl=en&q=Lambert+Airport&ll=38.741427,-90.359609&spn=0.001004,0.001829&t=h) Boeing does some of its high end military work on the other end of the airport - obviously this is some sort of civilian airliner cloaking device being tested. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/17 "2006-03-02T16:49:00Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Anyway, while looking round the area, i found something people might be interested in: what appears to be a [submarine](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=35.514343,140.20752&sspn=8.580892,14.985352&hl=en&q=Tokyo+Bay&t=k&ll=35.123919,139.734689&spn=0.002124,0.003659&t=k) leaving the Bay. Heh, _that_ is Godzilla šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/18 "2006-03-02T17:06:07Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > WAG - an art installation/project of some kind Itā€™s Sea Tetris. Or really big Rubicā€™s cubes. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/19 "2006-03-02T17:18:50Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > For what itā€™s worth, the pair of silver rectangular buildings just to the west is Tokyo Big Sight\*, a major exhibition center. But I donā€™t think those ā€œboxesā€ are related to that - itā€™s on the ā€œbackā€ side of the Big Sight, opposite from the main entrance and train stations. Iā€™ve been to the Big Sight many times and never noticed these things. > > The harbor immediately surrounding the mystery boxes are occupied by steel, textile and cement companies. > > \*I always wonder if they meant to call it ā€œBig Siteā€ and screwed upā€¦ Man, Tokyo is dense! I was looking just to the west of Big Sight, and thereā€™s an elevated expressway that leads to a suspension bridge, and at the other end of the suspension bridge is a loop above the water. (Cool! Must be fun to drive over the loopā€¦ šŸ™‚ ) My questionā€¦ is an elevated train system also included on the bridge? There appear to be stations, and it looks like it ends up with a final station near Big Sight, and a spur track going to a yard. Look like a pedestrian mall down the middle of things. Is the whole area one of those redevelopments? Want. To. Visit. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672/20 "2006-03-02T17:42:33Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > ā€¦suspension bridge, and at the other end of the suspension bridge is a loop above the water. ā€¦ My questionā€¦ is an elevated train system also included on the bridge? Itā€™s not exactly a train - sort of like a monorail. The line is called [Yurikamome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurikamome). > [@](#): > > Look like a pedestrian mall down the middle of things. Is the whole area one of those redevelopments? Itā€™s mostly new developments on reclaimed land. Tokyo Bay is getting smaller all the time - I used to bike around that area and my GPS receiver would often tell me I should be in the water. The area just south of the bridge (around [here](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=35.514343,140.20752&sspn=8.580892,14.985352&hl=en&q=Tokyo+Bay&t=k&ll=35.627399,139.774482&spn=0.009122,0.023561&t=k)) is an entertainment/shopping area, a very popular place for dates. (So Iā€™m not very familiar with it. ā˜¹ ) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-tokyo-bay/346672.md?page=2)