A recent buzz on Japanese X (formerly Twitter) has captivated netizens with the tale of a "mystery hard drive" stuck in Tokyo's Keihin Canal near Tennoz Isle. First spotted in March 2023, this elusive piece of tech has been sitting there for three years, sparking wild speculation about its contents.
Japanese X user "iP (@_127001)" brought this internet legend to light, musing that the hard drive in the Tennoz canal could be hiding a fortune in cryptocurrency—or perhaps a treasure trove of adult content. The theory goes that someone might have tried to ditch it in the sea to destroy evidence, only to botch the throw, leaving it in an impossibly unreachable spot. Talk about a dramatic backstory!
While it was first noticed in March 2023, the exact date of its initial appearance remains unknown. Back then, the letters "HGST" were still clearly visible on its casing.
Netizens who made the pilgrimage to the site confirmed just how tricky it was to retrieve. Attempts to use strong magnets tied to ropes or sticks were deemed risky, likely damaging the drive in the process.
One user, who holds a small boat license, considered sailing closer. However, the concrete pillars are quite tall, making it dangerous to maneuver a boat close enough to reach out and grab it. As for the idea of taping the drive and pulling it back, that was dismissed as a high-risk move that would likely send it plunging into the canal.
Another user even shared the hard drive's coordinates: "35.611790,139.751595." These coordinates place it near Tokyo's Shinagawa Seaside Station, with the concrete pillar a fair distance from the shore bridge.
Just as everyone was brainstorming retrieval methods, the original X user recently revisited the site, only to find the hard drive gone, leaving just a faint mark. They lamented the power of the internet, noting that another "internet legend" had vanished.
As for its fate, one eyewitness claimed to have seen a foreigner knock the hard drive into the water with a rock. However, the veracity of this claim has yet to be confirmed.
Regardless of the truth, this mysterious hard drive, which had just gone viral, met its end in such an anticlimactic way. It only makes us wonder even more: what grand secret was truly hidden inside?