A Canadian man exploring an isolated beach in British Columbia's Graham Island made the remarkable discovery.
Peter Mark came across a big white trailer containing an unmistakable but rusty Harley Davidson motorcycle with a Japanese licence plate.
Upon further examination by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which first reported the story, and the Japanese consulate, the license plate of the motorcycle is said to be registered to Miyagi Prefecture, a region hard hit by the Japanese tsunami last year.
The photos Mr Mark took of the white container appear to be part of common Japanese van.
Japanese authorities are now trying to find who owns the bike and whether they are still alive.
