Nearly a year after a major earthquake and tsunami shook and doused Japan, some 25 million tons of debris that washed out to sea when the tsunami receded is headed toward the California coast. We're talking cars, boats, pieces of houses, you name it. Whatever didn't sink has been slowly making its way across the Pacific Ocean, and experts believe we'll start seeing large objects start washing up on beaches as soon as next month.

Also — and this should make for a pleasant spring — there's a fair possibility of human remains washing ashore that have been buoyant since last March.

One expert thinks the main mass of trash will take another year or so to arrive.

A lot of the debris is probably already swirling into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch you've probably heard about, which is kept offshore in part by the gyro gyre or large circular current that runs between here and Asia. Some boats off Hawaii and elsewhere have already started spotting stuff and pulling it out of the water. And people who regularly walk and comb the beaches (like the weird buoy hoarder in ABC 7's video) are asked to report what they may find to the Coast Guard or local environmental agencies. This could make for a pretty gross environmental disaster when ocean birds start eating Japanese refuse, etc.

Some may be looking forward to finding cool things with Japanese characters on them arriving on Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. But no bodies please.

[ABC 7]