The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said and observant beachcomber, identified by Japanese media as 51-year-old David Baxter, had spotted the ball on a beach on Middleton Island.
"A school name is stenciled on the soccer ball, and his (Japanese) wife was able to translate the writing to trace it to a school," the agency said.
"This may be one of the first opportunities since the March 2011 tsunami that a remnant washed away from Japan has been identified and could actually be returned to its previous owner," NOAA added.