If you lose something in Japan, follow these steps to maximize your chances of recovering it.

1. Retrace Your Steps: Return to the last place you remember having the item. If the location has multilingual staff, you can also call to check. If you lost your item at a station or shopping mall, check with the lost and found section to see if anything has been reported.

2. Contact Nearby Establishments: If you lost the item in a public area, ask nearby shops, restaurants, or convenience stores if they have received any lost items. Leave your contact information with them in case your item is found.

3. File a Report: If you cannot locate the item, visit the nearest police station (koban) to file a lost property report. Provide a detailed description of the item, including its color, brand, and any unique features. This report is crucial for increasing the chances of your item being returned.

When reporting a lost item, be prepared to provide the following information.

You will receive a report number, which you can use to check on the status of your item later. If you lost your credit card, make sure to contact the card company immediately.

Japan has a highly efficient lost-and-found system, with a recovery rate exceeding 80% for lost items. Items are typically held at local police stations or lost-and-found centers for 1 to 3 months before they are donated or discarded.

To minimize the risk of losing items in Japan, you may consider the following tips.
・Stay Organized: Keep your belongings in designated bags or pouches.
・Use Lockers: Utilize lockers available in public places to secure your items temporarily.
・Keep Receipts: Whenever you use a taxi, be sure to keep the receipt. This contains details about the taxi ID and other important contact information in case of lost property.
・Consider Tracking Devices: For valuable items, use GPS tracking devices (like an AirTag) to help locate them if lost.

In Japan, if you lose your wallet or it gets stolen while using public transportation like buses and trains, you might be able to borrow money to reach your destination under certain conditions. This system is called “chakueki seisan” (destination payment), where you repay the borrowed fare at a later date. However, according to the Railway Operation Act, boarding a train without a ticket is prohibited. Therefore, this option is only available to those who already had a ticket but don’t have enough money to cover the remaining fare. If you lose your wallet in the station, you can still ask for help, but if you lack the money to buy a ticket initially, you cannot use this system.

To borrow the fare, you will need to present your ID and sign a “shiharai yuyo negai-sho” (payment grace request) written oath. This system ensures that you can reach your destination even if you encounter an unforeseen situation like losing your wallet, as long as you meet the necessary conditions.

If you can't borrow money at the station, your next option is to seek help at a police station or Koban. There is a system called “koshu setsugu benshohi seido” (public service compensation cost system) that allows you to borrow a small amount of money, typically around 1,000 yen, if your wallet was lost or stolen. The availability of this assistance depends on the individual police station's policies and specific circumstances. To repay the borrowed amount, you must return it in person, or if that’s not feasible, you can deposit the money or send it via registered mail. Always ask for detailed instructions on how to repay before leaving.

If neither the station nor the police station can lend you money, and you have money in your hotel room, you can take a taxi back to your hotel even if it costs more. Explain your situation to the driver and leave some belongings in the taxi as collateral, then retrieve the money from your room to pay for the fare.

According to the 2017 report "Acceptance Status of Notification of Found Items and Notifications of Lost Items" by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, about 3.96 million found items were turned in to the police, while around 1.02 million lost item reports were filed. This means found items outnumbered lost item reports by nearly four times! It seems many people hand over found items to the police, including those that the owners may have given up searching for.

Every day, numerous found items are brought to police stations and Koban (police boxes). Official police data reveals that the total value of cash turned in amounted to approximately 3.75 billion yen ($33.6 million USD). In 2017 alone, this figure was about 75.5 million yen ($676,000 USD). Meanwhile, the total value of reported lost cash was roughly 8.34 billion yen ($74.7 million USD), with 86.3 million yen ($772,000 USD) reported lost in 2017. Based on these numbers, there's about an 87.5% chance that your money will be returned if found.

Of course, this system isn't perfect; there are instances where wallets are not returned or the money is missing when they are. However, compared to other countries, Japan has a higher likelihood of lost wallets and money being returned. Police data indicates that 73.2% of found cash is returned to its owner. So, if you lose something, don't give up—file a report with the police!

Japan’s “Lost Goods Law” requires anyone who finds a lost item to either quickly return it to the owner or submit it to the police. If the item is returned to the owner, the owner must reward the finder with an amount between 5% and 20% of the item’s value. Although this reward is legally mandated, most Japanese people are unaware of it, and typically, finders do not request rewards, acting out of goodwill instead.

Unlike Japan, where all found items must be submitted to the police regardless of their value, regions and countries like Germany, England (London), and the United States (New York and California) do not require items under a certain value to be turned in. In Quebec, Canada, it is left to the finder’s discretion whether to submit the item or not. Additionally, countries such as the United States, Canada, France, and England do not have a legal reward system. Japan’s detailed rules on lost items likely stem from a cultural tradition of returning lost items, which may have been reinforced by the law.

The time limit for looking for lost or forgotten items in Japan is three months. The police department’s website will post information on lost items for three months (six months for buried items) from the date they were submitted, and they can be searched online. If the owner is not found within three months, the finder becomes the owner of the item. However, items like mobile phones, driver’s licenses, and other items containing personal information will not be given to the finder. Items such as umbrellas, clothes, and other low-value items or those expensive to store will be kept for two weeks. If the owner is not found within that time, these items may be sold or disposed of. So, if you lose something, make sure to contact the police as soon as possible!

The Japanese tradition of turning lost items into the police is likely rooted in the moral education that is ingrained in local communities and schools. In Japan, there are lost and found counters at various locations such as schools, train stations, airports, public facilities, and shopping malls. It is a common practice for people who find or lose items to go to these counters. In elementary schools, lost items that are turned in are periodically announced, which teaches children from a young age that lost items have a high chance of being returned. This reinforces the belief that it is "normal" to hand over lost items to the police or designated locations.

In Japan, the ancient concept of “divine punishment” plays a significant role in shaping morals and ethics. It is believed that if you use someone else’s belongings without permission or act with ill intent, those actions will bring punishment upon you. This idea is often used to discipline children at home. Another saying, “the sun is always watching you,” teaches that even when no one is watching, you should follow your morals and do the right thing. For example, if you find a wallet, you should imagine the distress of the person who lost it and, guided by your ethics, turn it in to the police or try to return it to the owner directly. This mindset is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture.

Even with a high probability of lost wallets being found in Japan, there are some items that are hard to be found. Here is a top 10 list of lost items received by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

Items with personal information like certificate documents, wallets, and mobile phones seem to be found easily and returned to the owner. According to the police department’s “processing status of found items,” items found that have the highest percentage of being returned to the owners are mobile phones at 84.9%, documents at 73.1%, and wallets at 68.7%.

For umbrellas it is pretty common for it to be taken by someone else when you are shopping at the convenience store and is usually not found. Especially for plastic umbrellas, they are cheap and all look the same, so many people will accidently take the wrong umbrella, or take it without feeling too much guilt. Many people just give up thinking they were unlucky and don’t submit lost item reports to the police.

Also for clothing/footwear, precious metals, cameras and glasses, compared to the number of reported found items, the number of reported lost items is lower. Most cases the person who lost the item gives up. One could say that items where the owner can’t be easily identified have a harder time to be returned.

Another thing to pay attention to is bicycle theft. In the recent years the number of people riding bicycles have increased in the Tokyo area and with that the number of bicycle thefts has increased. Even if you lock your bicycle, simple locks can be easily broken. Instead of parking on the street, we recommend using paid parking spaces.

Many foreigners may be surprised to learn that lost wallets in Japan are often returned with the money still inside. In Japan, not only wallets but also mobile phones and other valuable items have a good chance of being returned if lost. If you lose or drop something, don’t give up—submit a report at a police station or Koban. While wallets and cash have a high probability of being returned, low-value items like umbrellas are frequently stolen. For instance, if you leave your umbrella in a rack at a convenience store on a rainy day, it might get taken. Japan is relatively safe, but be sure to keep track of your belongings to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip.

For more information, you can check these resources from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department:
・Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Lost item handling situation (2023)
・Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: If you misplace something