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What happens when you withdraw a ton of cash from an ATM in the middle of the city, only to walk away and realize later that you forgot to stick it in your wallet? Apparently nothing, if you happen to live in Nagasaki City. Last week, a Nagasaki native experienced the above situation, and was ecstatic to find the money untouched when he returned later. The killer part of everything? Wait until you hear his profession.
During the day on March 4, 55-year-old Kenji Shiro, the president of a security firm, withdrew several tens of thousands of yen from an ATM. But he inadvertently left it in the machine and left. When he reached into his wallet 10 minutes later and, finding it empty, realized his mistake, he high-tailed it back to the site. Miraculously, the cash was just sitting there next to the ATM!
Shiro, who had been preparing himself for the worst when he realized he’d left his money behind, was extremely moved, and uploaded a celebratory photo on Facebook. The photo racked up hundreds of likes and comments in a short span of time.
Shiro went on to say: “Maybe no one took the money because there was a surveillance camera nearby. Actually, several years ago, I dropped my wallet while I was getting out of a taxi late at night in front of my house. Early the next morning I got a phone call from the local police station that someone had found it while taking a walk. I was overcome by so much emotion at that time, too. I really need to be more careful from now on. As the president of a security firm, I can’t be setting a bad example for others. I will reflect hard on my actions from now on.”
Many of his Facebook comments praised Japan and specifically Nagasaki:
“Way to go, Nagasaki!”
“It’s a good thing you live in Japan.”
“As expected, Nagasaki is a good place to live.”
Others shared some personal stories, such as the following:
“My mother-in-law once left behind 300,000 yen, but it wasn’t there when she went back to look for it!”
“I once found a bankbook and didn’t know what to do with it.”
“The year before last, I found 2,000 yen on the floor by the ATM and brought it to the police station. But since no one had claimed it after three months, I donated 5,000 yen to the 2011 Tohoku disaster relief fund at the city hall next door. I could even get a tax deduction for my contribution. I felt good that year.”
Source/image: Nagasaki Keizai Shimbun
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12 Comments
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Cortes Elijah
I lost my wallet once in Fuchinobe. I woke up the next morning and could not find it anywhere. I went to the local koban and reported it lost. I literally had walked inside my house when my phone rung. End result was a stranger had handed in my wallet with nothing missing. I can tell you, in Australia where I lived, that would'nt have happened.
Alex Einz
lucky, but if that kind of person manages security firm you probably better of not using their services...
maglev101
but the chances of honest acts like this happening are higher in Tokyo than NYC, for example.
Laguna
Visiting an ATM during the Christmas rush a few years back, I noticed that the previous customer had left her card in the slot still activated. I could have emptied her entire account but instead ejected the card and turned it over to security. This was in the US; one might think from this article that honesty is based on culture.
doedel
I experienced both sides of such in Tokyo (Machida). I once found a swollen wallet on top of a public phone inside a department store - handed it to store staff without even looking inside.
And last summer my own wallet fell out of my pocket, only to be found by a kind soul minutes later. It was delivered to a police station and I had it back the next day. Some 50.000 Yen and several other valuable stuff (Yodobashi, Yamada point cards, residence card, drivers license etc.) were all returned without anything missing. That is the Japan I know and would wish it'd be everywhere like that.
Tokiyo
Both good news and bad news makes the news, whats wrong with the good news every now and then. Such a debbie downer
changamangaliay
Happened to me, left over 100 Thousand yen and got back next day.
ambrosia
I've had my wallet returned to me, money and cards in full, three times in the States. My bike was stolen in Japan when I went into the store for maybe three minutes tops. Now before you go apologizing for bike thievery, this wasn't some rusty old mamachari either, not that that would have made it any better.
I'm glad this guy got his money back but trying to use this story as an opportunity to bash other countries is just plain wrong, in both senses of the word. Stuff like this happens in plenty of places and if you don't believe me check out some of the stories I was very easily able to find, proving my point quite nicely.
It's nice that you have positive feelings about Japan but there are good and bad people here, just like everywhere else.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Wedding-Ring-found-in-New-Baseball-Glove-Returned--246264141.html
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/16/glen-james-homeless-man-who-returned-bag-cash-honored-boston-police/yUZjfKiELlXDURjhQwQ23O/story.html http://listverse.com/2013/09/02/
10-people-who-found-big-money-and-returned-it/
Fukuppy
I love this kind of honesty - one of the huge plusses about living in Japan. Sadly, it seems things are getting worse now. Very sad.
darknuts
I left 5000 yen at a change machine once. Any other country and that money would have been gone.
DudeDeuce
Though in Japan have a higher chance of reclaiming your stuff, thieves still do exist. My wallet and smartphone were both stolen at a post office which has 3 or 4 cameras. Neither the police nor post office staff bothered to look at the cameras.