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¥3.997 billion in cash handed in to Tokyo lost and found center in 2022

24 Comments

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department says that 3.997 billion yen in cash was handed in to its Lost and Found Center in 2022.

Of the amount, police were able to return 2.95 billion yen to the owners, the department said in a report. Unclaimed money goes to the metropolitan government, the report said.

The report also said that approximately 3.43 million lost items were handed in to police stations last year, which is an increase of 21.9% from 2021. The increase in lost items is attributed to the slowing signs of COVID-19 infections, leading to an increase in people traveling outdoors.

According to the Lost and Found Center, the number of lost items between 2015 and 2019 remained steady at around 4 million. After the pandemic hit, this number sharply declined to 2.8 million in 2020 and 2.81 million in 2021. Lost property cases increased to 3.43 million in 2022, although it did not reach pre-pandemic levels.

Other lost or misplaced items included identification documents, such as driver’s licenses and insurance cards (totaling about 730,000 items). There were also about 390,000 lost commuter passes and stock certificates.

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24 Comments
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So unique to Japan....

Yawn

-10 ( +12 / -22 )

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any other nation where the citizens would routinely hand in cash found on the streets, in trains etc. And it seems this honesty is increasing year by year! Amazing.

In many nations - especially South America-- people would sell passports, drivers licences and ID they found - for very big $$$.

7 ( +16 / -9 )

I’m sure some of that cash is mine!

4 ( +8 / -4 )

since the police were able to return so much of it to the owners, I assume it was in bags or wallets or something, with id in them, so it's not like bundles of cash (as per the stock photo above) were left laying around.... the honest people handed in lost property, but not lost cash, I suppose.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Of course when most of your citizenry is senior and minted a lot this will tend to happen.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

It's all mine

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

honestly

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Foreigners want to do good, find something on the street that belong to someone, might end up in endless paperwork and more questioning, when they try to handover that lost items. Can end up more time being wasted.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

So 1,047 Bil. went for the end of 2022 bonuses!!??

Got an idea, Regarding the unclaimed cash how about rewarding those who handed this cash to the police as an act of appreciation. instead of giving it all to the metropolitan government.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I once left my wallet sitting on the toilet water tank cover and went home, the next day I realized what happened, went back and asked if someone has found my wallet, SURE ENOUGH someone found it and handed it to the store staff. NOT A SINGLE ITEM WAS MISSING, I thanked them and asked if I can reward that person, they said NO we can't accept and rewards, sorry. I was overwhelmed to be honest because it could have been a very bad event.

Another reason why I am still living in Japan.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Of the amount, police were able to return 2.95 billion yen to the owners, the department said in a report. Unclaimed money goes to the metropolitan government, the report said.

Yeah, and believe me if I turned it in, I would claim it if the owner never showed up for it!

The people who turn it in have a right by law, to a finders fee, forgot the percentage, something like 10% or 15% if the owner comes forward. But if no one comes forward after 3 or 6 months, forgot the actual time limit, the person who found it can claim it ALL as their own.

I am willing to bet the amounts turned into the police are relatively small, and people dont come back to claim it, or fill in the paperwork, as it is a rather large pain in the butt, but if its any large amount, it's worth it.

Better I get it (or someone) rather than the Tokyo Gov, they already spend too much tax money as it is!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Situation #1: Found a purse in Kawagoe, handed it in to police, got reamed for hours in the koban, the owner was contacted and verified that all was accounted for, the citizen offered to reward me but didn't.

Situation #2: found cash on the street (forget how much now), basically knew who it belonged to but handed it in to koban to surprised coppers. After 6 months was sent a notice to come and collect unclaimed monies.

'Tis indeed an interesting country.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

MarkToday  06:26 pm JST

So 1,047 Bil. went for the end of 2022 bonuses!!?? 

Got an idea, Regarding the unclaimed cash how about rewarding those who handed this cash to the police as an act of appreciation. instead of giving it all to the metropolitan government.

It already goes to the finder if you choose that option when you deliver the lost item to the police/koban. You can also opt out by saying no thank you. Have found cash lying on the street several times and it came back to me after the 3 month period when nobody claimed it.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I’ve handed in cash I found on the street and was interrogated for 45 minutes.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department says that 3.997 billion yen in cash was handed in to its Lost and Found Center in 2022.

they "SAID" 3.997 billion was handed in......................but over 5 billion was NOT reported?

Of the amount, police were able to return 2.95 billion yen to the owners, the department said in a report.

How? Did each paper yen have someone's name and address on it?

Unclaimed money goes to the metropolitan government, the report said.

That's funny, so does every one's tax yen, donated (to charity) yen and embezzled yen as well. One big happy system.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Coincidentally, that same number was turned into the NYPD last year: $39.97.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Is that loose notes or just the accumulative amount within lost wallets? Big difference between handing in a 1000 yen note you saw floating on the breeze versus a wallet with cards, ID etc and several to tens of thousands of yen which most people carry at all times.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My practice when I carried the rent money to pay at the bank was to write my name and telephone number in the envelope in case I dropped it or lost it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is a great credit to the people of Japan.

Alas, here in the UK, honesty has become fairly unfashionable, but a few of us older generation are still proud to do the decent thing.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Only in Japan...

What other country in the world can get that achievement?? (perhaps the Nordics), but this is something that characterizes the Japanese people, their honesty and culture..

Demonstrating again that Japan is and will continue to be one of the healthiest and safest countries to live in the world...

Ilove you Japan..

Please don't change..

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yes, it is indeed. Of course, you are free to show me other countries where you are pretty sure to receive your lost items back.

I'm sure "items" are returned in other places, but cash?

If you'd been to places like Egypt, South America, etc., you would know what I'm talking about.

South America is one huge country!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Foreigners want to do good, find something on the street that belong to someone, might end up in endless paperwork and more questioning, when they try to handover that lost items

this happened to me not once, but twice when I found a keitai on the road, tried to hand it in to the local Koban, but They questioned me like I was the perp who had stolen it. Next time I found something on the road, I left it there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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