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“I will never forget again”: Nagasaki man gets back the cash he left at an ATM

Krista Rogers Mar 9, 2014
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１ATM

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. Earlier this 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 Mr. Kenji Shiro, the president of a security firm, withdrew several tens of thousands of yen from an ATM in Nagasaki City (10,000 yen is approximately US$100). 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!

Mr. 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.

Mr. 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.”

▼Mr. Shiro’s “my faith in humanity is restored” face

atm

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 ($2,900), 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.”

We can only hope that Mr. Shiro will keep a better eye on his cash so that the same events won’t happen a third time. Maybe someone should carry his wallet for him!

Source/insert image: Nagasaki Keizai Shimbun
Top image: Fuji Sankei