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lost and found
Over four billion yen in lost cash was found in Tokyo last year, setting new record
- Casey Baseel
Mar 5, 2026 - Tweet
Billions turned in to police, and billions returned to owners.
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • Japan travel • lost and found • lost money • lost property • society • tourism • travel)
People in Tokyo found over 4 billion yen in lost cash last year and turned it in to the police
- Casey Baseel
Mar 20, 2025
Apparently there’s a whole lot of money just lying around in Japan’s capital.
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • lost and found • lost money • lost property • society)
Japanese Railway Lost Property Market: A treasure trove of lost items from trains
- Oona McGee
Jan 22, 2025
We pick up a surprise find at this special market in Tokyo.
- Japan
- (COK • Japanese trains • lost and found • markets • Mr. Sato • shopping • SNJO • trains • travel)
10 million yen in cash found garbage, now belongs to city of Sapporo
- Master Blaster
May 6, 2023
The city plans to reuse instead of recycle.
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • garbage • Hokkaido • lost and found • money • Sapporo • trash collection • weird)
How to stop thieves using your cash cards when you lose your wallet
- Oona McGee
Nov 9, 2020
Simple hack from a former bank clerk in Japan.
- Japan
- (anti-theft • bank • cash card • clever • COK • cool • lost and found • lost property • money • PIN • theft • wallet)
Japanese Twitter searches for foreigners who left funny photos on lost smartphone at Costco
- SoraNews24
Aug 5, 2020
Phone returned to owner with a surprise on the camera roll from a trio of good samaritans.
- Japan
- (Costco • foreigner • foreigners in Japan • funny • heartwarming • LOL • lost and found • lost phone • photos • safety • selfies • twitter)
Lost something on a Japanese train? Look for it at the railway’s lost-and-found market
- Oona McGee
Oct 16, 2019
Unclaimed items from the lost-and-found are sold to the public at these special markets.
- Japan
- (COK • Japanese trains • lost and found • markets • shopping • SNOJ • trains • travel)
Japanese subway line sells a piece of guitar history worth thousands for only five bucks
- Master Blaster
Dec 26, 2018
This unassuming little silver box is worth its weight in gold.
- Japan
- (bargain • discount • effects pedal • Gold Horsie Klon Centaur • guitar • Klon Centaur • lost and found • music • Osaka • Subway)
Wakayama cop loses fully-loaded automatic handgun on the street while guarding PM
- Master Blaster
Sep 17, 2018
We all have our bad days at work, some worse than others.
The weird and wonderful things people leave behind on Japanese trains
- Oona McGee
Sep 7, 2016
Japan Rail has just released a list of the most rare and frequently lost items found on their trains, and when they’re most likely to find them.
- Japan
- (funny • Japanese trains • lost and found • pilgrimage • Shikoku • tourism • train stations • trains • travel)
Honest Tokyo: 3.3 billion yen of lost cash handed in to police in 2014 alone
- KK Miller
Feb 18, 2015
Imagine this. You’re at a fireworks festival with almost one million people in attendance. Everyone is scrambling for a place to sit and stampeding for the exit when it’s over. In between standing in line for a tasty treat and being dazzled by the fireworks spectacle, you realize something terrible. You’ve lost your wallet. Now what?
In Japan, you just go to the nearest police box, or koban! In 2014 alone, a stunning amount of cash and lost possessions was turned into police stations around Tokyo. In cash alone, over 3.3 billion yen was turned in. That’s a whopping US$27.8 million picked up and taken to the authorities. Could that happen anywhere else in the world?
- Japan
- (data • lost and found • lost property • money • society • Tokyo)
Things left behind on Japanese trains: A sad photographic collection to make you wonder
- Fran W
Jan 16, 2015
From the super-efficient bullet train cleaning team that whizzes in and out in a seven-minute turnaround, to stories of entertainingly brilliant station customer service, there are heaps of things to love about Japan’s rail system, which ranks amongst the cleanest and most punctual in the world.
One other cool thing about Japanese trains – or perhaps about Japanese society in general – is that if you lose something, you stand a pretty good chance of getting it back again. Even valuable items like smartphones or wallets often end up handed in to lost property and returned to their original owner.
Today, though, we bring you a collection of some of the more unusual items left on trains around Japan – things that made other commuters go “Huh? Why’d someone have that on the train anyway?”
- Japan
- (lost and found • lost property • trains • wasuremono)
Harley Davidson Restore Project Stirs Respect, Admiration in Japanese Internet Community
- Mac Denny
May 6, 2012
The heartwarming, true story about a disaster-stricken man being reunited with his long lost Harley Davidson has made the rounds on the Internet and tugged at the heartstrings of Japanese Internet users in particular.
“They’ve started writing the movie already,” posted one enthusiastic reader on the Topsy.com comments section.
Man loses three family members and nearly all of his possessions in a horrific earthquake and tsunami and spends over a year in temporary housing before hearing one day that someone found his treasured motorcycle 4,000 miles across the ocean, reasonably intact considering the beating it took at the hands of the Pacific Ocean? We may have something here, Mr. DeMille. Read More
- Canada, Internet, Japan
- (earthquake • Great Pacific Garbage Patch • Harley Davidson • lost and found)
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Recent Posts
- First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
- Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
- Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
- Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
- This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
Weekly
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Starbucks Japan releases “Let’s Par-TEA!” Frappuccino and drinks for the holiday season
Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing
Monthly
Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?
Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Guile cosplay goes with everyone for Halloween at SoraNews24 HQ [Photos]
Japan’s Pokémon donuts are back at Mister Donut, with Slowpoke making dount debut! [Pics]
Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
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