Record ¥3.99 Billion in Lost Cash Handed in to Tokyo Police

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:31 JST, March 14, 2023

A record ¥3.997 billion in lost and found cash was handed in to the Tokyo police last year, the highest amount since records began in 1940, the Metropolitan Police Department has said.

According to the MPD, the amount jumped ¥600 million from the previous year. The highest amount in a single case was about ¥34 million, which was found in a box.

There were 3.71 million lost and misplaced items handed into the police, up about 20% from about 3.02 million from the previous year. Of the most common items handed in, about 730,000 were ID documents such as driving licenses and insurance cards. Another 390,000 were items with financial value, such as transportation IC cards.

About ¥727 million of unclaimed money and proceeds from the sale of unclaimed items was put into the coffers of the Tokyo metropolitan government.

The MPD believes that the increase of lost and found items is partly due to more people going out as infection control measures were relaxed. The MPD is urging people to take care of their belongings as they go out during a busy cherry blossom season.