Record ¥4.4 bil. in Cash Reported to Tokyo Police in 2023; MPD Cite Lifting of COVID Restrictions as Cause for Surge

The Metropolitan Police Department

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:40 JST, March 26, 2024 

A record of over ¥4.4 billion in cash was reported as found property to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 2023, a 10.3% increase compared to the previous year, according to the MPD.

The police believe the increase is the result of more people traveling following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The cash received by the Tokyo police amounted to ¥4,406,367,594.

There were 4,444,854 lost items received by the MPD, up 19.9% from the previous year. Forms of identification, including driver’s licenses and insurance cards, were the most commonly found items, totaling 812,625. Items that are cash equivalents, such as transportation IC cards, were the next most commonly found items, totaling 471,223, followed by clothing and footwear with 400,792.

The largest amount of cash found at one time was about ¥16.8 million, which was found in a building in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

The amount of cash that has been returned to its owners, including the money found in Shinjuku Ward, amounted to about ¥3.23 billion. About 1.34 million items have also been returned.

The money acquired through the sales of unrecovered items, which either could not be returned or the owners could not be identified, amounted to ¥825 million and was added to the Tokyo metropolitan government revenue.