Billions turned in to police, and billions returned to owners.

Botanists and economists agree that money doesn’t grow on trees, but it turns out that there’s actually a whole lot of cash to be found in the concrete jungle of Tokyo. With March being the start of the fiscal year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have released their annual statistics regarding lost and found property in the city, and a record-breaking amount of yen was turned in over the past year.

In total, the police received more than 4.5 billion yen (US$29 million) in cash that was turned in after being lost or left behind in Tokyo. This edges out the 4.49 billion yen that was turned in last year, and is the largest amount ever recorded, with statistical data going back all the way to 1940.

It’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean that 4.5 billion yen in loose bills and change was found unattended on Tokyo’s streets, public benches, and other flat surfaces, as it includes money contained in wallets, purses, and bags that were turned in as lost property as well. Even then 4.5 billion is a startling number, but with cash still being used for so many transactions in Japan (you can even pay your utility and tax bills in cash at convenience stores), and with Tokyo having very little street crime compared to the world’s other major cities, it’s not unusual for the average adult Tokyoite to have a sizable amount of cash on them when out and about, so if they do lose their wallet, it’ll probably have a lot in it. The police say that the increased number of overseas tourists visiting Japan these days is also a contributing factor, as the combination of excitement and lack of familiarity in one’s surroundings can sometimes lead to forgetfulness.

The police also reported that the total number of items of lost property that were turned in during the year came to roughly 4.5 million, also the highest number on record, with an increase in small electronic devices such as wireless earphones.

Thanks to the impressive honesty of those who discovered lost cash, the police managed to track down the original owners for roughly 70 percent of the money, with approximately 3.23 billion returned (though a portion of that, under Japanese law, might have been given to the finders as reward payments). So if, after a day out in Japan, you realize you lost your wallet, smartphone, or Totoro key holder, make sure to file a missing property report with the police, which you can do by following the process explained here, and if you happen to find someone else’s, the procedure for turning it in can be found here.

Source: FNN Prime Online via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
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