Wireless earphones and portable speakers are among the most common items that have been handed over to lost and found offices or the police. In addition to shopping carts, handheld gaming devices, and portable battery chargers. Authorities received 25,500 lost items during that period, including 12,700 dogs and 4,300 cats, in addition to birds and reptiles.
According to the law, the obligation to be a "good citizen" and report lost items does not diminish, indicating that it is part of cultural philosophy. The items were also among the common items that were reported, in addition to documents such as driver’s licenses, clothing, and personal belongings.
4.4 million items were handed over to the Tokyo police during the year, which is an increase of 7.7 percent, and it is a new record. It is required from anyone who finds lost property to report it to the police, but a finder can receive a reward ranging between 5 and 20 percent if the owner claims the money.
The Tokyo metropolitan area announced that its residents have returned approximately 4.49 billion yen worth of lost property to the authorities in the past year, representing an increase of 1.8 percent over 2023. In the absence of cash collection within three months, the property can go to the person who found it.
The national data for 2024 has not yet been disclosed, but NHK reported that the total amounts handed over across all of Japan in 2023 amounted to 22.8 billion yen.
