Lose Your Wallet Or Cash In Okinawa? No Problem!

Lost wallets or hard cash reported to the Okinawa Prefectural Police last year had a higher chance of being returned than in the preceding four years, earning praise from foreign tourists who got their money back.

The police said that ¥203.7 million in lost cash was reported in Okinawa in 2018. Of this amount, ¥138.28 million, or 67.9 percent, made its way back to owners — the best return rate since 2014.

Lost money was taken to police in various condition, such as inside a wallet or envelope or just hard cash, according to the finance division. An elementary school student once handed in a ¥10 coin to a police box.

“We can identify an individual who dropped a wallet by checking the person’s driver’s license and other items in it, making it possible to return it,” said Satoshi Kinjo, head of the police station’s finance division. “But it is hard to find the person when the cash was handed in on its own.”

The law on lost property stipulates that cash reported to police must be kept for three months. During that time, officials in each police station’s finance division look for the owners and try to get in touch with them.

After three months, the ownership will be transferred to the individual who picked up the cash. If the individual doesn’t want the money, it ends up in the prefectural coffers.

Last year, Okinawa police logged a record number of reports of lost items, at 168,220. Wallets were the most common item, at 9,852, followed by 7,360 driver’s licenses, 7,339 ATM cards and 6,823 mobile phones.

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Comments

Fortunately, I've never lost an envelope of cash in Okinawa as I always withdraw and tuck it away, but ensure it's zipped up before leaving.

There have been times that my family members and myself have left phones behind in various places. It's a tedious task of trying to remember where we left them, but as we know Japanese, we can call each place to check up on them. In one instance, we were unable to get through to a couple store's security so we visited. They aren't reluctant to help at all and will look through their log books and go pull your phone for you.

Countless times I've left small things behind but I know exactly where it is so I can go grab it. I like how organized lost and founds in Okinawa are. They document exactly what is lost, and typically where they placed it, be it in box A or office C to go retrieve it. In order to get it back, it's as simple as signing your name.

Nothing I've lost ended up going to the police stations. But as the article suggests and you happen to lose your stuff at the airport, the first place you should check is with the airport and the second with the Tomigusuku Police Station as they have jurisdiction over Naha Airport.

AGG Lose Your Wallet Or Cash In Okinawa? No Problem!

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David

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