Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Lost and Found in Tokyo: 4.5 Billion Yen

Last year, a record total of 4.5 billion yen ($29 million) found its way to the Tokyo police as lost property, up 0.5% from 2024. The remarkable statistic reflects the innate civic honesty embedded in the country’s culture. The largest single cash trove turned in to the police in 2025 amounted to 27 million yen. The Metropolitan Police Department noted that over 70% of the cases came from public facilities, including customers forgetting to collect their change at supermarket self-checkout registers. On top of that, a record 4.5 million lost items were turned in last year to police as well. Many items carry an unspoken poetry in the small gestures of care their finder took to turn them in — like the person who picked up wireless earphones left behind by a traveler, or the driver’s license returned to its rightful owner. As one observer notes, “In Japan, even cash finds its way home.” When honesty and a consideration for others pervades daily life, each returned item is a quiet testament to a society that values integrity.

Be The Change

Return something you’ve borrowed, or find a way to give a gift anonymously.