This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
If you drop something or leave something on a train in Japan, contact both the facility where you lost it (a station, shop, etc.) and the police. With the police, you file a “lost property report” (ishitsu todoke; a form to report that you have lost something). Lost items handed in to the police are kept for 3 months, so act as soon as you notice.
→ Getting Around in Japan: The Basics
The Short Answer: What to Do When You Notice You Have Lost Something
- If you have lost the cash cards or credit cards in your wallet, or your smartphone (mobile phone), immediately contact the card issuer or your mobile phone company and have them stopped so they cannot be used
- If you think you lost it in a place managed by someone, such as a station, train, shop or hotel, contact that facility (station staff, the railway company’s counter, shop staff, etc.)
- Including when you do not know where you lost it, such as on the street, file a lost property report at a nearby koban (police box; a small local police counter) or police station
- Check the “lost item search” on the website of the prefectural police to see whether your item has been handed in
- If it is found, check with the place that contacted you what you need to bring, and then go to collect it
(Sources: National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”, National Police Agency “What Is a Lost Property Report and Key Points”)
Where to Ask, by the Place You Lost It
| Where you lost it | Where to ask first | What to do as well |
|---|---|---|
| At a station or on a train | That railway company (station staff, lost item inquiry counter or chat) | File a lost property report with the police |
| On a bus or in a taxi | That bus company or taxi company | File a lost property report with the police |
| Shops, department stores, hotels, hospitals, etc. | Staff of that facility (shop staff, employees) | File a lost property report with the police |
| On the street, in a park, etc., or you do not know where | Koban or police station | Check the lost item search |
The National Police Agency advises that if you think you lost something at a facility such as a station or department store, you should also ask the facility’s manager whether the item has been handed in. The person who found it may take it to the police instead of the facility, so it is safer to ask both the facility and the police.
(Sources: National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Where Do Lost Items Go?”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Items”)
Example: If You Leave Something at a JR East Station or on a JR East Train
JR East gives the following information about items left behind or lost at stations and on trains (checked on October 21, 2026).
- You can ask through the “Lost Item Inquiry Chat (find chat)”, at JR East stations, or by phone at the “JR East Inquiry Center (Lost Items)”
- When you ask, you will be asked the date, time and place you left it, and the name and features of the item (color, shape, what was inside, etc.)
- It may take time for items handed in to be registered in the system. Even if your item is not found, ask again after some time
- The person who found it may take it to the police or to another railway company that runs through-services, so it is a good idea to ask them too
- Items that nobody collects are kept for a certain period and then handed over to a police station or similar. The storage period differs by station
Other railway companies and bus companies have different ways of asking and different reception hours. Search the company’s website for “忘れ物” (lost items).
(Sources: as an example, JR East “I Left Something at a Station (or on a Train). Where Should I Ask?”, JR East “How Many Days Are Items Left Behind (Lost) at Stations or on Trains Kept?”)
File a Lost Property Report with the Police
A lost property report is a notification that allows the police to contact you when your lost item is handed in to them.
- Where to file it: The nearest koban or police station. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department advises that a lost property report is valid wherever you file it
- What to tell them: The date, time and place you lost (left) it, as clearly as possible. If there is something written on the item, such as your name (in katakana or kanji) or a card number, tell them. Also tell them its features such as color and shape (scratches on the inside, a photo attached, decorations, etc.)
- Contact details: Write a phone number or similar where you can be contacted when it is found. If you plan to return to your home country, write a phone number or email address where you can be reached even after you return. If there is someone in Japan who can collect it for you or contact the police on your behalf, write that person’s contact details as well
Filing a lost property report does not mean that the police will go and look for your item. The system works by matching items handed in with the details of lost property reports, and contacting you if there is a match. Also, a lost property report is not a document that proves “you lost something”.
Items lost inside your home or workplace, and items lost outside Japan (abroad), are not covered by lost property reports.
(Sources: National Police Agency “What Is a Lost Property Report and Key Points”, National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Items”)
Search Online with the “Lost Item Search”
Prefectural police publish information on their websites about lost items handed in to the police. You can search by the date, time and place an item was found, the type of item and so on, to see whether it has been handed in and which police station is keeping it.
For example, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department publishes information about lost items whose owners are not known in its “Lost Item Search” for 3 months from the day the item was handed in to the police. If you find something that looks like yours, contact the police station or other contact shown, giving the “inquiry number” displayed.
- It takes time before an item handed in to the police can be searched. If you are in a hurry, contact the police station for the place where you think you lost it, or your nearest police station
- Items whose owner is known, such as items with a name written on them or mobile phones, are not published
- Lost items are handled by each prefecture. If an item is found in another prefecture, contact a police station in the prefecture where it was found
How to find it: Search for “(prefecture name) 警察 落とし物検索” (police lost item search).
(Sources: National Police Agency “What Is a Lost Property Report and Key Points”, as an example, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Lost Item Search”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Items”)
How Long Items Are Kept and How to Collect Them
| Item | Period and rules |
|---|---|
| Storage by the police | 3 months from the day it was handed in to the police |
| Umbrellas, clothing, footwear, bicycles, etc. | If the owner is not known within 2 weeks from the day of the public notice (an announcement that a lost item has been handed in), they may be sold or disposed of |
| If the owner is still not known after 3 months | The person who found it may be able to receive it. However, items containing personal information, such as mobile phones, driver’s licenses and cards, do not become the finder’s property |
When your lost item is handed in to the police, the police station where it was handed in will contact you. As a rule, you are contacted in writing. For cash cards and credit cards issued by Japanese banks and others, and mobile phones from Japanese mobile phone companies, as a rule the card issuer or mobile phone company will contact you.
When collecting an item, contact the police station first as instructed, and go during reception hours. For example, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department asks the person collecting the item to bring identification, and, if you were contacted by mail, that letter. Check with the police station that contacted you what to bring.
- If it is difficult to go to the police station, you can ask them to send it to you, provided your identity can be reliably confirmed. You pay all shipping costs yourself
- If someone else collects it for you, have that person bring a letter of authorization (inin-jo; a document stating what you have asked them to do) and a document to confirm identity
(Sources: National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”, National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item at a Facility Such as a Shop”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Property”, as an example, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “For People Who Have Lost Something”)
A Reward for the Person Who Found It (Horokin)
When your lost item is returned, if the person who found and handed it in asks for it, you must pay a reward (horokin; money as thanks). The amount is between 5% and 20% of the value of the item. If it was found inside a facility such as a station or department store, the reward is shared with the facility, so the finder and the facility each receive 2.5% to 10%. The amount and how to pay are decided by talking with the finder.
A reward can be claimed for 1 month after the item is returned.
(Sources: National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”, e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search “Lost Property Act” Articles 28 and 29)
If You Lose Your Residence Card
If your residence card is lost or stolen, first report it to the police. Then, within 14 days from the day you learned it was lost, apply for reissuance (having it issued again) of your residence card at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau (immigration office) for the area where you live. If you notice while you are outside Japan, the deadline is 14 days from the day you first enter Japan after that.
- The “Statement Concerning Loss or Theft” submitted with the application requires the report acceptance number you received when you reported it to the police. If your case is not covered by a police report, write that in the statement
- There is no fee for reissuance due to loss, theft, etc.
Check the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) page for the documents needed for the application. An overview of residence card procedures is in What Is a Japanese Residence Card? How to Read the New-Style Card and the Specified Residence Card, and Procedures for Renewal, Address Changes, and Loss.
(Source: Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Application for Reissuance of a Residence Card Due to Loss, etc.”)
When You Are in Trouble: Common Questions
What If I Have No Idea Where I Lost It?
File a lost property report at the nearest koban or police station, and check the prefectural police’s “lost item search”. If you took a train or bus, also contact that company.
If They Say It Has Not Been Handed In, Should I Just Give Up?
It may take time for items handed in to be registered. After some time, ask again or check the lost item search. The police keep items for 3 months from the day they were handed in.
Can I File a Lost Property Report Even for Cheap Items Like an Umbrella or a Jacket?
Yes, you can. However, if the owner of umbrellas, clothing, footwear, bicycles, etc. is not known within 2 weeks from the day of the public notice, they may be sold or disposed of. Ask early.
I Lost Something in Tokyo, but I Live in Another Prefecture. Where Should I Report It?
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department advises that a lost property report is valid wherever you file it. You can file it at your nearest koban or police station. If you are in a hurry, contact the police station for the place where you think you lost it.
Can I Report Something I Lost While Traveling Abroad to the Japanese Police?
The Japanese police cannot accept it. This is because the Lost Property Act is a law that applies to items lost within Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department advises contacting the organization that handles lost items in the country where you lost it (such as a police station), through an embassy, consulate or similar.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Items”, National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item at a Facility Such as a Shop”)
If You Find a Lost Item
If you find a lost item, return it to the owner right away or hand it in to the police. You can hand it in at any police station or koban.
- If you find it inside a facility such as a station, department store, hotel or hospital, or on a train, bus or taxi, give it right away to station staff, shop staff or other facility staff. If you do not hand it over within 24 hours of finding it, you lose your rights as the finder (such as the right to receive a reward)
- If you find it on the street or similar, you lose your rights as the finder unless you hand it in to the police within 7 days of finding it
- When you hand it in, you receive a “Receipt for Found Property” (shutoku bukken azukarisho; a paper stating that you handed it in). You will need it later if you are to receive the item, so do not lose it
(Sources: National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)”, National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item at a Facility Such as a Shop”)
What You Can Do to Prepare for Losing Things
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department recommends the following.
- Keep a note with your contact details or a business card in your bag
- For valuable items such as watches and cameras, keep a record of the manufacturer’s name and the product number
- If you lose a card, report it right away not only to the police but also to the card company or bank
(Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Where Do Lost Items Go?”)
An overview of traffic rules is in Getting Around in Japan: The Basics of Walking, Trains, Buses, Bicycles, Driving, and Traffic Accidents.
Primary Sources Used for This Article
- National Police Agency “What Is a Lost Property Report and Key Points”
- National Police Agency “Lost Something on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)?”
- National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item at a Facility Such as a Shop (Stations, Hotels, Entertainment Facilities, Schools, etc.)”
- National Police Agency “If You Find a Lost Item on the Street, etc. (Outside a Facility)”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Property”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Where Do Lost Items Go?”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “For People Who Have Lost Something”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Lost Item Search”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Lost Items” (FAQ)
- e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search “Lost Property Act”
- Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Application for Reissuance of a Residence Card Due to Loss, etc.”
- JR East “I Left Something at a Station (or on a Train). Where Should I Ask?”
- JR East “How Many Days Are Items Left Behind (Lost) at Stations or on Trains Kept?”
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
