In 2025, Tokyo residents brought a record 4.5 billion yen (over 30 million USD) in cash found on the streets to police stations. Over 3.23 billion yen of that amount was returned to its owners.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (Keishicho), the return rate for lost items there is consistently remarkable: 83% for mobile phones (130,000 units), 73% for identification documents (over 545,000), and 65% for wallets (240,000 units) are returned to their owners on the same day they are lost.

Compared to the rest of the world, these figures are striking. An experiment by the University of Michigan in the U.S., conducted in New York, revealed that the return rate for phones and wallets was around 6-10%. The renowned study "Civic Honesty Around the Globe," published in Science magazine in 2019, indicated that Nordic countries like Switzerland and Denmark had among the highest wallet return rates. In Asia, Japan is considered a leader in this regard.

A lost and found counter in Tokyo, Japan. *Photo: Japan Times*

To explain this systemic honesty, the first key factor is the network of Koban (small police boxes) interspersed throughout residential areas. Tokyo alone has about 97 Koban per 100 square kilometers. They are not only places for addressing infractions but also friendly "support stations." From a young age, Japanese children are accustomed to entering a Koban to ask for directions or hand in a found coin. The dense and friendly presence of police makes returning lost items an easy and convenient process.

Beyond infrastructure, behavioral psychology plays a core role. Japanese people are deeply influenced by Hitono-me – the awareness of being seen and judged by the community. Personal honor is always tied to how society perceives them. Consequently, appropriating others' property is considered a great disgrace. Even without direct supervision, Japanese individuals self-regulate their behavior, always feeling as if they are being observed. This explains why, during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, when social order was disrupted, incidents of "looting" were almost nonexistent.

However, this self-regulation doesn't stem solely from the fear of judgment. It is also fostered by education. From kindergarten, Japanese children are taught that returning lost items is an obvious duty, not a heroic act deserving praise. Through collective activities like cleaning their classrooms and serving lunch, students develop a sense of respect for the community and others' property.

The enduring influence of religion is also a significant factor. Although most citizens do not adhere to organized religion, the philosophies of Buddhism and Shinto are deeply ingrained in daily life. The concept of gaman – emphasizing patience and prioritizing others' needs over one's own – encourages altruistic behavior. In Buddhism, the law of karma fosters the belief that good deeds yield positive outcomes; in Shinto, the idea that all objects possess a spirit creates a sense that humans must live uprightly, as if constantly being observed.

Finally, honesty in Japan is sustained by transparent legal support. Japan's Lost Property Act clearly stipulates that if owners reclaim their property, the finder is entitled to a reward equivalent to 5-20% of the item's value. If no one claims the item after three months, it legally belongs to the finder.

This perfect combination of an altruistic moral foundation, the fear of community judgment, and a clear legal system that safeguards rights has transformed the act of "returning lost property" in Japan from a test of greed into a natural habit of daily life.

Ngoc Ngan (According to Japan Times, BBC)