I checked the lost and found box (遺失)/(落し物) at the last place I had it, but no luck. So, my next step was to go to the nearest koban (交番) to report my lost wallet. Even though my wallet would be considered a lost cause in America, as a foreign resident in Japan, I have to report the lost of my Zairyuu card because my foreign residence card states all of my identification and information about my visa. It is illegal as a foreign resident to not have the card on your person at all times. So, I needed to obtain special permission to travel without the card on me.

Fortunately, there is a Koban across the street from my apartment. The officer sat me down and pulled out a form. The form is called "Lost Property Report" or (遺 失 届 出 書). The form is entirely in Japanese, but I found an English translation online, which I'll link in the resource section below.

He asked me for my information, when I lost the item, when I realize I lost the item, and where I think I lost the item. He then asked me to describe in great detail what the outside of my wallet looked like, shape, color, material, and brand. Fortunately, my wallet is a luxury brand and very easy to describe.

Finally, he asked me to identify what is inside the wallet. I told him it contained all of my identification, such as health insurance card, foreign residence card, and American driver's license. I also had to list how many cash cards, credit cards, and the issuing company.

Most importantly, I had to explain how much money was in my wallet. I told them at I had around 50,000 yen or 500$ in my wallet made up of around 4, 100$ bills, and some smaller bills and change. When I said that, the police officer told me that most people in Japan will return your wallet if it has large bills, such as 100$. Also, it's not usual to carry a lot of cash because Japan is still largely cash based in some areas. 

After that grueling process, we signed everything and he said he needed to issue me a report number. Well, that's when the police officer went into the back to grab a very old laptop and connect it to the dusty old Ethernet box in the wall... Well, I'm hoping it was Ethernet, and not dial-up! Nevertheless, it took ages, and then he had to start entering the information into the system.

Well, lo-and-behold, my wallet had already been in the system this whole time. Someone returned it! So, apparently, someone returned it to a koban that was about a 15 minute walk away. So, they called that police box, and the police officers there had said that they had already sent it to the main police station for our ward. Sigh.

So, they gave me a small piece of paper that had the report number on it, and I was to take my passport and that document to the counter labeled (遺失物・拾得物受付). 

When I arrived at the counter, no one was at the window, so I needed to ring the bell. A lady came and took the document and soon arrived with the original lost property document. They had noted all of the cards and money in the wallet.

And guess what?? Everything was there! Every card, every bill, every receipt, and every piece of lint. I was so surprised! I had heard that  in Japan, people return lost items, and definitely I have seen people set aside lost mittens, scarves, etc. However, when I dropped my commuter pass, twice, no one ever turned it in. So, I was a bit doubtful. But, I was completely shocked to find not a thing missing!

So, to get my wallet back, they checked my ID in the wallet against my passport, and I signed a paper stating everything was inside, etc. and the case was closed. So, here are my tips for you if you happen to be abroad and at risk of losing your wallet.

Always have multiple forms of photo identification and make sure they are not expired and the information is up-to-date. Having multiple forms of ID will help an officer confirm without a doubt that you are the owner of the lost wallet. I always keep my passport at home, so if I do lose my entire bag, I won't completely have to replace everything.

My wallet is pretty much a black hole. I have tons of point cards, some extra passport photos, and other useless items. So, when the officer asked me to identify what is in it, my mind went blank for a second. So, make sure you clean out your wallet every once in a while and take out unnecessary items. 

Keep an emergency stash of cash or even a preloaded debit card in your hotel room, apartment, or even phone case. It doesn't have to be much, just enough to survive for a day or fare to pick up your returned item.

If you lost your wallet, it is probably an emergency, and so, in that case, you should definitely go to the police box or station in person. However, if you just lost your change purse, umbrella, train pass, or you just don't have the time, you can actually report your item lost online, AND, also search for your item online as well (This is for Kanagawa). The downside is that the website doesn't have the most up-to-date items (I think there is a two day lag). 

Most items goes missing because we are moving too fast or not really focusing on the moment. Try to put your wallet back in your bag once you finish paying for something, check the seat behind you when you get off of the train, and put your train card securely in its place once you've tapped. These small habits can save you many headaches!

110 - Police Emergency Number

291 - Non-Emergency Number