International. – A tourist’s story
The first time I went to Japan, I lost my wallet in Tokyo. I arrived at the hotel where I was staying and was panicking because I had no money, no cards or IDs.
The hotel manager on duty told me very calmly not to worry about it and that in the morning I would return to the streets where I walked that night. To my surprise I found many unpaired gloves lost on the street, coins and yes my wallet was intact. At the time I couldn’t believe it; I called the banks and nothing abnormal had happened.
On the second occasion I returned people were ready for the Summer Olympics and it seems no wonder to see lost goods offices in the metro or train stations with a line of foreigners waiting for their belongings to be returned.
Tokyo is one of the most honest cities in the world as in 2018 its citizens returned 73% of the total number of lost objects and 83% of the mobile phones reported.
You’re wondering why this is happening? One of the most important factors is that the Japanese live with honor. They know that collective well-being is on top of the individual and always try to help others, regardless of whether they are citizens or travelers. In addition, the government has established a rewards program for those who find and return an unowned item.
What’s going on in your city? Are lost objects also returned?
