Japan Lost and Found: What to Do First
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If you lose something in Japan, contact the railway, facility or other organisation responsible for the place where you last had it, and file a lost-property report with the police. These are separate steps: an operator or facility may be holding the item before it reaches the police, while a police search may take time to reflect a newly filed report. If a bank card or mobile phone is missing, contact its issuer or service provider as well.
The procedures below focus on Tokyo Metro, JR East and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Their timings and collection rules are not a nationwide standard, so check with the organisation that actually holds the item. The information here was checked on November 4, 2026.
1. Japan lost and found: where to ask
Start with the place where you most likely lost the item. If you were travelling by train, contact the railway company; if you lost it inside a shop, hotel or other facility, contact its manager too. The police advise people who lose property in a facility to contact the facility as well as making a report at a nearby police box or station (Tokyo Metropolitan Police lost-property questions).
| Where you may have lost it | First contact | What else to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Metro station or train | Station staff or the station office on the day you notice the loss | If the service connects with another railway company, ask which operator should be contacted. |
| JR East station or train | JR East’s lost-property inquiry, which includes find chat | Follow JR East’s own instructions; its collection and delivery procedures differ from Tokyo Metro’s. |
| Inside a facility | The facility manager | Also file a report with a nearby police box or station. |
| Elsewhere in Tokyo | A police station or police box | Give the location, date and a description of the item. |
For a Tokyo Metro loss, the company directs same-day enquiries to station staff or the station office. This is the best first contact even if you are not at the station where you think the item went missing, because an item can be moved during the day. Tokyo Metro also advises checking with a company whose line connects with the route you travelled; a train may have continued onto another operator’s line (Tokyo Metro lost-property guidance).
For a JR East loss, use JR East’s lost-property inquiry and follow the company’s current instructions. Its FAQ listing includes find chat, but a message or search does not guarantee that the item has already been registered. For questions about a JR East item, consult JR East’s lost-property FAQs.
If the item may be in police custody, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police say you can file a report at any police station or police box; you do not have to report it only at the place where it was lost. The police can search lost-property records using details such as the type of item, location and date, but information may take time to appear after a report is filed. Japanese police cannot accept a lost-property report for an item lost outside Japan, so contact the relevant authority or operator in the country where it went missing (Tokyo Metropolitan Police lost-property guidance).
2. Tokyo Metro’s lost-property timeline
Tokyo Metro’s process depends on when the item was found and where it is in the transfer process. On the day of discovery, contact station staff or the station office rather than assuming that the item will already be at a central collection point. Even on that same day, the place holding it may differ from the station where it was found because staff may be arranging its transfer.
Tokyo Metro normally holds items at its Iidabashi lost-property centre from the next day through the fourth day. An item found late at night may not be transferred there until the following day, and holidays can affect the date when items are transferred to the police. Some items remain at Iidabashi instead of being sent to the police, so do not assume that every item follows the same route.
The Iidabashi centre is outside the ticket gates inside Iidabashi Station on the Namboku Line. Tokyo Metro lists the centre as open every day from 09:00 to 20:00. If you need to go there, confirm that it is the correct holding location first; travelling to the centre without checking does not establish that your item has arrived.
Tokyo Metro lists chat reception as available 24 hours and telephone reception from 09:00 to 17:00. These are different service channels, and a 24-hour chat reception does not mean that a person will immediately confirm an item’s location or that a newly found item is already in the records. Perishable food is kept only on the day it is found, so contact the operator promptly if the missing item is food.
The Metro timetable is specific to Tokyo Metro. It should not be applied to JR East or to another railway company, and the police’s collection hours are separate from the railway’s holding schedule. If your route crossed onto another operator’s line, ask Tokyo Metro which company to contact next rather than treating one railway’s timeline as a shared system.
3. Receiving an item
Before going to a Tokyo police station to collect property, confirm which station is holding it and obtain the reference number associated with the case. Bring identification, and bring the notice sent by post if you received one. Tokyo police list collection hours as weekdays from 08:30 to 16:30, excluding public holidays and December 29 through January 3; these are collection hours, not a universal schedule for filing a report (Tokyo Metropolitan Police lost-property guidance).
If visiting the police station is difficult, Tokyo police describe a procedure for sending found property to the recipient at the recipient’s expense. The sending procedure can also be applied for online, and its telephone reception is listed as weekdays from 08:30 to 17:15, excluding public holidays and the New Year period. Check the current instructions with the police office holding the item before arranging delivery (Tokyo Metropolitan Police delivery procedure).
JR East’s approach is different: it says it normally checks that the person claiming an item is its owner before returning it. If someone else will collect the item, JR East requires an authorization letter prepared by the owner and official identification for the representative. Ask JR East about the applicable procedure before sending a representative, because the available guidance does not mean that an agent can collect an item without those documents.
JR East says it does not transfer stored property to another station for collection. If you cannot visit the holding location, delivery at the recipient’s expense may be possible after consultation at a nearby JR station; JR East says to bring official identification when asking about this option. This is not the same as a guaranteed delivery service, so confirm whether it is available for the particular item.
For both police and railway property, verify the destination and cost with the organisation responsible for the item. The Tokyo police delivery procedure is not evidence that an item can be shipped abroad, and the JR East guidance describes a possible domestic delivery arrangement rather than an overseas service. Overseas delivery availability, language support for individual cases and any international return cost are not confirmed here.
4. Prepare a clear lost-property report
Before contacting a railway, facility or police office, write down where and when you last remember having the item. For a train journey, include the route, boarding and destination stations, and any carriage details you can recall. If you are unsure of a station or time, say so rather than guessing; a clear account of what you do know is more useful than a false precision.
Describe the item so staff can distinguish it from similar belongings. Include its colour, shape, size, case or cover, and any distinctive marks or attached accessories you remember. For example, a description that identifies a particular case or attachment is more informative than saying only “phone” or “bag,” because staff may be checking against other items of the same general type.
Keep a personal record of each organisation you contact, when you contacted it and any reference number you receive. If there is no match on the first enquiry, contact the relevant organisation again after allowing time for the item to be registered or transferred. A search that has no match at one moment does not prove that the item will never be found; both railway transfers and police record updates can take time.
If the missing item is a bank card, contact the card issuer as well as reporting the loss. If it is a mobile phone, contact the mobile service provider. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police list these contacts alongside lost-property reporting, and they are separate from asking a station or police office to search for the physical item (Tokyo Metropolitan Police lost-property guidance).
Ask the organisation holding the property how it wants you to identify your item and what to bring if it is found. Do not assume that a description alone will be enough to collect it: police collection requires identification, and the procedures for representatives or delivery differ between the police and railways. If you are contacting an organisation in a language other than Japanese, ask it directly about the support available for your enquiry; individual language arrangements are not confirmed here.
5. Deadlines, ownership and delivery costs
Tokyo police state that an owner may lose ownership of property if it is not collected within three months of the date it was received by the police. The relevant starting point is the police receipt date, not necessarily the date you lost the item or the date you first contacted a railway. Ask the office holding the property to confirm the relevant date and what action is needed.
The three-month ownership rule is different from a railway’s holding period and from the time it takes for an item to appear in a search. Tokyo Metro’s usual movement from stations to its Iidabashi centre, and later transfers to the police where applicable, do not create a single national deadline for all lost property. Confirm the status and dates with the current custodian rather than calculating a deadline from the day of the loss alone.
Tokyo police list phones, identification documents and cash cards among examples of items that a finder cannot acquire ownership of after the three-month period. This exception does not mean that the owner should wait before contacting the police, the railway or the card issuer. Report the loss promptly and follow the instructions from the organisation handling it.
Delivery is not necessarily free. Tokyo police say the recipient generally bears the cost of sending property, and their cash-delivery procedure deducts the cost of the registered cash envelope and postage. Ask the office about the actual cost and whether the destination is supported before agreeing to delivery; no specific delivery price or overseas-shipping service is confirmed here.
6. Common questions about lost property in Japan
Can I report something I lost outside Japan to Tokyo police?
No. Tokyo Metropolitan Police say they cannot accept a report for property lost outside Japan. Contact the police, transport company or facility responsible for the place where it went missing. The Tokyo procedures in this guide apply to the relevant Tokyo organisations, not to lost property abroad.
What should I do if I lost something at a hotel, shop or other facility?
Contact the facility manager, since the facility may still be holding the item. The police also advise filing a report at a nearby police box or station, so make both enquiries rather than relying only on one route. Note the facility’s name, the date and where inside it you last remember having the item.
Why can’t I find my item in a search yet?
A newly reported item may take time to appear in police records, and a railway may still be moving an item between locations. Contact the operator or facility where you may have lost it, then check again with the police if needed. Keep your reference number and the dates of your enquiries so you can explain what has already been checked.
Can someone else collect my JR East item for me?
JR East requires an authorization letter prepared by the owner and official identification for the representative. Contact JR East before the representative travels, and ask what else is needed for the particular item. The requirement for an authorization letter and identification is specific to the JR East procedure described here; do not assume that another custodian uses the same rules.
Can JR East send the item to a different station?
JR East says it does not move stored items to another station for collection. In some cases, delivery at the recipient’s expense may be possible after you consult at a nearby JR station and bring official identification. Ask JR East about the item in question, because the delivery option is not guaranteed.
Can Tokyo police return an item found in another prefecture at a Tokyo police box?
Tokyo police say that property found in another prefecture cannot be returned through a Tokyo police box. Ask the office holding the property what collection or delivery arrangements are available. Do not travel to a Tokyo police box expecting it to act as a collection point for property held elsewhere.
Can my found property be sent overseas?
The procedures described by Tokyo police and JR East do not confirm that a found item can be shipped abroad. Ask the organisation holding the item whether it can send it to your destination and what costs or requirements apply. Confirm this directly before relying on delivery, particularly if you will leave Japan before the item is ready to be collected.
Is the Tokyo Metro chat available all day, and does that mean an answer is immediate?
Tokyo Metro lists its chat reception as available 24 hours, while its telephone reception is listed from 09:00 to 17:00. Those hours describe the reception channels, not a promise that an item will already be registered or that a response will confirm its location immediately. If you have no match, check again with the relevant railway or police office after allowing time for transfers and record updates.
Does the three-month period start on the day I lost the item?
Tokyo police describe the period as three months from the date the police received the property. That is distinct from the day the item went missing and from a railway’s own holding arrangements. Ask the police office holding the item to confirm the date relevant to your case.
Further Tokyo travel resources
For broader journey planning, see the Tokyo travel guide, Sapporo travel guide and Hokkaido travel guide. Other related JGO! guides include the Akihabara Guide: Anime, Electronics and Planning Your Visit; Aomori Nebuta Festival: Dates, Seats and Haneto Guide; Arashiyama Guide: Bamboo Grove, Bridge, Temple and Trains; Asakusa Guide: Senso-ji, Station Exits and Local Walks; Atsuta Jingu: Shrine Access, Museums and Prices; and Awa Odori Festival: Tokushima Dates and Tickets. These guides are for trip planning and do not replace the lost-property procedures of the railway, facility or police office holding an item.
Several individual videos and reports also discuss Tokyo’s lost-property system, including Great Big Story’s “How Tokyo’s Massive Lost & Found Works,” FRANCE 24 English’s “At the heart of Tokyo's lost and found warehouses,” ONLY in JAPAN * GO’s video about what to do with lost property in Tokyo, and HappyTravels’ Tokyo lost-and-found travel video. Other individual videos include Japanese Customs’ “Lost and Found - Japanese Trains” and a LETTERLEE travel video whose title mentions lost property at the airport. These are individual accounts and reports, not current instructions for a particular case; check the relevant operator or police office for its procedure and the status of your property.
