Japan's amazing lost and found system! My wireless earphones, lost at the airport, were returned.

Hello everyone, this is Tsukui from WAITER-U. Today, I'd like to share a uniquely Japanese experience of getting something lost back.

I run a cafe in Shimokitazawa that's designed to resemble a campsite. I enjoy camping, and I also travel abroad regularly for business trips because I have products like bags and containers manufactured in overseas factories.

The excellence of Japan's lost and found system

While there may be other countries besides Japan where lost items are returned, it's safe to say that Japan is the only country where this level of reliability is guaranteed. Through this experience, I was once again reminded of the excellence of Japan's lost and found system.

Blunder at airport security checkpoint

The other day, I took an international flight on a business trip to a factory overseas. Japanese airports have improved considerably recently. Previously, I had to take out each battery-powered device (laptop, iPad, mobile phone, etc.) from my backpack and place them on a tray, but now you can scan them while they're still in your bag.

I had become so accustomed to this convenience that I let my guard down. I had assumed that I could simply leave my bag and be done with it. However, I almost went through the metal detector with my wireless earphones still in my pocket, and in a panic, I placed only the wireless earphones on the tray.

I passed through security without any problems, received only my bag, and boarded my international flight. It wasn't until I tried to use my wireless earphones on the plane that I realized they were missing. I couldn't use them at the moment I needed them most, and ended up spending several hours feeling incredibly frustrated.

Search and rescue operations after returning to Japan

After returning to Japan from my overseas business, I spent about a week wondering, "Did I leave it at home?" or "Is it in the taxi I took to the airport?" My search sequence after returning to Japan was to first search my house, then call the taxi company, but I couldn't find it.

Finally, I started to suspect the airport.

Haneda Airport Chatbot System

Haneda Airport's lost and found handling is very advanced; everything is now handled by chatbots. If you call, you'll be directed to use the chat service.

The chat asked me to enter the model number and serial number of the lost item. Luckily, I had kept the box for my wireless earphones, so I was able to find the serial number printed on it. Apparently, all modern electronic products have serial numbers, and in the case of wireless earphones, they are printed on the back of the charging case or similar.

After I entered the necessary information into the chat and sent it, I received a reply saying, "It's possible that the police have received it, so please contact them."

The mechanism for reporting lost property

Since Haneda Airport is located within Tokyo, you can file a lost property report at any police box in Tokyo. This allows the system to cross-reference any items found elsewhere with your lost property report, and you will be contacted if your item is found.

In short, my wireless earphones were returned safely. As explained at the beginning, the reason was that I left the wireless earphones in the tray and boarded the plane with only my bag, feeling relieved.

Common things that get lost while camping

The reason I wanted to talk about this is because similar small items often get lost while camping. For example:

• I left my Opinel knife lying around after cutting food and forgot about it.
• I left my cutlery, such as forks and spoons, in the washing area at the campsite.

I think many campers have experienced these kinds of common situations.

Campsites are often located outside of the prefecture where you live, and you usually only realize you've lost something after you've returned home.

Tips for preventing loss while camping

The important point is,File a lost property report in the prefecture where the campsite is located.This ensures you will be contacted if it is found.

My usual procedure when I lose something is to search my surroundings first, then contact the places I went to, but from this experience,In Japan, filing a lost property report immediately after losing something significantly increases the chances of getting it back.That's what I learned.

In conclusion

This channel covers topics related to camping and aims to convey the message to those who want to start camping that "it's not that difficult."

If you're listening on Spotify, please follow me; if you're listening on YouTube, please subscribe to my channel. See you next time!