Don't Panic! Guide to Lost & Found in Japan

As soon as you realize that you lost something, go back to the last place you recall from your memory where that item was. This is because Japanese people tend to not take it away but rather leave it or take to the nearest Koban (police box). If any item was found, say for example in a store or restaurant, the people at that store/restaurant will keep it till the owner returns.

If you are unable to find the item when you return to the place you last saw your belongings, the next thing to do would be to take a visit to the lost and found center.

①Narita Airport

②Haneda Tokyo International Airport

※If you lost something while on the airplane, contact the airlines you boarded

If you are unable to find the item when you return to the place you last saw your belongings, the next thing to do would be to take a visit to the lost and found center.

①The metro staff will transport the item to the Lost & Found Center at Iidabashi Station the following day and will keep it for 3 to 4 days. After that, the lost properties will be transported to Metropolitan Police Lost & Found Center located near Iidabashi Station. (Nanboku line, Iidabashi station, exit C2)
Tokyo Metro Lost & Found Contact Information

②If you lose any items on the JR train, the JR staff will normally store the lost properties at the last stop on the lines or お忘れ物承り場所 (owasuremono uketamawaribasho) for around 1 week (this varies from JR region to region, generally trains that stop at Tokyo send lost property to the Tokyo lost and found).After this, belongings are transferred to the regional Police Lost & Found Centre.
JR East Lost & Found Contact Information
Phone Number: (050) 2016-1603
※You can call JR East from overseas. The international telephone number is +81 (50) 2016-1603.

If you lost something on the bus, contact directly the bus company and let them know which bus you forgot (time, the stop you go off, details of the items you lost etc.)

Whenever getting aboard the taxi, make sure to keep the receipt as it will have the number of the taxi you just go on and off. This will help you find your lost items easily. In the case you don’t have the receipt, try recalling the memory to figure out which taxi company you used and call the company directly.
Here are some of the numbers for the major taxi companies in Tokyo area but do keep in mind that most will only accept the call in Japanese.
Checker Cab 03-3573-3751
Chuo Musen 03-3563-5151
EM Musen 03-3545-3501
Green Cab 03-3203-8181
Hinomaru Kotsu 03-3814-1111
Kokusai Motorcars 03-5530-6001
Kyodo Musen Taxi 03-3916-8111
MK Taxi: 03-5547-5551
Nihon Kotsu 03-5755-2336 (English available )
Tokyo Musen 03-3361-2111

The number in the red circle indicate which cab/taxi you boarded

The police will ask for your phone number and will call you when the item is found. If you do not have a mobile phone in Japan that the police can call you, you can return to the police station a few days later and ask whether the item is found or not. If you receive a notification from the police that the item has been found, bring your passport or other identification document to the police station to pick it up. Officers will assit with the lost and found between 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
For details, please refer to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Lost and Found

Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters

Tokyo Chiyoda-ku Kasumigaseki 2-1-1

0335814321

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