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Flying squirrels, iguanas
But dogs, cats and even flying squirrels and iguanas have been dropped off at police stations, where officers look after them “with great sensitivity” — consulting books, online articles and vets for advice.
More than four million items were handed in to Tokyo Metropolitan Police last year, with about 70 percent of valuables such as wallets, phones and important documents successfully reunited with their owners.
“Even if it’s just a key, we enter details such as the mascot keychain it’s attached to,” Shoji said in a room filled with belongings, including a large Cookie Monster stuffed toy.
Over the course of one afternoon, dozens of people came to collect or search for their lost property at the center, which receives items left with train station staff or at small local police stations across Tokyo if they are not claimed within two weeks.
“The first thing we think is that people who lost their items must be in trouble so I think it’s normal for us that we report it to police,” Shoji said.
If no one turns up at the police facility within three months, the unwanted item is sold or discarded.
The number of lost items handled by the center is increasing as Japan welcomes a record influx of tourists post-pandemic, and as gadgets become smaller, Shoji said.
Wireless earphones and hand-held fans are an increasingly frequent sight at the lost-and-found center, which has been operating since the 1950s.
But a whopping 200 square meters (2,100 square feet) is dedicated to lost umbrellas — 300,000 of which were brought in last year, with only 3,700 of them returned, Shoji said.
“We have a designated floor for umbrellas… during the rainy season, there are so many umbrellas that the umbrella trolley is overflowing and we have to store them in two tiers.”
by Natsuko Fukue