I have seen a video about how honest Japanese people really are. Japan is the most honest country in the world as the video claimed. The guy in the video dropped his wallet on the streets of Tokyo fifty times and it was returned every single time. Most comments praised Japan and its Japanese people for their honesty.

Upon reading the comments of praise and reading other people’s experiences, I remember my own. I also have few experiences of losing some things and claiming them back. It is very impressed really how honest Japanese people are and how incredible their system is.

LOST LAPTOP

One December many years ago, it was time to go back to the Philippines for a Christmas vacation. The airport was busy. And there at Fukuoka airport, I lost my laptop. I was in line to check-in but forgot my Residence Card at home, an hour drive away, which means it was impossible to go home and get it. We will miss our flight. So, the attendant asked me to wait until all passengers are accommodated so she can accompany me to the officer who will let me in without my Residence Card for as long as I will write a note. Long story short, I successfully checked in, went thru the security check and lined up to board my flight. Most passengers were already on board and few were left in the line to board. While in line, I suddenly realized my laptop that I was in my hands was not there anymore! I was already under so much pressure because of the long wait to check in and all the procedures I did to forget the Residence Card. I managed to get in the boarding gate with my flight about to leave and then again the lost laptop!! I got out the line and ran hurriedly to the security check and told them what happened. I couldn’t stay long to find it because my plane was leaving so I had to fly without my laptop. I lost it. I was supposed to give it to my niece. Fast forward to coming back to Japan, when I was leaving the plane, a man standing by the exit  was carrying a paper bearing my name. To my surprise, he took me to a room and returned my laptop. Things happened too fast I couldn’t even take a photo of him standing with my name. I felt like I was a celebrity for an instant. Lol.

LOST CELLPHONE

I lost my cellphone many times already in my almost ten years living in Japan. I am not very forgetful but I guess I am indeed affected by aging and giving birth and raising a child made me even more vulnerable to short memory loss.

Incident 1

One time, at Mr. Max, a discount store, I was busy checking the items and I did not realize I put my cellphone down in a shelf to check one item. It was in the desk and stands section. I moved around that section checking one item to another until I decided which item to get. I paid at the cashier and left the store. That’s when I realized the phone was not in my hand. It was about thirty minutes since. I hurried and went back to the desk station and there it was on the shelf unmoved.

Incident 2

I left my phone at Nafco, a home-improvement store, where I always frequent to get my plants. After Nafco, we went to another store. I did not realize that I lost my phone until we got home. By then, a good hour had already passed. When I went back to Nafco to check, I told the cashier that I lost my phone and the last time I remember I used it was at there store. All she did was asked about my phone’s description and voila! It was there and the lady handed it to me.

Incident 3

I left my phone in the toilet of Sunlive department store. I put it on top of the tissue holder and left the cubicle without picking it back up. I realized it right away, in less than five minutes upon leaving the toilet. When I went to check, it was not there already. I was feeling dumb. Goodbye cellphone. I dialed my number using my husband’s phone. It rang and a lady answered. She said she got the phone to make sure nobody will get it and she can return the phone to me (she already expected I would call to locate it). After a few minutes of call to locate each others location, I got my phone back.

Incident 4

I lost my phone in the airport toilet. Again, this time, I left it inside the cubicle. I only realized it when I got back to my seat in the waiting area. When I went back to find it, it wasn’t there. So I went to the information counter and told them what happened. I was asked about the phone’s description and tada! My phone was there. Somebody picked it up and gave it to the information counter.

Incident 5

This is the most recent. Yesterday, Tuesday, March 22, 2022 was a long day for us. I had to do errands in the morning and took my little girl to her one-year old pre-school club in the early afternoon. After that we took the train to go to Fukuoka City, meet my DH in Kashii station and from there we took the bus to go to the orchestra concert venue. This was also my little girl’s first bus ride. How exciting! I asked my DH to take a video of her getting on the bus. We sat at the backmost part so the three of us could sit side by side. After about twenty minutes, it was time to get off the bus. My DH carried our little girl and I stood up and took my bag. I heard the announcement that says “Make sure no valuables are left behind”. I stopped there for a split second but I did not go back and check our seat which I always usually do. Now, getting off and seeing the city with tall buildings and many new things for our little girl to experience, I grabbed my phone from my bag to take videos and photos of her. But my phone was not there! I checked and turned over the things inside my bag and I couldn’t find it! I looked back at the bus which was still in the bus stop loading and unloading passengers but I was thinking we were gonna cross the street already. I couldn’t decide and we were on the move. We had to get on the next bus. Which we did. I lost my phone. At the back of my head, my phone will come back to me. This is Japan. I will enjoy the concert, get home and I will figure out how to get it back tomorrow. Fast forward today, after a short email to Nishitetsu bus early in the morning, which was responded after about two hours, I was told to make a phone call to the island city to confirm. I didn’t have a phone so I used the phone booth at the convenience store. It was quick. We went there in the afternoon and got my cell phone back. This was the longest time that I lost my phone but I still got it back. I am really amazed. Although I felt bad because my little girl threw up inside the bus going back to Chihaya station. I realized she doesn’t like bus rides. One reason she wanted to take the taxi instead. But taxis in Japan are really expensive. And that’s another story.

LOSING OTHER THINGS

I lost my house key and wallet a few times also but all I needed to do was report it to the police or go back to where I left or last used them and they always come back. It is really amazing

LOST AND NEVER FOUND

But there is one thing I lost or rather stolen from me that never came back. It was my bicycle which I parked at the University parking. Yes. The university parking. I just parked it there for about twenty to thirty minutes and it was gone. It was my fault because I did not lock it believing it will be fine and that it is Japan! I left that bicycle parked outside my apartment unlocked for about a month and nothing happened so I was very confident. It was in the university! No one would dare! But I guess I was wrong. I reported it to the police and the university’s Lost and Found section but nothing happened. It was never found. Never returned.

So yes, Japanese are honest and most things that are lost are granted to be found ninety percent of the time. But it doesn’t mean no one will steal and nothing will be stolen. Although it rarely happens.