How to Recover Your Lost Items in Japan After Returning Home
Returning home from a wonderful trip to Japan, only to realize you’ve left something important behind, can instantly turn fond memories into frustration.
The good news is, there’s still a strong chance your lost item can be recovered.
The real challenge is figuring out the best way to get it back from overseas.
In this article, we’ll explain why recovering it on your own can be difficult, and introduce a new way to solve the problem quickly and stress-free.
The 4 Major Barriers to Recovering Items on Your Own
Barrier 1: Language
Contacting Japanese police or facilities from abroad requires communication in Japanese, which can be challenging for non-speakers. Translation apps often fall short when it comes to back-and-forth conversations or explaining details clearly.
Barrier 2: Time Difference
International calls or emails must be handled within Japanese business hours, making it tricky to get timely responses.
Barrier 3: Paperwork
Claiming lost property requires ID verification, authorization forms, and other documents—hard to arrange from abroad.
Barrier 4: In-Person Pickup (Cost & Time)
Even if your item is found, in Japan it generally must be collected in person. Without a friend in Japan, you may need to buy another plane ticket just to retrieve it—costing both money and valuable time.
Our Solution
We remove these barriers with a complete recovery and delivery service:
🗣️ Bilingual Communication
We handle communication with you in English, and with police/facilities in Japanese—so nothing gets lost in translation.
🚀 Quick Response
We work in Japanese time zones to avoid delays caused by time differences.
📝 Paperwork Handling
We prepare and submit all necessary forms on your behalf.
📦 International Shipping
Items that can be shipped are delivered directly to your address overseas.
🦺 Secure Storage
Items that cannot be shipped (e.g., electronics) are stored safely until your next trip to Japan.
How We Help
- Contact Us (You → Us)
Fill out our online form with details about the lost item—type, date, and location.
- Information Check & Quotation (Us → You)
We review your form and send you a quotation via email. If you agree, we’ll issue an invoice.
- Start of Support (Us)
We contact police or facilities in Japanese on your behalf.
- Resolution (Us → You)
If your item is found, we arrange pickup and international delivery. For items that cannot be shipped, we store them securely until you visit Japan again.
Your Lost Item Doesn’t Have to Stay Lost
Losing something in Japan after you’ve already returned home doesn’t have to mean giving up.
We can bridge the gap—linguistic, logistical, and geographical—to bring your belongings safely back to you.
If you’ve lost something in Japan, let us help bring it back to you. Contact us today through our online form.
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About the Author
Yusuke Baba | Japan Lost and Found Service Founder
I myself have had the experience of losing my MacBook while on my honeymoon, so I deeply understand the anxiety that comes with it. This experience gave me a strong desire to help those who are truly in trouble and facing language and cultural barriers, which is why I started this service.
I hope this guide can help ease your worries and provide a clear path to getting your lost item back. If you are struggling with a lost item, please feel free to contact us.