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Y3.34 bil in lost cash handed in to police in 2014

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The Tokyo Metropolitan Police says that 3.34 billion yen in lost cash was handed in at police stations in the city during 2014, the highest such amount in five years.

Of the total, 2.74 billion yen -- 74% of the total -- was returned to the owners, Sports Nippon reported Monday.

The police also said that 3.56 million lost items found their way to its lost-and-found center. These included 560,000 items of clothing, 400,000 umbrellas and 900 pets such as rabbits and parrots.

The most expensive item restored to its owner was a bag containing 18.4 million yen in cash. In some cases, the owners of cash could not be found. Under Japanese law, if something is not claimed after three months, the person who handed it in is allowed to keep it.

But astonishingly, 390 million yen in cash went into Tokyo's city coffers after finders relinquished that right.

Local media played up the story as further proof of how safe Japan is, a point Tokyo hammered home during its successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

The country's relative security -- something many Japanese are proud of -- is often remarked upon by visiting foreigners, who tell tales of wallets accidentally abandoned in bars, taxis or trains, that invariably get returned.

© Japan Today/AFP

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Y3.34 bil in lost cash handed in to police in 2014

Of the total, 2.74 billion yen—74% of the total—was returned to the owners, Sports Nippon reported Monday.

I swear... ONLY IN JAPAN!!! Just one of the many reasons I love Japan, its people and its culture!

12 ( +19 / -7 )

never happen in the states

2 ( +13 / -11 )

I don't know - I don't want to squelch the "Japan is the safest country" thing - but it may be that most people have enough money and would even relinquish their right to the "finder's reward". When I came to Japan in the bubble period, I was told that all Japanese are middle-class and have no need to steal nor keep something they have found. But sadly the economic situation has changed and not everyone is in the middle class. We don't know how many people found money and kept it - only the ones who turned it in.

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

Discipline, courtesy, honesty. It is a virtue of the Japanese.

9 ( +17 / -8 )

Discipline, courtesy, honesty. It is a virtue of the Japanese.

It is the image of the virtue of the Japanese.

Stories like this do harm as well in that people continue to live under the false belief that Japanese are different, they are not, Japanese people are no better and no worse than people in any country in the world.

11 ( +25 / -14 )

KnowBetterFEB. 17, 2015 - 07:01AM JST Y3.34 bil in lost cash handed in to police in 2014 Of the total, 2.74 billion yen—74% of the total—was returned to the owners, Sports Nippon reported Monday. I swear... ONLY IN JAPAN!!! Just one of the many reasons I love Japan, its people and its culture!

Don't be misled by old stereotypes, this happens all the time around the world, just search 'money handed in' in Google. What makes it seems more common in Japan is the fact so many people keep large amounts of cash which makes it more likely cash goes missing. It's a cash based society with a lot of cash being kept by the public - this does't happen elsewhere where people keep their money in the bank and use cards.

-2 ( +12 / -14 )

Is it really honesty or the fact they could not live the guilt?

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

Now thats where I lost it!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

oh, and don't forget we never hear about the cases where money WASN'T handed in.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

I lose money every month. The government never returns what it has taken without my permission.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just like there are copycat crimes there are also copycat acts of goodness. With that positive intention in mind, the police here as well as the schools obviously promote this sort of behavior by selling it as an inherent and unique Japanese character trait.

I think these practices do help reduce petty crime somewhat, but the drawback is that they instill a default mentality that every other ethnicity is comparatively dishonest — not to mention ad nauseam comments non-Japanese people living here must endlessly endure like "Japan is a 'safety' country" and "Japanese people are honest" (and even, ironically, comments about their modesty).

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Japan seems to have a good education. They will feel very bad or guilty if they keep/use it for own sake when they found someone's money. People would think very sympathetically about poor someone losing money and then being in trouble.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

When I turned in a wallet I had found with cards and two thousand yen cash to the KOBAN they told me I was entitled to a twenty percent reward from the owner....I laughed and so did the cop. When I turned in a huge set of keys I found on the sidewalk, the cops told me that if no one came to claim them within six months I was entitled to claim them.... I almost lost it that time.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

But astonishingly, 390 million yen in cash went into Tokyo’s city coffers after finders relinquished that right (to keep it)

How many knew of any charities they could nominate as beneficiaries?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

kwattFEB. 17, 2015 - 08:35AM JST Japan seems to have a good education. They will feel very bad or guilty if they keep/use it for own sake when they found someone's money. People would think very sympathetically about poor someone losing money and then being in trouble.

Um, I think you'll find this is pretty universal human behavior.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

I was watching TV with a friend's father here in Tokushima. The program showed an American man whose hobby was to comb the beach with his metal detector to find coins. My friend's father said "Of course he will turn those into the police, right?" I told him that he most likely wouldn't because there would be no way to identify the coins and the police wouldn't want to be bothered with something so trivial. My friend's father then proclaimed that such issues were precisely what was wrong with Americans. I really couldn't quite believe my ears at what he was saying.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

What we don't know is the total amount of lost cash that has not been turned it.

Just an anecdote, but my husbands wallet was stolen at his office, and a few months later some lottery tickets that were given as a New Year's present to employees were also taken from his desk. Nothing was done or reported to the police. Been hearing more of these kind of stories recently.

I believe Japan is 'relatively' safe, but I always worry that people are a little to carefree (leaving bags unattended, etc.) and that with more and more people struggling to make ends meet, some people are going to see an opportunity to snatch up the things so easy to take. A little awareness of the fact that theft DOES exist would be in the public's best interest IMHO.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Well, in Japan, it's safer for you to turn in something you find because if you're accused of theft and arrested, it’s all over.

Most people are charged and depending on the type of crime, about 99% of those are criminally convicted. There are exceptions from time to time. But for most people, when the cuffs go on that’s a guarantee that you are going to go down.

In most Western countries you have a trial, you can maybe explain yourself, get off on a technicality, have a witness speak for you, or have common sense in the courts work in your favor, but in Japan, it's best to just turn in what you find than to be accused of theft.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Yubaru, I wanted to 'like' your comment a thousand times. I'm sick of being bombarded with the myth that Japanese are better than everyone else. You always hear how modest and humble they are but trumpeting things like this in front of the world and proclaiming how great their rice, cuisine, onsen, etc. is over and over day in day out does not seem so modest to me. It's good that the people are generally honest but they are far from being the only ones.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

The same thing happens here in Hawaii.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

One of the great things about Japan......

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Sincere and Honest Country ,, That is why i really love Japan !!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

(Cheap) camera forgotten in Australia - gone in 20 seconds.

License left in convenience store photocopier - mailed back to me.

Are all Japanese honest? Of course not.

But I see plenty of car parks and fruit/vegetable stands with money just sitting there. In the suburbs, not just the country. I very doubt they exist just to impress the odd wandering gaijin (I'm both odd and wandering ;-) )

7 ( +10 / -3 )

And of course that money is going back to the government.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

And of course that money is going back to the government.

No, not all of it.

From the article:

Of the total, 2.74 billion yen—74% of the total—was returned to the owners, Sports Nippon reported Monday.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

"Of the total, 2.74 billion yen—74% of the total—was returned to the owners" - article

Said before, this is just the part of Japanese integrity that gets a box score, and it's a pretty impressive stat.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I remember my first year here I had heard from my boss how safe and honest all Japanese were. I went to a Manga cafe and left my bag with my scooter. Imagine my surprise when I returned and it was missing! And even though they had cameras in an around the building I was told my scooter was not in range of the camera. Mind you I parked next to the entrance. you could say I was naive or stupid to be so trusting. But hey, at least don't go around making up some BS for the next newbie to get lulled into a false sense of security! Crime happens anywhere where there is a motive and an opportunity

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Igloobuyer

Please!

Please stop this bollocks that this is a "universal trait, therefore it happens everywhere"!

It certainly doesn't happen here in Britain, not to my knowledge anyway, and I read the papers every day, more than once a day.

Never heard of this kind of large amounts of cash being returned in France, Germany, and Spain!

It does not happen in Brazil and almost certainly will not happen in South Africa.

Japan may not be alone but amongst the bigger nations they are, no doubt "unique" in this respect.

Whether or not you Japanese haters agree with it!

Far too much Japan fetish disguised as hate, if you ask me,

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

I have seldom lost anything valuable in Japan and I have been here 41 years. I have even gotten umbrellas back. In that sense, well, Japan is GREAT!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

@Matthew Harding

Why did you leave your bag and scooter out in public, though?

I lived and visited many countries all over the world and I think Japan is the safest place in general—but I don't leave my purse and Vespa with key even in my friend's driveway. (I mean, why would I?)

Not everyone is nice and Japanese is no exception. I'm sorry to hear your experience, though. It really sucks!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@yubaru: Stories like this do harm as well in that people continue to live under the false belief that Japanese are different, they are not, Japanese people are no better and no worse than people in any country in the world.

No, they are not. We are all the same human beings. Yet, there are features & customs (which originate in history, local beliefs and culture) that do distinguish one nation from the other. There is petty crime in Japan, too. But I personally have not heard of any other countries (though there might be some) where people would hand back/turn in any cash found in the street or simply deemed lost. Is it so painful to admit that there are indeed some points which make the Japanese a little different from other nations in terms of national character?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Lost some of my valuables and...all returned in a matter of a day (or two - max). I had my share once and without hesitation, returned it. You do have to complete a lost-and-found form, with a 10% finders fee (totally optional, of course). Just the thought of cancellations and renewals on cards can drive one up the wall. Japan, you are soooo large !!! Pay forward....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

never happen in the states

Taro -- actually, if your knowledge about the states was as strong as your negative stereotype, you would know better. In fact, there was a case in NYC a year or two ago, where a homeless man returned a diamond engagement ring, and, when it made news, people raised nearly $200,000 for him. So, not only do folks in the states do the right thing, they also find it in their hearts to go beyond that, and contribute to someone less fortunate.

However, having said that, I will be the first to admit that Japan takes this kind of honesty for granted, where in the states in can be more rare.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

"I swear... ONLY IN JAPAN!!! Just one of the many reasons I love Japan, its people and its culture!" (By Knowbetter). Exactly! "Discipline, courtesy, honesty. It is a virtue of the Japanese." (By CrazyJoe) exactly! I am so proud of being Japanese.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

This is one aspect that is to the credit of Japan

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Oh deary, deary me. I like a feel-good headline as much as the next person, but honestly, this isn't information, it is only half the story:

How much money in total was reported lost but not handed in?

International studies show pretty consistently that only about half of lost money is handed in, +/1 on standard deviation to account for cultural factors. Japan is probably on the +1 S.D. side.

Would you feel differently if the headline read, "3.34 billion yen in lost cash stolen!"? Because that's the flip-side of this story, and the police must have statistics on people who went to their offices looking for lost cash that wasn't handed in, but we never read this headline.

What percentage of false claims or disputed claims are there? Surely the police must have these stats, but again we never see them.

As for 74% being returned to the owners... well, call me cynical if you like, but we only have the cops word for that. It would be child's play for some enterprising cop to phone his friend and say, "Okay, someone just turned in 10 million yen in a pink duffel bag with a puma logo on the side. Come over now before the real owner turns up!", and there's no way the police officer on duty could know the guy isn't the real owner, and someone with access to the paperwork could make sure the documents are lost to ensure their friend is never caught.

My point here is that there are a lot of other ways to spin these statistics, we're only seeing a fraction of the picture here.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

I like a feel-good headline as much as the next person

You could have fooled me.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

.

I'm sick of being bombarded with the myth that Japanese are better than everyone else

Tell someone the same lie or myth long enough and it suddenly becomes fact.

I used to work with a guy and in the course of a discussion I asked him if he had ever found any cash would he turn it into the cops, his reply, "Hell no, I am not a perfect human, and if someone decides to lose their cash I am keeping it" He is Japanese, and I give him credit for being honest in his reply too.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

@harvey pekar

Well, in Japan, it's safer for you to turn in something you find because if you're accused of theft and arrested, it’s all over.

Cycling in France as a teen, I was impressed how drivers always gave me a wide berth. Of course, I thought naively, it's the land of the Tour de France: they love cyclists!

Later that bubble was burst on discovering that if you hit a bicycle in France, it's the driver's fault, with no mitigation.

As Harvey Pekar showed us, fail to hand in property that someone else has been careless with in Japan, and you will be shat upon from a great height.

Just as self preservation was Job#1 for French motorists, so it is for (naturally risk-averse) Japanese citizens wishing to avoid social and career death.

If only nobler forces were at play, we could saddle up our unicorns and ride off into a glorious sunset.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

They will feel very bad or guilty if they keep/use it for own sake when they found someone's money.

When have you had a Japanese person show guilt?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Just last Saturday, picked up a wallet inside the train, which everyone pretended not to notice, and handed it to the nearest koban. Right away, I gave up the right for any benefit or prize. The previous time that happened to me, however, the police officer had given my address to the person whose wallet I found and one morning a young girl rang on my door bowing, thanking me and with two hands stretched handed me a bag with varieties of cookies bought at the poshest pasterie in the neighborhood. I had given up my right to receive any reward that time as well. But either she was very pushy or the police officer forced her to make me a thank you gift. So, I learned my lesson - just hand the wallet or the item found and reject filling out any documents.

Anyhows, a friend, a foreigner, of mine found a wallet with more than 200,000¥, and according to the his words took the money and threw the wallet away. So, not all is recovered and handed back to the koban. I have noticed that the police officers always ask whether you are familiar with the contents of what you bring to them, so I make the effort and explain to them that I will see it for the first time with them as witnesses. Another one of my friends have checked for three months every week whether the owner of a wallet he had found came to claim it. Strangely, two or one day before that term was to expire, the wallet was claimed, so we both thought that something fishy was going on.

As some have pointed out, sometimes at university or at work, some things have disappeared from my possessions and more than often it have to do with a theft rather than with something being lost.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

When have you had a Japanese person show guilt?

Pretty much every day. Perhaps you need a new set of acquaintances?

It may be news to you, but Japanese are human, too.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I still believe it goes back to the culture. Japan was a military state, controlled with an iron fist for so many years in the past century and that culture of better not steal or else, or better do everything just so or else is still the reason why theft is low here and not nearly as common as in the countries with high immigration that took in desperate people.

The States and Europe that allowed (or were forced to allow) in so many immigrants took in the desperate people from desperate countries where you had to steal to survive and theft is accepted, and when those immigrants lived in the US or Europe, they still believed that had to fight and steal to survive, it was their country's culture, they never let that go.

But in Japan, only educated people who could perform a needed task or those who had money to invest or those willing to work in factories and be closely monitored were allowed into Japan, thus keeping the dominant Japanese culture strong, the culture of don't stick out, don't make waves, just do what you're told.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@SenseNoSoCommon

Your French motorist theory, while interesting, misses two points.

Not everyone is aware of 遺失物等横領罪 and possible conseqences. Therefore, not everyone brings a wallet to police out of self-preservation. Some just wants to "do the right thing" following their own moral principle.

As a poster above witnessed, some would want to avoid the trouble and ignores the wallet. Now your French motorist cannot dodge an encounter with the cyclist ahead of him/her (unless U-turning,) a Japanese person choose not to pick up the wallet and bring it to the police. Just ignore the wallet.

There are three groups of people here in front of the wallet. 1: that steals 2: that ignores and 3: that reports to the police. I assume from the article and posters experiences here that in Japan, group 3 outnumbers group 1 among many group 2. And isn't that simply a good thing.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Peeping_TomFEB. 17, 2015 - 11:11AM JST Igloobuyer Please! Please stop this bollocks that this is a "universal trait, therefore it happens everywhere"! It certainly doesn't happen here in Britain, not to my knowledge anyway, and I read the papers every day, more than once a day. Never heard of this kind of large amounts of cash being returned in France, Germany, and Spain! It does not happen in Brazil and almost certainly will not happen in South Africa. Japan may not be alone but amongst the bigger nations they are, no doubt "unique" in this respect. Whether or not you Japanese haters agree with it! Far too much Japan fetish disguised as hate, if you ask me,

I handed in a wallet with money myself only a few months ago. I'm sorry, that you have not noticed reports of people handing in money elsewhere but there are I'm afraid, you only have to look. I think what is unique to Japan is the fact so much cash gets 'found' lying around in the first place, not that people are so super duper honest that they hand it in money.

If it were a case of universal honesty in Japanese culture why do we see so much dishonesty in politics and business etc.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Thanks, NYToday,

I doubt that many people would be unaware of the consequences of pocketing someone's lost cash.

While the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys afford many a superhuman capacity to ignore their surroundings, "fail to hand in property" refers, of course, to those who have picked up said item.

And isn't that simply a good thing.

It's wonderful, yes, though the tip of a much more complex iceberg that tolerates organized crime, and often seems loathe to prosecute corporate misdeeds.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I have many acquaintances who have shared stories of leaving items and cash and coming back to see the very item exactly where they left it. I have heard similar stories of phones, wallets, car keys and the like being left with information or lost and found. I here far fewer of these stories about people outside Japan. I am sure they happen, but they sure seem to happen a lot here in Japan.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Pretty much every day. Perhaps you need a new set of acquaintances?

If you think they are showing guilt you are greatly misreading them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I handed in a wallet with money myself only a few months ago."

Well, good for ya!

"I'm sorry, that you have not noticed reports of people handing in money elsewhere but there are I'm afraid, you only have to look"

Well, jolly good attempt at spinning; I never said it never happens elsewhere.

However, as a very proud Brit I will be the first one to admit that the average Japanese is much more honest than the average Brit.

Try to lose your cash in London to see what chances of getting it back yer getting!

Not saying your chances are nil, but the percentage is significantly lower than that in Japan.

Wanna lose your wallet in Rio or Cape Town? I have been there; trust me your chances will even lower than that in London!

Face the facts; Japanese folks return stuff in a far greater scale than peoples everywhere in the world.

That's the truth that's stuck in Japan's haters' throats and they just can't deal with it!

"If it were a case of universal honesty in Japanese culture why do we see so much dishonesty in politics and business etc."

Nobody but you speaks about a "universal honesty in Japanese culture".

Only rabid haters would deny that the generality in Japan is slightly more honest than almost everywhere though.

And pardon moi for not realising that politicians and businessmen in your country are all beyond reproach!

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Peeping_TomFeb. 17, 2015 - 06:51PM JST Face the facts; Japanese folks return stuff in a far greater scale than peoples everywhere in the world. ... Only rabid haters would deny that the generality in Japan is slightly more honest than almost everywhere though.

Peeping_Tom, would you please make up your mind? If it is "Japan is slightly more honest than almost everywhere" then I'd agree. Experiments such as the "lost wallet" show that Japanese people are more likely to return the money.

Your statement that, "Japanese folks return stuff in a far greater scale than peoples everywhere in the world" is untrue though. Finland probably takes the prize for people most likely to return money.

There's a strong correlation between gini coefficient and returning money, which makes this economic behaviour rather than moral behaviour. In short, Japanese people aren't inherently more moral, they just need the money less and the money in the wallet isn't sufficient to tempt them. In poorer countries with higher levels of inequality a wallet with an "average" amount of money is more likely to be picked up by someone who's on the "poor" end of the spectrum and therefore not returned.

Trying to conflate returning money with honesty is like trying to say that someone who doesn't rob banks is honest... not being a criminal doesn't make you honest, it just means you're not a criminal.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

they just need the money less and the money in the wallet isn't sufficient to tempt them.

I disagree. There are plenty of rich people all over the world screwing others. The feeling of duty and responsibility to others that many Japanese people have is also a factor. Obviously, Japan is not the only place where this is true and Japanese are not the only ones this is true of, but it is certainly true of Japanese people and the reason is not economic, particularly when the economic situation is not that great for an awful lot of people in Japan.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Hate to say it but even I am not honest.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There's a strong correlation between gini coefficient and returning money, which makes this economic behaviour rather than moral behaviour. In short, Japanese people aren't inherently more moral, they just need the money less and the money in the wallet isn't sufficient to tempt them. In poorer countries with higher levels of inequality a wallet with an "average" amount of money is more likely to be picked up by someone who's on the "poor" end of the spectrum and therefore not returned."

In good old Blighty, irrespective of the amount, lose a wallet and yer unlikely to ever set yer eyes on it again!

And I'm British meself.

Sorry but your theory does not hold any water.

Japanese are generally more honest.

Plain and simple!

Deal with it honestly.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Peeping_TomFeb. 17, 2015 - 08:10PM JST In good old Blighty, irrespective of the amount, lose a wallet and yer unlikely to ever set yer eyes on it again! And I'm British meself.

And yes, London does rate lower than average in terms of returned wallets. It may also surprise you to know that England's gini-coefficient is less than stellar, with wide-spread inequality, especially in urban areas.

Japanese are generally more honest.

More honest than Pomeys. Not more honest than everyone else. And this is where you make your mistake, you've reduced the entire world to England vs Japan.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

I lost my wallet in the U.S. once and got it back. I lost it twice in Japan and didn't get it back either time.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Peeping_Tom

However, as a very proud Brit I will be the first one to admit that the average Japanese is much more honest than the average Brit. Try to lose your cash in London to see what chances of getting it back yer getting! Not saying your chances are nil, but the percentage is significantly lower than that in Japan. Wanna lose your wallet in Rio or Cape Town? I have been there; trust me your chances will even lower than that in London! Face the facts; Japanese folks return stuff in a far greater scale than peoples everywhere in the world.

If you say so, then it must be true.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Feeling a bit guilty now, found a 5,000 yen Nagano Olympic coin when visiting the Skytree in Tokyo during my holiday in October but it was quite late and didn't know who or where to hand it in. Ended up forgetting and bringing it back home to the UK with me. I wonder if it's not too late to post it somewhere where it might get back into the hands of its owner.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

More honest than Pomeys. Not more honest than everyone else"

Certainly more than the Australians, Canadians, Americans, French, Italians, Spanish, Chinese and Koreans!

And the list could only get bigger.

Weren't you a minute ago trying to make an analogy between Japan's honesty and people in "poorer" countries needing to stash somebody' else's wallet, due to "survivability issues"?

I did say generally more honest. Point me towards a more honest society, rather than hinting they are out there in numbers galore.

Igloobuyer

It's not just what the Peeping says; it's what the vast majority of people know to be the truth, excepting you, of course!

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I also would love to see a list of these western societies that are more honest than Japan in this way.

Again, the economic theory just does not fly with me. I know of plenty of people who are hurting in Japan and who have returned money or items of quite a bit of value.

So, how about lifting a veil from the mystery and letting everyone in on these wonderfully honest societies.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Once I was in a taxi and found 6000yen in the back seat. My friends told me to keep the money since the money won't be returned to the owner anyways. My friends weren't Japanese except for 1. I wanted to return the money but I kept it and spent it.

I am American.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Peeping_TomFeb. 17, 2015 - 09:57PM JST I did say generally more honest. Point me towards a more honest society, rather than hinting they are out there in numbers galore.

I did in a previous post, Finland.

And again, stop conflating not being a criminal with honesty. By the Western meaning of the word the Japanese are not terribly honest. They're big into false modesty, false complements and the concept of a man being as good as his word is decidedly a foreign idea here.

And this article also doesn't show what percentage of money wasn't handed in, merely that a large amount was handed in. It is half the story.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

I did in a previous post, Finland.

One country. That is hardly an economic indicator.

By the Western meaning of the word the Japanese are not terribly honest.

This is patently ridiculous and ethnocentric.

They're big into false modesty, false complements

I see the same thing in western cultures.

the concept of a man being as good as his word is decidedly a foreign idea here.

You obviously have really gotten to know very few people in your time here. Reading your posts here gives me a hint as to why this might be.

And this article also doesn't show what percentage of money wasn't handed in

That is because that is not the subject of the article. The article also does not show how many hamburgers Japanese eat every day or how much sleep they get. But that does not matter, because it shows how much money was actually handed in and how much of that was given back to the owners and that is what the article is about. The article does not have to be about what you want it to be about to be interesting or significant information.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Everyone, the bottom line of the difference is that: When I left a camera in a taxi in Japan, it came back to me. When I left a purse inside of a catholic church in Seattle, it did not come back to me.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Frankly, I am amazed at the number of posts that baselessly bash Japan and Japanese people. One glaring example is this:

By the Western meaning of the word the Japanese are not terribly honest. They're big into false modesty, false complements and the concept of a man being as good as his word is decidedly a foreign idea here.

Proof of what you say here. You have certainly not provided enough information to back up the defamation of Japanese people you have written here. I find it fascinating that you could claim this article is only telling half the story when, you don't even know if there is another half to tell and then when you go on to make claims about Japanese you provide nothing to back them up.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Pretty much every day. Perhaps you need a new set of acquaintances?

You are mistaking the constant "gomens" as being a sign of guilt. Apologies and guilt are two totally different things and you should try to understand the differences. Japanese apologize constantly for the littlest things, BUT that does not equal guilt, not at all.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

"I did in a previous post, Finland."

Frungy, Frungi, Frungi!

What have I ever done to you to be treated like this?

If you had come to me like a friend, these "scum" that are now trying to discredit you would be suffering at this precise moment!

You mean Helsinki, a city, not Finland?

That same city that headed the wallet test in which Mumbai came in second?

Do you mean that same test with 16 cities and in which no Japanese city participated?

The test placing Helsinki as first and Lisbon sixteenth, in a universe of 16 contestants?

Hate to tell you that me thinks yer clutching at straws here; also that Helsinki is not a country!

You must be thinking that I'm a pilchard, don't ya?

A quick search of my posting history should reveal to you that I actually went to school and with tremendous sacrifice learnt how to read.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's interesting to see how some people will take something positive and twist it into something negative.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

mrkobayashiFeb. 18, 2015 - 09:58AM JST It's interesting to see how some people will take something positive and twist it into something negative.

It's interesting to see the complete lack of critical thinking and how some people will accept being lied to by omission.

The bottom line is that this article doesn't say how much money was lost in Tokyo. If it was 3.34 billion yen (100% the amount handed to the police) then we can say "Wow, that's fantastic!", but if 350 billion was lost and only 3.34 billion was handed in (less than 10%) then we can say, "Oh man, that sucks".

This article is a lie of omission. They leave out certain facts in order to create a false picture. It is a lie and it irritates me that people swallow it and then get mad when someone points out that they're being lied to.

It is for precisely this reason that we have lying politicians and pretty lousy governments world-wide. It is because most people defend the liar, and attack the person pointing out the lie. And until people wake up and stop doing this and say, "Oh, you have a point. Let's insist on better reporting/more honest politicians/etc." we'll continue to have lying politicians and misleading reports in the media.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

By the Western meaning of the word

Such comments show two things: 1. Some (if not most) opinions on this thread tend to be ethnocentric as people want the Japanese to be exactly as they expect them to be (behave as westerners do), and therefore do not see the local culture and value system for what it is – a system of values formed through history which is very different from the history of any western country. 2. As a result from ①, some posters' judging the Japanese as being “big into false modesty, false complements,” etc. shows that you havenot actually tried to get under the surface of the stereotype/s you have about the local people.

By the Western meaning of the word the Japanese are not terribly honest.

But Japan is not a western culture and the customs and local people's ways of doing things, the expression of their values are different from those in the western countries. It is a result of different historical development, different geopolitical realities, etc. Honesty in Japan is expressed in different ways and it is sad that you have failed to recognize those ways so far. On the other hand, I have not heard Japanese living in western countries say they expect westerners to act the same as the Japanese do in Japan. I wonder what your interpretation of this would be.

It is amazing to see statements of the sort “the Japanese are no different than other nations.” While we are ALL the same human beings, in terms of culture and traditions, every nation is different in one aspect or another from the others AND this does not make it neither better nor worse than the others. It is also sad to see the condescending comments by posters who do not really want to make an effort and see Japan for what it is: a country with its own traditions, customs and expression of values (again, just as any other country). The world would be such a boring and sad place if we all had the same customs and cultural values and acted in the same way.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

All readers back on topic please. Posts that do not focus on the story will be removed.

The bottom line is that this article doesn't say how much money was lost in Tokyo.

The bottom line is that this article does not have to say how much money was lost in Tokyo. It is not about how much money was lost in Tokyo. It is about how much money was turned in.

They leave out certain facts in order to create a false picture.

Unless you know of any specific facts that were left out, the only false picture being presented is the one you are presenting.

then get mad when someone points out that they're being lied to.

No, people get mad when someone makes unfounded claims about the dishonesty of a whole nation of people. You know... as you did above. People are also not too crazy about people making up baseless claims of lies...as you did above.

You have created your own conspiracy and expect everyone to jump on board. It is your sinking ship. Don't expect others to patch it up for you.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Y3.34 bil in lost cash handed in to police in 2014

Whatever their motives are for their extraordinary honesty, this is one area I cannot fault Japan in. It's not just money, but personal belongings as well. Bags etc left on trains are usually left untouched (and often handed in)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

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