If you found a large sum of money on the street, as happened in Kanagawa last week, would you help yourself to some of it, or hand it in?

Monday 11th May, 05:13 AM JST

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Mark_McCracken at 12:08 AM JST - 16th May

I found 20,000 yen on a train platform once. Took it to the police. Got it back 6 months later. Quick and easy process.
Sarge at 12:15 AM JST - 16th May

"Where is the keep it all option?"

Where is the spend it all option, heh heh
grafton at 06:31 AM JST - 16th May

I don’t have a deep & clever reason why, but I would hand it all in. It wouldn’t matter how it was found, brown bag, in a wallet, floating on the wind. And as for getting 10% or any of it back after 6 months, nice perhaps, but it has nothing to do with whatever would get me to hand it in. Very simply, it isn’t mine to do anything with. There’s no high moral value at work here, just what I believe is right.
Sarge at 09:54 AM JST - 16th May

Actually, I have to go with grafton on this one.

The key words are "large sum." It's one thing to pick up a 500 yen coin on the street and put it in your pocket, it's another to find 500,000 yen in an envelope and just spend it. The person who lost the 500,000 could be in a real pickle if they don't get it back.
Tatsumaru at 03:56 PM JST - 16th May

Cash is called cash for a reason. The possessor is not biased by the the possessed.
Nessie at 04:33 PM JST - 16th May

what carib and sarge said; although, in principle, carib has it more right -- it isn't yours; the sum and the person's need for the money shouldn't matter
ANOTSUSAGAMI at 05:10 PM JST - 16th May

Sarge- the money wasn't in an envelope so that kills your scenario. In an envelope even with no name or writing on it, there's hope of finding the owner and therefore right to turn it in. Forensic evidence, size, shape and color of the envelope, the amount in the envelope all point to ownership of the money and there is a possibility of someone properly identifying the envelope. In the absence of a container you have nothing. The money was scattered all around, who says they got all of it? With that in mind you don't even have an exact number to go by. How would it be even possible to claim such a loss to the police? "Uhm, it was on the ground and it looks like money"?
Badge213 at 07:17 PM JST - 16th May

I'd turn it in. Never know if it's some dirty money, yakuza, or even somesort of sting.
Sarge at 07:29 PM JST - 16th May

Nessie: "it isn't yours; the sum and the person's need for the money shouldn't matter"

Nessie, are you actually saying if you found a 100 yen coin on the street that you would turn it in to the nearest koban?
Himajin at 07:48 PM JST - 16th May

I don't even pick up 500 yen, it isn't mine....
Sarge at 07:55 PM JST - 16th May

Hima - If you don't pick up the 500 yen, someone else will, and soon. There's no way the person who dropped it is ever going to get it back - if you feel it isn't yours, give it to charity, but don't leave it lying on the street.
Sarge at 07:58 PM JST - 16th May

I once found a junior high school girl's purse with 5000 yen in it on the bus. It also had her library card in it. I turned it in to the koban.
HonestDictator at 12:20 AM JST - 17th May

To be honest I'd only keep it if there is no identification or way of identifying the owner. If I found a bottle or plastic/paper bag with money wrapped in side, poor fellow who lost it probably won't be able to get it back and I'd see it as a godsend o' fortune. If it does have an identifiable mark like a purse, wallet, ID, credit cards, etc. I'd turn it in without touching it.
cleo at 12:49 AM JST - 17th May

I'd only keep it if there is no identification or way of identifying the owner.

If you take it to the koban, if there's no way of identifying the owner it will come back to you anyway, at which time it will be yours legitimately.
grafton at 08:20 AM JST - 17th May

Sarge at 07:58 PM JST - 16th May “I once found a junior high school girl's purse with 5000 yen in it on the bus. It also had her library card in it. I turned it in to the koban.”

Sarge, but that is because you are a gentleman of the old school, by the way, did you get a reward?