Meanwhile, a record 29.79 million reports of found property, excluding cash, were made to the police nationwide in 2023, an increase of around 3.15 million from the previous year and the highest since comparable data became available in 1971, according to the NPA.
The increase comes as foot traffic has returned after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, with the previous record of 29.75 million items set in 2019.
Small electronic devices such as wireless earphones, mobile batteries, and heated tobacco products have particularly been notable in recent years, the agency said.
According to the lost property law, cash and items, excluding mobile phones and those containing personal information, generally become the property of the person who found them if not claimed within three months. If the finder forfeits that right, it becomes the property of the prefectural government.
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