Left Something on a Train or at a Station in Japan? How to Get It Back
Step 1: Write down what you know
Before you call, collect the details staff will ask for:
- The line or train name, and the direction you were traveling
- The station where you boarded and the one where you got off
- The approximate time, and the car number or seat if you remember it
- What the item is: brand, color, size, and anything distinctive (a phone case, a keychain, contents of a bag)
If you paid with a transit IC card (Suica, Pasmo) or booked an express ticket, mention it. It can help pin down your train.
Step 2: Work out where the item is
Items left on a train are usually gathered at one station, not scattered across the line. That is normally the terminus of the train, a station where it connects to another company's line, or a station where crews change. You don't need to guess. Tell the operator your line and where you got off, and they can tell you where it should be.
If you left the item at a station (a bench, a ticket gate, a locker), contact that station directly.
Step 3: Contact the operator
Each railway company runs its own lost-property service, so contact the one that operates your line. Here are the ones most visitors to Tokyo need:
JR East (Yamanote, Chuo, Keihin-Tohoku and most JR lines): 050-2016-1601, 8:00–20:00. Multilingual line including English: 050-2106-1603, 10:00–18:00.
Tokyo Metro (Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya and others): 0570-033-555.
Toei Subway (Asakusa, Oedo, Mita, Shinjuku lines): 03-3816-5700. Multilingual line including English: 03-3816-5711.
Hours and numbers change, so check the operator's website if a call doesn't connect. Private railways such as Keikyu, Odakyu, Tokyu, Keio, Seibu and Tobu have their own desks.
What to say
"I left a [item, color, brand] on the [line name] going toward [direction], around [time] today. I got off at [station]. Could you check whether it has been found?"
If they have it, ask three things: which station holds it, until when they will keep it, and what you need to bring or send to claim it.
Step 4: Decide how to get it back
Option A: Collect it yourself
Go to the station that holds it with photo ID. Staff will ask you to describe the item and may ask you to sign a form.
Option B: Ask for it to be sent
Some operators can send an item by courier at your cost, and some cannot. Ask when you call.
Option C: Authorize someone to collect it
Railway companies generally want a written authorization form. It typically lists the station and date, your name, address and contact details, the item, and the name of the person collecting it, and it is signed by you. Many require a copy of your ID as well. Some forms also ask for a personal seal (hanko), which most travelers don't have, so ask the station whether a signature is accepted. Here is a short version you can adapt (full bilingual template here):
Authorization to collect a lost item
Date: [date] Station: [station name] Railway: [operator]
I, [your full name], of [your address or hotel], contact [phone or email], lost the following item: [item description], on [date] on [line/train].
I authorize [representative's full name] to collect it on my behalf.
Signature: ______________ Date: [date]
(Attach a photo of your passport page.)
What if the station doesn't have it, or says it went to the police?
- Ask them to double-check the line, time and station, and ask about a similar item.
- If it has been passed to the police, it is held by the Metropolitan Police in Tokyo (or the local prefectural police elsewhere). The procedure is different from the station's, so ask the operator which office has it.
- Items left in a taxi, shop or hotel are handled by those businesses. See our hotel lost-property guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long do stations keep lost items in Japan?
Usually only a short time, often around a week, before the item is passed on to the police. The exact period differs by operator and by item, so ask when you call. Once an item has moved to the police, the process is different and slower.
Which station will have my item?
In most cases, one station. Items found on a train are generally collected at a station on that line, often the terminus, a station where the train connects to another company's line, or a station where crews change. If you know the line and the station where you got off, staff can tell you where to ask.
Can I get it sent to my hotel or home?
Some operators can arrange to send an item by courier at your expense, and some cannot. Ask when you call, and ask about the cost and the payment method before you agree.
Can someone else collect it for me?
Often yes, but train operators usually require a written authorization form signed by you, sometimes with a copy of your ID. Some forms ask for a personal seal (hanko), which most travelers don't have, so ask whether a signature is accepted.
Will you charge me if the item can't be found?
No. We check with the station first, and you pay only after we know the item is there and can be released to us.
Can't work out who to call, or don't speak Japanese?
JapanFetch finds the right station, contacts them in Japanese, handles the authorization form, then collects your item and delivers it in Tokyo, Saitama or Kanagawa. You pay only once we confirm it can be released.
Message us on WhatsApp →Left it at a hotel instead? Read the hotel guide.