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129 Comments
- kindrobot, on 02/20/2008, -2/+80Great story.
I found a guy's wallet once and when I finally found his number, called him. He asked how much money was in the wallet. I said "62 dollars", which was what was in it. He said "oh, really, well I had 500 when I lost it". I hung up after he spent a while trying to scam me out of money or make me feel like a criminal. You can't even do the right thing anymore these days without being scammed. I went out to eat and mailed him his cards/id/wallet and the change from dinner with a note :
"Thanks for the steak, it was great. Here's your wallet back with the change from
my dinner minus the postage. Have a nice day."
When someone tries to return your lost wallet, and doesn't take a penny of your money, don't be a scumbag.
/end overshare - blankoboy, on 02/20/2008, -1/+76A few years ago I was at the ATM doing my thing (here in Tokyo) and was in a huge rush to catch my train. In my hurry, I somehow managed to leave 2 crisp 10,000 yen bills ($200 total) in the ATM when snatched my cash and ran. Yes, I know....unbelievable.
When I got the train platform and reached into my pocket I found, much to my horror, that I only had half the money I withdrew. I ran like crazy man back to the bank where I withdrew the cash and of course it was nowhere to be found. I started to wibble towards the exit but instead walked over to the bank teller counters and asked if they had seen 20,000 yen lying around (yeah, right!!).
The chap behind the counter asks me what ATM I was using (there was a bank of 6 of them on the wall). I pointed to the one I was using and showed him my bank card and receipt. He pulls out the two crisp bills and hands them to me (bowing and smiling). He told me that some young gentleman reported it to him and turned over the money.
Say tentacle porn all you want, this would happen all of 0.00001 times out of 10 back in North America.
*note: this is just one of several such unbelievable stories of honesty and kindness I have experienced here in Japan. - bigpeeler, on 02/20/2008, -1/+69It's pretty sad that mankind has reached the point where honesty is deemed an anomaly.
- eak125, on 02/20/2008, -2/+69While i was in japan i asked the family i was with why their bike was in the back seat. They explained that it was the 5th time it was borrowed. Not stolen, Borrowed. Someone was tired of walking and took it and biked to the local train station and left it there. They had their name on it so they called the local stations the train station staff called them back and they were able to come pick it up. Their son kept forgetting to lock it up but that was ok just a little inconvenient.
It's a completely different culture. You hang your umbrella outside and it will never disappear. Ramen delivery men bring the ramen to your door in ceramic bowls and you rinse them out and leave them outside your door and the delivery man will be back the next day to pick them up. - scyform, on 02/20/2008, -0/+57I can attest to the efficiency of this system. Several years (6?) ago I traveled with my mom to Japan and accidentally left my gameboy on the airplane. I didn't realize this until we got to the hotel room because I hadn't checked my bag and I wouldn't have understood any of the lost in found announcements they made in Japanese. Convincing my mom I couldn't survive the return trip without Golden Sun, she called up the airlines and I expected the worst.
The very next morning, we received a package in the hotel room with my gameboy, a fresh set of batteries, and a note apologizing for making us wait. Unreal. - Androfire, on 02/20/2008, -8/+54Excuse me, I er.. *ahem* lost my hentai tentacle porn. Have you seen it?
- jaydoj, on 02/20/2008, -0/+44you stay classy land of the rising sun
- beemanbone, on 02/20/2008, -0/+43While in Japan, I lost my wallet. Someone found it and turned it in without taking anything out of it. I later discovered someone's wallet, so I turned it in without taking anything. Karma, man. Karma.
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -2/+33This is why I love Japan. It's so depressing when you come back to America and, by comparison, everyone acts like you've just raped their mother. People barely even honk at each other in Japan!
- brufleth, on 02/20/2008, -0/+23Totally wrong. It would flat out NOT happen in the US. The bank would have taken the money and (despite the extra cash actually looking bad in their book keeping) have eaten it. Had you gone back looking for the money you would have been treated like scam artist. It wouldn't just be the bank's fault either. They probably get guys claiming they lost $200 every freakin' day.
Totally different environment in Japan. I'd highly recommend a vacation there to anyone. - BillyGoatMagoo, on 02/20/2008, -0/+23Someone tell this to lolrus, he's looking for his bucket.
- zardoz73, on 02/20/2008, -1/+22True story: I was in Shibuya, Tokyo, kind of the Times Square of Japan. I used a payphone, and had to take out my wallet to find my calling card. Stupidly, after the call, I left the wallet sitting on top of the little countertop and didn't realize it until a full five minutes after I walked away. Lo and behold, my wallet was sitting right where I had left it.
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -1/+19I would have burned it. What a douchebag.
- eak125, on 02/20/2008, -1/+17Welcome to America home of the douches...
- tehrich, on 02/20/2008, -2/+18"You hang your umbrella outside and it will never disappear." What part of Japan were you in? I'm in Hirakata in Osaka and umbrella theft is rampant. I've gone through four in two weeks. They even warned us about it during school orientation.
- bswinson, on 02/20/2008, -0/+15When I was 7 I found a guys wallet on the beach and brought it to my parents. They found the guy's number and called him, and the first thing he did when he got there was say that the money was missing and accused me of stealing it. Here I was, thinking this guy was going to be so happy he might give me a reward and instead he calls me a ***** thief. People suck.
- tehrich, on 02/20/2008, -0/+15I've seen this first hand while studying here. My friend dropped their passport in a department store and had it back before we left the building. Another dropped his wallet somewhere another city over and within a week and a half he had it back, with everything in it. One of my teachers has even tested it by leaving a camera or phone in a crowded store "by accident" and every time he's done that someone came running to him with it.
Just watch out for umbrellas and unlocked bikes, those disappear before you can turn around. - Ninjao, on 02/20/2008, -0/+15My friend who went over to Tokyo spent his savings on the 8g Asus EEE pc then he left it at a cafe (with the box and all) because he realised he was late for his job interview. After the meeting he realised it was lost and only then found out about this lost and found thing. Went to the nearest one and recieved his Asus within 10 minutes of showing the reciept.
- spoonsman, on 02/20/2008, -0/+14Seriously, that's not the Japan that I know. While the lack of theft and return of lost objects is amazing (coming from someone who's both returned items and had items returned to him) there are two items that, it seems, are oftentimes thought of as communal: bicycles and umbrellas.
I live on the third floor of an apartment building, and I used to hang my umbrella outside on my window. After going through two umbrellas, which were conveniently gone on mornings of heavy rainfall, I started keeping my umbrella inside. Then again, a new umbrella costs all of about 150 yen from the conbini across the street, but I'd certainly prefer to keep the same umbrella.
Now bikes are a slightly different story. People "borrowing" bikes from stations and such isn't that uncommon. On a happier note, though, all bikes here are required by law to be registered, so eventually odds are in your favor that your bike will eventually be found and returned. - tahcoboy, on 02/20/2008, -0/+14dugg for honesty
- bluemist, on 02/20/2008, -0/+14Ooh almost the same situation! I was sitting near Hachiko (the dog statue in Shibuya) then went for the train station until I realized my wallet was missing! I thought it slipped while I was sitting so I went back to where I had seated, but it's not there anymore. There is a police station nearby though, so I tried to seek help with the police but right then and there some guy came up to the station with my wallet fully intact!
He's younger than me and I tried to offer a drink as thanks but he repeatedly refused. We were repeatedly bowing at each other as per Japanese-style courtesy, that was kinda funny too. - KyleGoetz, on 02/20/2008, -1/+14I was coming down from a climb on Mt. Fuji, and I stopped at a bathroom station they have near (but not quite at) the bottom. I forgot my bag with my wallet and souvenirs from the top (including my money to buy a return ticket to Shinjuku). I realized this at the bottom, turned around and started climbing back up after being on the mountain for 12 hours. Some old Japanese guy came down the mountain and asked me, "Why are you climbing up the 'down' pathway?" I explained to him, and he pointed to a thirty-something Japanese guy coming down the mountain in a crowd. The old man told me: Oh, you should talk to that guy.
THE YOUNG GUY FOUND MY WALLET AND SOUVENIRS AND CAME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TO GIVE THEM TO ME. I've always tried to pay kindness forward, so I like to think that karma rewarded me, but either way, I'll never forget how I didn't have to spend 2 dehydrated hours reclimbing Fuji to get my wallet out of a smelly bathroom. - Shaderone, on 02/20/2008, -2/+15Wait, there's tentacle porn that's not hentai?
- brufleth, on 02/20/2008, -0/+11Not really mankind so much as most of western civilization.
- flipcritic, on 02/20/2008, -0/+11Not just the Western world. I've lived in China, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The Japanese level of honesty is pretty much beyond belief. Sad that humanity in general has sunk this low.
- brufleth, on 02/20/2008, -1/+12Better question: Why does everyone feel entitled to scamming money out of whoever they can?
One answer: Lawyers. - neio, on 02/20/2008, -2/+12Japanese are awesome.
- eak125, on 02/20/2008, -0/+10Sagami-hara. Maybe it was because i was on the 4th floor of my apartment building. Thought my neighbor left his / her umbrella out for 3 months and it never disappeared. I was more dangerous to umbrellas while i was there - i killed 3 via wind in shinjiku and ueno.
The only thing that would disappear if you didn't pick it up fast enough was the TP that you got in exchange for your recyclable paper goods. You had less than a day to get that before it buggered off... - simongzster, on 02/20/2008, -0/+10Left my bag with my cellphone, ipod, and around 400 bucks cash in a taxi in japan. Went to the local police box and reported it the next day. They apologized that nobody had turned anything in, called both taxi companies in the area (nothing found), and took down my information. I pretty much decided my stuff was gone forever, so I bought a new camera and ipod. The following day, they called to tell me that somebody had turned in the bag with all the contents intact. My girlfriend got a used camera and ipod after my trip.
- Sigurdhsson, on 02/20/2008, -1/+10Bastards, I want to live there too :(
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -1/+10In australia we are a little like that, Theres always a good chance youll find your wallet at the cop shop if its lost, or the finder will give you a ring. Ms. Sasaki good nature is fairly commonplace here. But there is also a lot of ***** heads here to balance that out. But they hang around the train station asking for change and can be avoided.
- depro9, on 02/20/2008, -0/+8They also do not chain their bicycles up, thousands of them just parked by the side of the road.
http://lh3.google.com/_xjhFUIuXC5E/Rpf1KPWckqI/AAA ... - bluemist, on 02/20/2008, -0/+8My almost one-year stint in Japan may not reflect the true cultural nature of the country to me but it was still a wonderful experience. No country and people is ever perfect anyway, but I see Japan as an example of a society that can be a little more close to perfect harmony if everyone works and tries their best to do so.
- Jnes, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7One time, in the US, I found an expensive digital planner outside my university's medical school. I contemplated taking it home with me and finding an e-mail address or phone number inside and then trying to contact the owner, but I felt self-conscious about picking it up and carrying it away, like I would be labeled a criminal, so I took it inside the front entrance and walked up to the security desk.
I explained the story to the two guards behind the desk, who by the way looked very dim-witted, and who failed to make eye contact with me. Then the female guard, still not making eye-contact, grabbed it out of my hand and started talking to her partner, ignoring me. So I continued to stand there, waiting at least for them to tell me that they would do something, anything, and then the female guard snapped her head at me and said, wide-eyed, "OKAY, THANKS, you can go now."
Why do I think that person never got their item back... - KyleGoetz, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7Hey, I used to live in Sagamihara; specifically in Midori-ga-Oka. There's practically no crime there ever. I walked around at 3am and saw schoolgirls biking around at that time.
The only thing was the bozozoku, but that was just engines revving at 2 in the morning sometimes. - zetsurin, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7"Totally wrong"
Well, to be fair, 0.00001 times out of 10 rounds pretty much down to "never" for all practical purposes anyway :)
But I agree guys, Japan is a great place with some great qualities that would make the world a better place if it would just adopt some of them. - awflasher, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7About 19 percent of it went to the finders after no one claimed the money for half a year. !!!!
- spoonsman, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8This "great" Japanese culture you speak of really only exists for those people who haven't lived here for an extended period of time. Now don't get me wrong, there are lots of great things about Japan, but there is also plenty of bad.
Even though I do currently like Japan more than I liked the US, despite many people's belief the country is still a far cry from perfect. - vuzman, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7But, but... Japan is one of the most atheistic nations in the world!
- japanzach, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7Well, I am living in a village in Nagano Prefecture, and generally, I would say that this article is true. I have left things in bars and trains, and have gotten them all back....
Except one of my baseball hats. I must have left it at a local festival where I am living. Then, one day I saw this old guy walking around my village wearing my hat. At first, I thought it just looked like my hat, but then I got a bit closer, only to see a pin that I put on the back of the hat to hold the strap. I knew it was my hat and I was about ready to say something to the guy, but then he just looked so helpless and poor that I didn't say anything. - StolenLamp, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7Damn you guys, I want to go to Japan...
- KyleGoetz, on 02/20/2008, -1/+7Where the heck do you live that old men (1) aren't used to being surrounded by foreigners, but at the same time (2) have the balls to assault someone? Somewhere in Kansai? Or the inaka?
Because in Tokyo and Kanagawa that just doesn't happen in my experience. - brufleth, on 02/20/2008, -0/+5That is not an answer and is really only indirectly related to the question.
- cdigioia, on 02/20/2008, -6/+11Anyone else feel odd about the current great Japanese culture & the horrific past (e.g., rape of Nanking, etc.). Especially the fact that japanese textbooks gloss over such things, and for the most part, no official apologies have ever been made (contrasting to Germany).
I was in Tokyo for awhile and loved it (my favorite city). Now I'm in S. Korea (equally great), though here they don't love the Japanese so much. A few older people still remember when the Japanese occupied and did mass rape, torture, and medical experimentation. Similar experiences in China, Singapore, etc. It's odd trying to reconcile my experiences in Japan with Japan's somewhat recent history. - EthylAdded, on 02/20/2008, -0/+5Yes! That should be the digg title
"Atheist Nation more Moral Than Christian Nation" - inactive, on 02/20/2008, -1/+6Why yes there is, I do beleive La Blue girl also has a live action series running now.
Not that I watch any of that erm ahh filth myself.....ahem. - sat0shi, on 02/20/2008, -1/+6Yeah but I dunno why, considering there are some ***** drivers here. I honk at people all the time.
- flipcritic, on 02/20/2008, -0/+5If you dig deep enough, every society has it's faults.
- ladyarcher85, on 02/20/2008, -0/+5A friend who went there for a trip left her bag in one of the counters in a mall she went to.
We were surprised that the bag was still on top of the same counter she left it two hours prior.
No one touched it or even moved the bag. We were amazed, we never really thought we'd still find it there, untouched for that matter. All the contents were in, nothing was taken. - saladdays, on 02/20/2008, -1/+5i got my buddy a pair of those when i was in tokyo, and his mom found em while she was helping him move. man, i wonder what she must have been thinking looking at that booger-like poop stain.
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