Retrieve and Ship Lost Property from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Lost and Found Center

Losing something while traveling in Tokyo is stressful enough. Finding out that the police have your property after you have returned home can create a different problem: how can you get it back without traveling to Japan again?

This guide explains how to retrieve lost property from the Lost and Found Center Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) or a Tokyo police station, what documents may be needed to authorize someone else to receive it, and how Japan Luggage Express may help arrange shipment to your country.

1. First, Confirm Which Police Office Has Your Lost Property

Not every lost item reported to the Tokyo police is stored at the central Lost and Found Center. Some belongings are still held by an individual police station. Before making collection or shipping arrangements, confirm the following:

• The name of the police station or Lost and Found Center holding the item
• The reference number (also called a report number or acceptance number)
• A description of the item and, if available, the date it was turned in
• Any collection deadline and identification requirements

If you received a notification from the police, a railway company, a bank or a mobile phone provider, keep that message or letter. It may contain information needed to claim your property.

2. Can Someone Collect Your Lost Property on Your Behalf?

Yes, in many cases. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department allows an authorized representative to collect an item when the required documents are presented and the police have verified entitlement to the property.

According to the police’s English-language guidance, documents for collection by a representative generally include:

• The representative’s valid identification
• A photocopy of the owner’s valid identification
• A Letter of Authorization (委任状 / ininjō)
• The item’s reference number
• Any notification letter received, if applicable
• A Lost Property Report (遺失届), if you have not already filed one with the police — even if your item has already been found

The Lost Property Report is part of the Tokyo police’s published document requirements when no previous report has been filed. Finding your item does not remove this requirement. The exact procedure should be confirmed with the office holding your item before arranging collection. The owner may need to complete and submit certain documents personally.

Official Tokyo Metropolitan Police lost-property forms (English)

3. Can the Tokyo Police Send Lost Property Directly Overseas?

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department provides a procedure for sending recovered property to an address within Japan, after the necessary verification and at the claimant’s expense. Its published English-language procedure does not offer direct international delivery.

Depending on the item and the police office’s instructions, a practical arrangement may be:

1. Confirm the item and the office holding it.
2. Arrange the necessary authorization and identification documents.
3. Request domestic delivery from the police to an agreed address in Japan, or arrange authorized in-person collection where appropriate.
4. Have the recovered item prepared for international shipment.
5. Send the item to the owner’s overseas address using an eligible shipping service.

Domestic shipping from the police is generally charged to the recipient. Contact the police office before submitting a Property Shipping Request; the exact procedure and permitted delivery arrangements must be confirmed in advance. The police also offer an online domestic-delivery application route for certain recovered items.

Official police guidance for people who have already left Japan

4. How Japan Luggage Express Can Help

Japan Luggage Express is a Japan-based international shipping company that has served customers since 1995. In addition to international moving services, we assist travelers who need to recover and ship belongings left behind in Japan.

For items held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, our assistance may include:

• Communicating in Japanese with the relevant police office to confirm collection or domestic-delivery arrangements
• Explaining the steps and documents required for an authorized representative
• Receiving the item in Japan by domestic courier, when the police approve this arrangement
• Arranging collection by a representative when necessary and feasible
• Preparing appropriate packing and international shipping documentation
• Arranging overseas shipment when the contents are acceptable to the carrier and the destination country

Important: We are an independent private service, not part of or affiliated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The police decide whether property may be released and what identification or authorization they require. Collection and international shipping are not possible for every item.

5. What Types of Lost Property Can Be Shipped Overseas?

Shipping possibilities depend on the item’s contents, the shipping method and the destination country’s import rules. Common inquiries involve clothing, bags, wallets, keys and small personal belongings, but acceptance must be checked individually.

Some items need extra care:

• Wallets and cash: International postal and courier services generally prohibit sending cash. A wallet may need to be handled separately from its cash contents.
• Mobile phones and electronic devices: Smartphones, laptops, cameras and similar devices with batteries installed can generally be shipped internationally when they meet the applicable conditions for the destination and carrier. We can check the available shipping options for your device.
• Power banks and battery-powered portable chargers: These are different from ordinary phones or laptops. We cannot arrange international shipment of power banks or portable chargers containing built-in rechargeable batteries. Ordinary charging cables and plug-in AC adapters without batteries are not affected by this restriction.
• Passports and identity documents: Special rules may apply; consult the issuing authority and carrier before arranging shipment.
• Perfume, aerosols and other hazardous contents: These may be prohibited from international transport.
• High-value or regulated items: Additional verification, customs documentation or permits may be necessary.

We cannot guarantee shipment until the exact item, destination and available carrier services have been checked. Please disclose the contents accurately when contacting us.

6. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Lost and Found Center: Contact Details

The central Lost and Found Center is not necessarily where your particular item is stored. Always check the notification or ask which office is responsible before visiting or sending paperwork.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

I have already returned to my country. Can I still recover my property?

Often, yes. The police permit collection by an authorized representative and may also arrange domestic shipment after proper verification. We can review whether onward international shipping is feasible.

The police told me I need a representative in Japan to collect or receive my lost property on my behalf. Can you help?

Yes, this is the kind of assistance Japan Luggage Express provides. Depending on the instructions of the police office holding your item, we may arrange to receive it by domestic delivery or have it collected by an authorized representative. We can then arrange international shipping to your address if the item is eligible for shipment. Please send us the police office name, your reference number and a description of the item so we can review the arrangements.

Is a Letter of Authorization required?

It is normally required when another person collects your lost property on your behalf. The police also specify documentation for delivery to a third-party recipient in Japan. If you have not filed a Lost Property Report, one is also required even when the property has already been located. Please follow the instructions of the office holding the item.

How long will the Tokyo police keep my lost property?

As a general rule, lost property is held for three months from the date it was turned in to the police. Rights to recover it may be lost after the applicable period, so do not delay making arrangements.

My wallet contains cash. Can you send the entire wallet abroad?

Cash is generally not accepted in international mail or courier shipments. The options for any recovered cash must be discussed separately; do not assume that the entire contents can be sent together.

Can you help if my lost item has not yet been found?

You may still send us an inquiry with the item description and the location where you believe it was lost. We may be able to assist with inquiries to relevant parties, but finding or recovering the item cannot be guaranteed.

How much will collection and international shipping cost?

Charges depend on the method of recovery, whether domestic courier delivery or personal collection is required, packing needs, the overseas destination, and the item’s size, weight and contents. Contact us with the details for an individual estimate.

8. Request Assistance with Lost Property in Tokyo

If the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have located your property, please include as much of the following information as you know when contacting us: the item description, name of the police office, reference number, any communication from the police, and your destination country. You do not need to send copies of sensitive identification documents in your first inquiry.

This page is an independent guide, not an official police publication. Police procedures, carrier acceptance rules and overseas import requirements may change. The responsible police office’s instructions take precedence.