Kyoto police overwhelmed by lost property such as earbuds and smartphones
KYOTO - Kyoto Prefectural Police are struggling with a flood of lost property. They handled about 630,000 found-item cases in 2025, the second-highest
Kyoto Prefectural Police are facing a surge in lost property cases, handling over 630,000 items in 2025, making it the second-highest total since records began in 1971. The police have increased staff to support local stations, but are still struggling to keep up with the workload. The most common lost items are identification documents, wallets, securities, and mobile phones.
A notable increase is in the number of lost wireless earbuds, despite their small size. The heavy workload is due to both the growing number of lost items and modern life circumstances. The storage room at Nakagyo Police Station is hot and humid, making sorting tasks challenging. Staff face additional challenges due to the increasing number of foreign tourists and hotel reports, reflecting a growing awareness of compliance requirements.
Despite the growing burden, police aim to return as many items as possible to their rightful owners.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
