I feel like I’ve done everything I can to try and find it, and still it hasn’t turned up. I’ve called three different lost item centers, inquired in-person at the station beyond the last one where I saw it, and even filed a police report. Maybe I’ve done all I can do and I should just accept the loss, but I can’t bring myself to do that. Beyond the monetary and sentimental value of its contents, I keep getting hung up on the fear that it is somewhere safe waiting for me to claim it, but my limited Japanese has prevented me from accessing it.
This is the model of the backpack. It contains a laptop, a switch, a change of clothes, some contact lenses, glasses and sunglasses each in their own case, a light blue clock-shaped plushie, a USB-C charging cable, a portable phone charger, some homemade peanut butter cookies in a Ziploc bag, a water bottle in one side pocket, an umbrella in the other, and perhaps most distressingly, a 45-day supply of Cymbalta. I got a 90-day advance supply for this trip, and I at least had the forethought to keep the two 45-capsule bottles in different bags, but the pill bottle is important not only because I need my prescription, but it also has my name on it. I can prove ownership of the contents by matching that bottle with the one I have.
I arrived in Japan at around 1:00 PM JST. After going through customs and collecting my baggage, I got on the first train leaving the Haneda Airport station. This was a mistake because I didn’t understand the Japanese rail system as well as I thought I did. After a few stops, I looked at google maps on my phone, and noticed the GPS pin was moving farther away from Tokyo, my actual destination. I was confused, tired, and alone, and I got off the train at Keikyu-Kawasaki Station, intending to board one going back the opposite direction. I noticed my shoulders feeling light and, too late, I turned back toward the train to see its doors closing, and it pulled away, my backpack still on the overheard storage rack. Completely ignorant of the rail system and not wanting to risk further loss, I got on the next train going back toward Haneda.
I don’t really expect anyone reading this to have seen my bag, let alone have it in their possession. I’m also asking because, I don’t know, I’m kind of hoping that maybe somebody knows something else I can try? Or maybe someone can share an experience they’ve had with finding a lost item after a week had passed? I’m just not ready to give up yet. I want to at least feel like I’m still doing something about it.
13 comments
Hey, sorry for your trouble, but I’d say there is hope. It takes a long time (maybe several hours or a day or two) for 1. the train to reach it’s end stop and get cleaned/checked, 2. then reported to the lost and found center 3. Placed in holding with contents checked. Every rail company has a hotline/website or chat service you can call to describe your belongings and they will give you a lost item serial number and tell you where to go.
They likely have an English speaking staff, but not too sure on that.
Looking at Keikyu site in Japanese tou can either 1.
visit the closest Keikyu station and ask; 2. Call any of the stations on Keikyu line; or 3. Call the Keikyu hotline service (japanese only?)
Here’s their website where I got the info
https://www1.fastcloud.jp/keikyufaq/keikyucall/web/knowledge160.html
It turns out they have the English version
https://www1.fastcloud.jp/keikyufaq/keikyucall-en/web/category245.html
I hope that helps.
I’m so sorry this happened, and hope you find your bag. Maybe also post in the Tokyo and/or travel subreddits?
Hope you find it OP
Hope you find it. In the mid 90’s we had a guy leave a camera bag on a train, it was recovered several days later. Hope your situation is similar.
Have you figured out which station was that train’s end of the line station? It should be at that station’s lost and found. But will probably be sent to a more central lost and found location eventually.
You should write out the time, date, train line, route, car # (near the front or back of the train), direction it was headed. See if you can get a Japanese speaker to help with contacting those stations, or at least translate your description of bag and the train you left it on.
You will probably have to deal with some bureaucracy to get it back- having a very clear ID of the train you left it on should help.
And BREATHE! Don’t beat yourself up.
THIS. HAPPENS. ALL. THE. TIME.
Those overhead racks are a menace!
Chin up, Godspeed, and riding that train to the end of the line could be a grand adventure in the making.
Good luck, we found ours. Our backpack went to Tokyo and we went to Gifu. I was able to fill out a lost and found with zero Japanese and the JR lost and found guys had zero english. It was a little confusing to get the bag back. We had to go to two lost and founds before we were at the right one. So maybe checking if they have other lost and found locations and if they move stuff to those ones.
You said you’ve called three different lost and founds. Were those the Keikyu, Toei Asakusa line and Keisei line centers? The Keikyu trains run on those three lines. It might be that your bag travelled to the end of the line, then doubled back and finished up at Narita on the Keisei line or something like that. Anyway, if you haven’t tried Keisei, give it a shot.
For anyone in the future in this situation, the best course of action is to find a station attendant at your station ASAP. Do **not** do what the OP did and just leave the area. That way they will know exactly what train your bag is on and they could potentially have an attendant down the line grab the bag so you can travel there and pick it up.
Dont worry! japan is the best place to forget something on a train!
It happened to me with my wallet, and I collect it from Lost and Found the very next day
I don’t have any info or tips to offer at this point in the game, but for future—invest in some apple air tags. I got one for each of our bags when we travel and it’s been a game-changer.
So sorry you’re going through this. Post this in r/japanlife as well. Maybe some daily commuter found it.
Many years ago my friend was able to retrieve his backpack that was left on the Shinkansen. By the time he realised that he had left his bag, the train was gone and when a local noticed that we were looking for something he helped us by taking us to lost and found and speaking to them in Japanese. The bag was there with everything (including a lot of Japanese yen) still in inside. It’s likely your bag is waiting for you somewhere, good luck!
Had a double same experience on my trip in Japan…
One of my camera lenses roll out of the bag right in Narita Airport when arriving. They found it and even send it at my hostel the day after!
With 2 calls and a little inquiry from their part, as simple as that!
Same thing 2 weeks later: I left my JR pass on the seat when leaving the train. The difference is that I immediately talk with a station employee who helped me with my poor Japanese and Google Trad. Everything was handled by them. They even tell me to go have my museum visit and to came back a few hours later. When I came back they issued me a free ticket, and was accompanied by an other employee at arrival to help me find back my JR pass at the Lost & Found!
Let them a little time: Japan is the safest place where you can lost something!
Come back tell us how did it work!