18 million yen in cash found in Niigata garbage

On Monday, Niigata Prefectural Police announced that they had received a report of the discovery of approximately 18 million yen (approximately $115,000) in cash. According to police, an employee discovered the money among scrap materials at a business establishment in Niigata City sometime in November. It was later handed over to the Niigata Kita Police Station. In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation and verify the identity of the true owner, details about the circumstances surrounding the discovery have not been disclosed.

No owner has come forward yet

Police waited until December 8 for the owners to come forward, but when no one came forward, they went ahead with the announcement. Under the Lost Property Act, cash can be held by police for up to three months from the date it is discovered. If the owner does not show up within that period, the person who found the money on the business premises will be entitled to collect the entire amount. Police said it was the highest amount found in the county since counting began in 2018.

Photo credit: Victoria Bennett

8 million yen in cash discovered in Niigata in 2023

The Niigata Kita Police Station also received a report in 2023 that approximately 8 million yen in cash was found. Since the owner did not come forward, the entire amount was refunded to the whistleblower. That same year, 10 million yen was discovered at a recycling center in Sapporo’s Kita Ward. Police said they received 16 inquiries that the item might belong to them. Lost property reports were filed in 12 of the cases, but there was insufficient evidence to support any claims.

In 2024, in Tokyo alone, the value of cash turned in as lost property reached a record 4.49 billion yen (approximately US$30 million), an increase of 1.8% from the previous year. The maximum amount of cash in a single transaction is approximately 11.6 million yen. About 3.2 billion yen was returned to the various owners, and about 570 million yen was returned to the people who found the money. The rest becomes revenue for metropolitan governments. In total, some 4.4 million items were handed over to police, including identity documents and electronic devices.

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Updated on December 11, 2025