12/04/2024
Japanese honesty: we have the wallet now! It’s amazing how in a city with millions of people, 2 taxi drivers helped me find my wallet. My husband and i decided to take a taxi from asakusa to tokyo station around 4:30 am to take the shinkassen to osaka at 6. We arrived around 4:40 am. My wallet slipped out of my pocket when we left the taxi and went into the station. I realized a few minutes later that my wallet was missing. A police man walked me to the closest police station and i filled out a form. There was a language barrier but the police men were very patient and kind to me. I asked many questions and answered many questions using google translate. I thought i had lost my receipt with the wallet too. There wasn’t anything else we could do except fill out the forms since i didn’t know what taxi number or company the original taxi driver was. I knew I bought travel insurance but I was so scared and didn’t know where to start.
We walked back to the front of Tokyo station and debated what we should do. My partner remembered a feature on the taxi and another taxi with the same logo had just dropped another passenger at the station. I asked the driver to help me find the phone number of the company. He helped me beyond expectation without the receipt. I started rummaging through my items again and actually found the receipt! This was what helped him help me. He was so very kind, patient, and we communicated through google translate. He called the company and they found the original taxi driver. After 1 hr of back and forth and the 2nd taxi driver staying with us the entire time, he got a call back saying they found my wallet and passport! The one who helped us even went to a convenience store and bought us each a drink. The original taxi driver came back and gave me the passport. Between the 3 of us, there was lots of bowing, thank you, me asking what i can do to repay them. The original taxi driver even tried to pay the 2nd one! The 2nd one refused! I tried to offer payment and they refused! I honestly wished i could of tipped them or offered something for helping me thoughout this whole thing. I wish i would have written down the taxi number of the 2nd one and try to send a thank you note or something.
We lost my wallet around 4:40 am and the wallet was given back to me closer to 7am. Both taxi drivers gave up their time and helped a foreigner out. What a wonderful experience and wish only the world, could be like these two. I missed the train but I gained a new experience i will never forget.
A few things i learned.
1. Even with deep pockets in my jacket, my wallet still managed to slip out. Better to buy jackets with pocket zippers.
2. When riding a taxi, keep the receipts!
3. Know the company and taxi number.
4. Suica has limited information. I was thinking it would tell us what company at least but it did not.
5. Japanese people, especially taxi driver 2, are some amazing people. Kind, considerate, forgiving, and full of patience. Japan is amazing, but the people even better. I’ll never forget these 2 hrs of my life.
Update: a very kind gentleman is helping me. We think we may have found it!
Please help me. I lost my wallet with my passport and MN id in a taxi at tokyo station. The taxi was black and box shape. What company is that? I used suica to pay.
