09.19
in japan you will often find items perched on top of something, such as in the image above. these are lost items, or wasuremono (忘れ物). it’s japan’s version of a social lost-and-found.
when somebody finds a lost item, they place it on top of something near by so that it is easily visible. the item is left there in hopes that the person that lost it will return to pick it up. i have seen small change (40 yen) that was found in a vending machine placed on a window sill next to the machine. it was there for weeks.
i have even seen items stay in such places for over a year! someone had lost a small key, not a house key but more likely for a bicycle lock chain or something like that. someone else found the key and hung it on a clothes hanger from a tree next to where the key was found. i saw it on my way to work every day for over a year. amazing.
can you imagine that happening in your country? i know in the US somebody would eventually take it for themselves or throw it away.
here are some lost glasses by kamogawa, kyoto.
a lost hat in the bamboo grove in arashiyama, kyoto.
hats seem to be a commonly lost item. at osaka castle.
a lonely umbrella. hopefully it’s owner will find it before it rains. at osaka castle park.
a forgotten camera bag at fushimi-inari-taisha.
bead bracelets like this one are very popular in japan right now. i found it laying in a ray of sunlight in koya-san.
how long do you think it will take for the owner to realize his/her jacket is missing? no worries, the owner could come back in weeks and the jacket will still be there. :)
as winter approaches, lost gloves are commonly found. this one is in-front of a shrine in shirakawa-go.
another lost glove i found in shirakawa-go. this one is at the top of the hill overlooking the village. if it does not find its owner, it will live in eternal loneliness, as gloves are created to live in pairs. perhaps it can get together with the other lost glove in town.
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