TOKYO - An AI-powered service that allows users to easily search for lost items is gaining traction across Japan, as railway operators and other transportation services adopt new technology to streamline the recovery process.
Rows of umbrellas in various colors and shapes, numbering in the hundreds and nearly overflowing from shelves, represent just a fraction of the lost property collected. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Lost and Found Center, both the number of items and their total value reported to police in Tokyo in 2025 reached record highs.
Amid this surge, Keio Corporation’s lost and found office continues to receive a steady stream of visitors. People arrive to reclaim a wide range of items, from bags and graduation certificates left behind on the last train to umbrellas and part-time job uniforms mistakenly forgotten.
To handle such cases more efficiently, a web-based search service called “find,” powered by AI, has been introduced, enabling users to locate lost items with ease. The service is now being adopted more widely.
Akiko Tokaichi, a public relations representative at find Inc., said the platform is already in use across approximately 3,500 locations nationwide, primarily within transportation networks, with around 10,000 lost items registered daily.
The system works by having station staff or on-site personnel photograph found items using smartphones and upload the images to the platform. Meanwhile, individuals who have lost belongings can access the service online and input details such as “white towel handkerchief with a heart pattern.”
Once the information is submitted, AI automatically cross-references the inquiry with registered items based on their features and descriptions. Items with a high likelihood of matching are identified, and operators then provide responses to the individual.
This process eliminates the need to call stations or visit in person, allowing users to search through vast amounts of data simply by entering details on their smartphones. The service is available 24 hours a day.
Users have praised the system for its convenience, noting that it reduces the burden on busy station staff while remaining simple and intuitive to use.
By the end of 2025, a cross-search service will also launch, allowing data sharing among approximately 20 companies, including Japan Taxi, enabling users to search lost items across multiple operators.
Furthermore, starting April 1st in the new fiscal year, the service will be introduced at JR East, with plans to expand availability to JR companies nationwide by 2026.
The lost item search service, which is spreading primarily among transportation providers, aims for further evolution. Tokaichi said the goal is to make the system usable in any location where lost items occur, with improved accuracy by prioritizing results based on the likelihood of a match.
As the technology continues to develop, the days of feeling helpless after losing something valuable may soon become a thing of the past.
Source: FNN
