During my recent trip to Nagoya, Japan, I experienced every traveler’s nightmare: I accidentally left my backpack on the JR Shinkansen.
I was traveling from Kyoto to Nagoya and had dozed off during the ride. When the train arrived, I woke up and hurriedly grabbed my jacket and wheeled luggage. In my rush to get off, I completely forgot that my backpack was stored in the overhead compartment. It wasn’t until I had already left the platform that I realized it was missing.
Under normal circumstances, I might have stayed calm—but the backpack contained over $300 in cash and my spare mobile phone. Panic set in almost immediately.
Reporting the Loss
To file the report, I had to provide several details:
-Shinkansen train model and number
-Approximate time of the incident
-Boarding and alighting stations
-Seat number (mine was a reserved seat)
-Description of the lost baggage, its brand and the contents
-A photo of the baggage if available
I was told that my backpack, if found, could not be delivered to me in Nagoya (which I later discovered wasn’t entirely true). The office also could not contact me, I was advised to check back the next day, either in person or by phone. Unfortunately, I had already booked a full-day tour for the following day, and the hotel staff could not make the call to the office on my behalf.
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| Japan Nagoya Lost & Found office's contact details |
Backpack Recovery - Stroke of Luck
As lost & found items can take a day or two to be logged into the system, I decided to submit a report through the dedicated Lost & Found JR’s Line Chat service that night. This would allow them to contact me directly if the backpack was found.
Thankfully, the very next day afternoon I received a message: a backpack matching my description had been found at Tokyo Station—the terminal stop of the Shinkansen I had taken. I was given two days to collect it from the JR Tokyo Lost & Found office before it would be transferred to the main office. Below is a screenshot of their message to me.
In the message there was an option for courier delivery, but I wasn’t sure how long that would take or whether I’d need to be present at the hotel to receive it. In the end, I decided not to risk it and booked the train to Tokyo the next day to collect it personally— an unplanned solo day trip that cost me about $200. Lost items must be collected in person, unless an authorization letter is issued for someone else to collect on behalf.
With the collection form I received from the Nagoya Lost & Found office, I made my way to the JR Tokyo Lost & Found office. The process was surprisingly straightforward. They verified my passport details to confirm I was the person who filed the report and asked me to confirm the contents of my backpack.
Everything inside was intact—cash, phone, and all—except for my bottled water, which they had discarded.
Lessons Learned
This experience reinforced a few important travel lessons:
Always check your seat and overhead compartment before alighting, especially when you’re tired or rushing.
Take photos of your luggage and belongings before traveling—it makes filing a lost item report much easier.
Apple users should consider using AirTags to track luggage (unfortunately, I’m not one of them).
Honestly, I believe that if this had happened in many other countries, my backpack would likely have been lost forever. Japan’s efficiency and honesty turned a stressful situation into a story with a happy ending—and one I won’t forget anytime soon.
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| A shot of Mt Fuji from the train enroute to Tokyo from Nagoya |
