Finders Keepers in Japan

“Finders keepers …losers weepers.”   This is a saying that I frequently heard growing up and one that I often used myself. If I found a quarter by the side of the road it was “Finders keepers….” and the quarter went into my pocket.  In Japanese society there seems to be no such concept. My daughters attended Japanese pre- school/kindergarten and were taught that if you find anything that is not yours, you should try to find the owner. Our eldest daughter, Kristina, once found a purse with the equivalent of about seven cents. She and I took it to the police station and the policemen had us fill out some paperwork and then thanked her for turning it in.

People in the west have been amazed that there have been almost no reports of looting in the earthquake and tsunami devastated areas.  The village of Minami Souma is only about 15 miles from the Fukushima nuclear reactors and many people have left the area. We made a brief stop there on our recent visit.  In the midst of all of the rubble people have been looking for items that might have value to their owners. We found a small shed by the side of the road where these items have been placed, so that their owners might be able to retrieve them.