Losing My Passport In Japan

After a long 12.5-hour flight from LAX to HND, I finally touched down in Tokyo, Japan. I was so eager to enter Japan that I actually forgot my suit on the plane, but thankfully one of the flight attendants chased me down to hand it to me. As I was walking to the immigration line, I was carrying my backpack and camera bag while holding my passport wallet in one hand and my suit in the other. I was a disorganized mess. After a long walk through the fairly new and clean International Terminal at Haneda Airport, I finally made it to the immigration booths. I was sent to foreign passport control only to encounter some issues. I was sent to five different immigration officers only to discover that I was supposed to go through the long-term visitor line. Once I finally made it through the correct line, the immigration officer scanned my two index fingers and took a picture. I was issued a residence card (similar to the Green Card in the U.S.) and I was on my way. After meeting some fellow study abroad students, I received my luggage and duffle bag. I organized my bags and with my passport wallet still in hand, I was on my way through customs. Since I had nothing to declare, I was allowed to pass through. I now headed over to a kiosk to purchase a Limousine Bus ticket to the Hotel Metropolitan in Ikebukuro to meet with fellow TUJ staff and get checked in to my dorm in Takadanobaba. While purchasing my ticket, I was asked to enter a PIN number for my credit card. What? I didn’t know my PIN so I tried again with my Debit card and purchased the ticket. It was at this point that I misplaced my passport, along with all of my money that I forgot to convert to Yen. I didn’t realize I had lost my passport until I had boarded the bus. Once the doors closed, it was too late. After conducting a thorough search of my belongings and of the bus, I contacted the airport. With the assistance of a bilingual TUJ student, I contacted Haneda Airport to explain my situation. The nice lady I was speaking to on the phone said that nothing had popped up, but she did give me a confirmation number and I made an “appointment” to visit Haneda Airport on a later date. I informed my dorm manager of the situation and two days later I informed TUJ’s office of student services. I gave the office my confirmation number and they contacted Haneda Airport on my behalf. I received an email later that day from the Office of Student Services stating that Haneda Airport has my passport! I was so happy. After a long, long day at the Shinjuku Ward Office getting my Residence Card registered and receiving National Health Insurance, I could finally relax knowing that my passport was safe and sound.

This painful experience goes to show how safe Japan is. I had heard stories from my friends about people who left their laptops in the middle of the train station only to come back and pick up their laptop at the exact spot they left it. I was also told by a friend of mine who did Semester at Sea that “Japan is the best place to lose your passport.” While I was hoping that this wasn’t going to happen, I was prepared for this very situation. Thankfully, I was assured by several people on the program, mainly my dorm manager, that there was a very high chance that somebody found my passport and turned it in to lost and found. While I would normally say I was incredibly lucky, I believe this is standard in Japan. I am forever thankful for everybody who helped me through this tough time.

I will be heading back to Haneda Airport in a couple days to retrieve my passport. While I don’t ever want this to occur, if you’re ever abroad and lose your passport, I hope you’re in Japan because there’s a good chance you’ll get it back.

I will be posting a flight review soon.

UPDATE (Jan 13, 2018): I picked up my passport at Haneda Airport along with all of my money. Service was great, staff even spoke English (although I tried my best to speak Japanese). Japan is definately the best place to lose your passport!