A Large Amount of Money Discovered in the Trash

Close Up Japan | ごみの中から見つかった大金

A Large Amount of Money Discovered in the Trash

In April last year 42,510,000 yen was found at a garbage collection point in Numata City, Gunma Prefecture. Besides this, large amounts of money have been found in several other places, and this has led to a great deal of debate over why this cash was thrown away. There have also been many similar cases in the past. In most cases, as the legitimate owner of the money did not appear, people assumed the money was dirty and had to be thrown away. On the other hand, some people take the view that it is cash stashed under a mattress. That is, cash kept at home instead of being deposited into a bank. The total amount (of this kind of cash in Japan) is thought to be around 45 trillion yen and the majority of it is held by the elderly. Many non-Japanese people are surprised by the fact that those who find such money report it to the police. The total amount of money reported to the police is over 15 billion yen a year and three quarters of this is returned to the rightful owner. While the underlying cause of this lies in the shrinking size of families and in an aging society, you can also say that the phenomenon highlights the strong moral sense of Japanese people. If the legitimate owner of the lost item does not come forward within three months, the person who finds it becomes the new owner. April 25 is the “Day of Recovered Articles.”

昨年さくねん
skaunenn
last year
4月しがつ
shigatsu,
(in) April
群馬県ぐんまけん
gunnmakenn
Gunma Prefecture
沼田市ぬまたし
numatashi
Numata City
no
in
ごみ集積所しゅうせきじょ
gomi shuusekijo
(a) garbage collection point
de
at
4,251万よんせんにひゃくごじゅういちまんえん
yonnsennnihyaku gojyuuichi mann enn ga
forty-two million five hundred ten thousand yen
つかりました。
mitsukari mashita.
was found
そのほか
sono hoka
besides this
いくつかの
ikutsukano
several (other)
場所ばしょ
basho
places
から
kara
in
mo
[also]
大金たいきん
taikinn ga
large amounts of money
つかり、
mitsukari,
have been found and
なぜ
naze
why
てられたのかが
suterareta noka ga
(this cash) was thrown away
おおきな話題わだい
ookina wadai ni
a great deal of debate (over)
なりました。
narimashita.
(this) has led to
過去かこ
kako
(the) past
にも
nimo
in also
これに
soreni nita
similar
ケースけーす
ke-su ga
cases
たくさん
takusann
many
ありました。
arimashita.
there have been
おおくの
ookuno
most
場合ばあい
baai,
in cases
かね
okane
(the) money
no
of
ぬし
mochinushi ga
(the) legitimate owner
あらわれないこと
arawarenai koto
did not appear
から、
kara,
as
てなければならなかった
sutenakereba naranakatta
had to be thrown away (and)
不正ふせい
fusei no
dirty
かね
okane
(the) money
では
deha
was
との
tono
[that]
見方みかたがあります。
mikata ga arimasu.
(people) assumed
その一方いっぽうで、
sono ippou de,
on the other hand
タンスたんす預金よきん
tannsu yokinn
(it is) cash stashed under (a)mattress
との
tono
that
見方みかたもあります。
mikata mo arimasu.
some (people) take (the) view
これは、
koreha,
that
銀行ぎんこう
ginnkou
(a) bank
ni
into
あずけず
azukezu
instead of being deposited
いえ
ie
home
ni
at
保有ほゆうしている
hoyuu shiteiru
kept
現金げんきんのこと
gennkinn no koto
cash
です。
desu.
is
このしゅ
kono shu
this kind
no
of
現金げんきん
gennkinn
cash (in Japan)
no
of
総額そうがく
sougaku ha
(the) total amount
45兆よんじゅうごちょうえん
yonnjuugo chouenn
forty-five trillion yen
とも試算しさんされ、
tomo shisann sare,
to be around and
その大部分だいぶぶん
sono daibubunn ha
the majority (of it)
高齢者こうれいしゃ
koureisha
the elderly
ga
by
保有ほゆうしていると
hoyuu shiteiru to
is held
いわれます。
iwaremasu.
is thought
どもたちが
kodomotachi ga
(their) children
独立どくりつし、
dokuritsu shi,
live away from home as
おや
oya ga
(their) parents
くなった
nakunatta
die
ときに
toki ni
(so) when
どもが
kodomo ga
they <children>
かくされたおかね
kakusareta okane ni
(any) stashed cash
づかずに
kidukazu ni
are not aware of
ごみ
gomi
garbage
として
toshite
as
処分しょぶんしたのでは
shobunn shita nodeha
(it) is disposed (of)
to
that
推測すいそくされています。
suisoku sarete imasu.
(it) is thought
こうした
koushita
such
かね
okane no
money
発見者はっけんしゃ
hakkennsha ga
those (who) find
警察けいさつ
keisatsu
(the) police
he
to
とど
todokederu
report (it)
ことに
koto ni
by (the) fact (that)
おどろ
odoroku
are surprised
外国人がいこくじん
gaikokujinn ha
non-Japanese people
すくなくありません。
sukunaku arimasenn.
many
警察けいさつ
keisatsu
(the) police
ni
to
とどけられる
todokerareru
reported
かね
okane no
of money
総額そうがく
sougaku ha
(the) total amount
年間ねんかん
nennkann
a year
150億ひゃくごじゅうおくえん
hyakugojyuuoku enn
fifteen billion yen
以上いじょう
ijyou
over
です
desu
is
が、
ga,
and
およそ
oyoso
[about]
4よんぶん3さん
yonnbunnno sann ga
three quarters (of this)
ぬし
mochinushi
(the) rightful owner
ni
to
もどっています。
modotte imasu.
is returned
この背景はいけいには
kono haikei niha
(the) underlying cause of this
日本にほん
nihonn no
[in Japan]
核家族化かくかぞくか
kakukazokuka,
(the) shrinking size of families
高齢化こうれいか
koureika no
(and in an) aging society
問題もんだい
monndai ga
[problem]
ある
aru
lies in
一方いっぽう
ippou,
while
日本人にほんじん
nihonnjinn
Japanese people
no
of
モラルもらる
moraru no
(the) moral sense
たかさを
takasa wo
strong
あらわしている
arawashite iru
(the phenomenon) highlights
とも
tomo
that also
いえます。
iemasu.
(you) can say
3さんカ月かげつ
sannkagetsu
three months
以内いない
inai ni
within
ぬし
mochinushi ga
(the) legitimate owner (of the lost item)
あらわれない
arawarenai
does not come forward
場合ばあいは、
baai ha,
if
発見者はっけんしゃ
hakkennsha ga
(the) person (who) finds (it)
かね取得しゅとくすることになります。
okane wo shutoku surukoto ni narimasu.
becomes (the) new owner
4月しがつ25にじゅうごにち
shigatsu nijyuugo nichi ha
April twenty-fifth
拾得物しゅうとくぶつ
shuutokubutsu no hi
Recovered Articles of (the) Day
です。
desu.
is

More from Hiragana Times

Learn anytime, anywhere and experience more on app

Explore Japanese culture with Hiragana Times

Subscribe
00:00 / 00:00