Japan is renowned for its safety and honesty, where lost belongings often make their way back to their owners, untouched.
A Malaysian woman recently experienced this firsthand when she accidentally left her iPad outside what appeared to be a halal ramen restaurant in Japan.
TikTok user @_intanizzaty shared a video detailing the nerve-wracking experience. She had unknowingly left her iPad behind at the restaurant where she dined. Realizing her mistake later, she was overcome with distress, even breaking down in tears.
To make matters worse, she was unable to contact the restaurant as it had already closed for the night at 10:30 PM.
However, the next morning, as she and her husband returned to the location, he spotted the iPad still sitting atop a signboard outside the restaurant. Without hesitation, he ran ahead to retrieve it and handed it back to a relieved and grateful @_intanizzaty.
In her caption, she revealed that this wasn’t the only time she had lost something on the trip—she had also left behind her bag but managed to get it back as well!
“Ya Allah, the safety in Japan is truly incredible! That’s why I never skip traveling there every year.
“However, this trip had its share of mishaps—I accidentally left behind my iPad and my bag. Alhamdulillah, I managed to recover both! I was really worried someone might take them, especially since the shop was crowded with people lining up to eat.
“But the Japanese have such a strong sense of minding their own business that even if they see a misplaced iPad, they won’t take it—because it doesn’t belong to them.”
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Her TikTok video has since gone viral, amassing over 740,000 views, with many Malaysians sharing their own experiences of losing items in Japan and having them safely returned.
Some netizens couldn’t help but compare the situation to Malaysia, highlighting the stark difference in attitudes toward lost belongings.
@latasamboi8621 remarked, “If this were Malaysia, even a pair of RM2 Japanese slippers would be stolen—let alone valuable items!”
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@kristianashop shared, “One time, I left my stuff at a bus station for just a moment to grab my skincare, and it got stolen.”
Other Malaysians also recounted their positive experiences with Japan’s honesty.
@nizamxx3500 shared, “I once took a taxi and accidentally left behind an envelope full of money. I only realized it after checking into my hotel. When I went down to the lobby, the taxi driver had already returned it. Phew... what a relief—it was one million yen!”
Another netizen, @Lexi, echoed similar sentiments, sharing an incredible story of her friend’s lost wallet: “True! My friend left her wallet full of money at the Uniqlo Ginza café cashier. She only realized it after a few hours. Guess what? The wallet was still there with all the money intact. So damn impressed!”
