①A finder must promptly return the property of which the finder made a finding to the person who lost it or submit it to the chief of a police station; provided, however, that property that falls under things the possession of which is prohibited by laws and regulations and property that is recognized as having been in the possession of the perpetrator of a crime must be promptly submitted to the chief of a police station.

②Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, a finder (excluding the facility occupant of the facility concerned) who has made a finding of property (excluding buried things; the same applies in Section 3) in a facility must promptly deliver that property to the facility occupant of that facility.

③The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs do not apply to a finder who has requested, under Article 35, paragraph (3) of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (Act No. 105 of 1973), the taking over of property that is a dog or cat prescribed in that paragraph.

When the chief of a police station has received a submission under paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (referred to simply as "submission" in this Section), the chief is to issue to the finder, as provided by National Public Safety Commission Rules, a document certifying that the submission was received.

The chief of a police station is to return the property received in a submission to the person who lost it.

①If the chief of a police station is unable to identify the person who lost the property received in a submission or is unable to ascertain that person's whereabouts, the chief must give public notice of the following matters:

②The public notice under the preceding paragraph (referred to simply as "public notice" in this Section) is to be given by posting the matters listed in the items of that paragraph on the bulletin board of the police station.

③The chief of a police station may, in lieu of the posting under the preceding paragraph, keep at the police station a document stating the matters listed in the items of paragraph (1) and allow persons concerned to inspect it freely at any time.

④Even after giving public notice, the chief of a police station must continue the measures provided for in the preceding two paragraphs for three months from the date of the public notice (six months in the case of buried things), except where the person who lost the property has been identified.

⑤If the property received in a submission by the chief of a police station is seized under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 131 of 1948) before public notice is given, the chief may, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), refrain from giving public notice. In this case, when the chief has received the return of that property, the chief must give public notice.

①If the property on which the chief of a police station of the prefectural police concerned has given public notice is valuable property specified by National Public Safety Commission Rules, the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department or the chief of the police headquarters of Hokkaido or of a prefecture (referred to as "Chief of Prefectural Police Headquarters") is to notify the other Chiefs of Prefectural Police Headquarters of the following matters:

②A Chief of Prefectural Police Headquarters is to publish, by use of the Internet or by other means, as provided by National Public Safety Commission Rules, information on property on which the chief of a police station of the prefectural police concerned has given public notice and property of which it has been notified by another Chief of Prefectural Police Headquarters under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

①If the property received in a submission by the chief of a police station is liable to be lost or damaged, or its custody requires excessive expense or effort, the chief may sell it as provided by Cabinet Order; provided, however, that this does not apply to property that falls under any of the things listed in the items of Article 35.

②In addition to what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, if the property received in a submission by the chief of a police station (excluding buried things and property that falls under any of the things listed in the items of Article 35) falls under any of the things listed in the following items, and the person who lost it is not identified within two weeks from the date of the public notice, the chief may sell it as provided by Cabinet Order:

③The expenses required for a sale under the preceding two paragraphs (referred to simply as "sale" in this Article and the following Article) are to be paid out of the proceeds of the sale.

④When a sale has been made, for the custody, return and vesting of the property, the remainder obtained by deducting the expenses required for the sale from the proceeds of the sale is deemed to be that property.

In the cases prescribed in the main clause of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of the preceding Article, the chief of a police station may, as provided by Cabinet Order, dispose of the property received in a submission, by destroying it or otherwise, in any of the following circumstances:

①When returning the property received in a submission by the chief of a police station to the person who lost it, the chief must, as provided by National Public Safety Commission Rules, confirm that the person is the person who lost that property, and return it in exchange for a receipt.

②Only where the finder's consent has been given, the chief of a police station may, at the request of the person who lost the property, disclose the finder's name or title and address or location (referred to as "name, etc.").

③The chief of a police station may, at the request of a finder who has given the consent under the preceding paragraph, disclose the name, etc. of the person who lost the property.

When it is necessary for the return of the property received in a submission by the chief of a police station to the person who lost it, the chief may make an inquiry to a public office or a public or private organization and request a report on the necessary matters.

①A facility occupant who has received delivery under Article 4, paragraph (2) must promptly return the property so delivered to the person who lost it or submit it to the chief of a police station; provided, however, that property that falls under things the possession of which is prohibited by laws and regulations and property that is recognized as having been in the possession of the perpetrator of a crime must be promptly submitted to the chief of a police station.

②The provisions of the preceding Section apply mutatis mutandis where the chief of a police station has received a submission under the preceding paragraph. In this case, the phrase "paragraph (1) of the preceding Article" in Article 5 is deemed to be replaced with "Article 13, paragraph (1)", the term "finder" in that Article with "facility occupant", the phrase "the finder's consent" in Article 11, paragraph (2) with "the consent of the finder or facility occupant", the phrase "the finder's name" in that paragraph with "the name of the finder or facility occupant who gave that consent", and the term "finder" in paragraph (3) of that Article with "finder or facility occupant".

A facility occupant who has received delivery under Article 4, paragraph (2) must, when the finder so requests, issue a document stating the following matters: