Japan’s airports have a problem with discarded luggage
Most had been left by rubbish bins in the check-in area or on luggage trolleys, although some had been hidden in toilet stalls
Airports in Japan are struggling to keep on top of a growing number suitcases that have been discarded by travellers who purchase new ones soon before they fly home.
By law, the suitcases must initially be treated as lost property and are typically stored at the airport for a week before being handed over to the police detachment with responsibility for the airport.
The vast majority, however, are empty or contain items that have obviously been dumped and remain unclaimed until they can be disposed of after three months.
And with tourist numbers growing and expected to break through the 40 million arrivals barrier in 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games, authorities here are trying to clamp down on the habit.
“We only get around 10 cases abandoned in the international terminal each month, but that is still a lot more than we ever had only two or three years ago,” said Noriko Sato, a spokeswoman for Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.
From the labels or what is in the bags, it seems that most of the suitcases are being abandoned by Chinese passengers
“We first noticed an increase when more international flights were introduced from Haneda, although the situation is not so bad in comparison with other airports in other parts of Japan because a high proportion of our customers are business travellers rather than people on vacation.”