How to File a Police Report in Japan as a Foreigner (2026)

Filing a police report in Japan is straightforward — if you know which type to file. Lost property, theft, and accidents each have different forms. This guide covers koban vs police station, what to bring, what to say in Japanese, and how to get the certificate your insurance needs.

Bottom line: Filing a police report in Japan isn't hard — but it's entirely in Japanese, and the officer won't come to you. You walk into a koban or police station, explain what happened, and the officer writes it up. The critical thing most foreigners miss: there are different report types for different situations, and the wrong one means your insurance company won't accept it. This guide covers every scenario — theft, lost property, assault, accident — and exactly what to say.

Information current as of April 2026 based on the National Police Agency (NPA), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Osaka Prefectural Police guidance. I'm Kanaya, founder of LO-PAL — I've accompanied dozens of foreigners to police stations and kobans across Japan. The process is consistent nationwide, but how smoothly it goes depends entirely on preparation.

Which type of report do you need?

Japan has separate report types, and filing the wrong one creates problems. Here's which one you need:

Report type	Japanese name	When to file	Example situations
Lost property report	遺失届 (ishitsu-todoke)	You lost something — no crime involved	Dropped wallet on train, left passport at hotel, phone fell out of pocket
Victim report	被害届 (higai-todoke)	A crime was committed against you	Pickpocketing, phone theft, bag snatched, assault, fraud
Accident report	事故届 (jiko-todoke)	Traffic accident (car, bicycle, pedestrian)	Rental car collision, hit by cyclist, parking lot damage

Why it matters: Insurance companies require specific report types. A lost property report won't work for a theft insurance claim. A victim report won't get you a traffic accident certificate. If you're unsure, tell the officer what happened and they'll file the correct type — but knowing the distinction in advance saves time.

Where to file: koban vs. police station

	Koban (交番)	Police station (警察署)
What it is	Small police box, usually 1-2 officers	Full station with detectives, interpreters
Where to find one	Every few blocks in cities, near train stations	One per district — Google Maps "警察署"
Good for	Lost property reports, simple victim reports	Serious crimes, accidents, complex cases
Language support	Usually Japanese only	Phone interpretation available (18+ languages in Tokyo)
Hours	24/7 (officer may be on patrol — wait or try the next one)	24/7 for emergencies; admin windows have business hours

Rule of thumb: For lost property, any koban works. For theft, assault, or anything you want investigated, go to the full police station (警察署) in the district where the incident happened.

What to bring

Passport or residence card — required for identification. No exceptions.
Your phone — for translation apps and showing photos/evidence
Details of the incident: date, time, exact location, description of lost/stolen items (brand, color, value)
Serial numbers — for electronics (phone IMEI, laptop serial). Check your phone's box or purchase receipt.
A Japanese-speaking friend — if possible. This single factor makes the biggest difference in how quickly the process goes.

Step-by-step: at the koban or police station

Step 1: Walk in and state your purpose

Say one of these phrases. Even broken Japanese helps the officer understand immediately:

Situation	Japanese phrase	Romanization	English meaning
Lost something	落し物の届けを出したいです	Otoshimono no todoke wo dashitai desu	I want to file a lost property report
Theft/crime	被害届を出したいです	Higai-todoke wo dashitai desu	I want to file a victim report
Accident	事故の届けを出したいです	Jiko no todoke wo dashitai desu	I want to file an accident report

If you can't say anything in Japanese, show this article on your phone — the officer will understand.

Step 2: Describe what happened

The officer will ask you questions and fill out the form in Japanese. Key things they'll need:

When (いつ / itsu) — date and approximate time
Where (どこで / doko de) — specific location. Show it on Google Maps if you can.
What (何が / nani ga) — what was lost, stolen, or what happened
Description — color, brand, size, distinguishing features of items
Value — approximate monetary value (for insurance purposes)

Use your phone's translation app to communicate if needed. Google Translate's conversation mode (two-way speech) works reasonably well for this. VoiceTra (by NICT) handles administrative Japanese particularly well.

Step 3: Get your report number and certificate

After the report is filed, you'll receive:

Report acceptance number (受理番号, juri-bango) — always given. Write it down. You'll need it for follow-up inquiries and insurance.
Report certificate (届出証明書, todoke-de shomeisho) — not automatically provided. You must ask for it. Say: 届出証明書をお願いします (todoke-de shomeisho wo onegai shimasu). Some insurance companies and embassies specifically require this document.

Important: A report acceptance number is free. A formal certificate may cost a small fee (typically a few hundred yen) and may need to be picked up later.

Step 4: Follow up

For lost property: Japan's system is remarkably effective. The NPA's online lost-item search portal lets you search items turned in to police nationwide (primarily in Japanese — use browser translation). Items found on trains go to the railway company's lost-and-found, not police, so check both.

For theft/crime: The officer may contact you if there are developments. Provide a Japanese phone number or email if possible. Be aware that Japanese police do not routinely update victims on investigation progress unless there's a significant development.

Language support at police stations

Major metropolitan police departments provide telephone interpretation services:

Tokyo MPD: 18+ languages via their telephone interpretation center. Any officer at any station can request an interpreter to be connected by phone.
Osaka Prefectural Police: Main line at 06-6943-1234 — ask for foreign language consultation (外国人相談). English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and others.
Nationwide 110: When you call 110, dispatch can connect a three-way interpreter on request.

At smaller kobans in rural areas, language support is limited. If you're in a rural area, consider going directly to the district police station (警察署) rather than a koban, as they have better access to interpretation services.

Common mistakes foreigners make

Going to the wrong koban: For lost property, you should file at a koban near where you lost the item. For crimes, file in the district where the crime occurred. Filing in the wrong district can delay processing.
Not asking for the certificate: The report number alone may not be enough for insurance. Always ask for the written certificate.
Expecting an investigation for minor theft: Japanese police will file your report, but they rarely investigate petty theft (pickpocketing, bag theft) actively. The report exists primarily for your insurance claim.
Waiting too long: File as soon as possible. For lost property, items are held by police for 3 months, then ownership transfers to the finder. For crimes, earlier reports are taken more seriously.

Special case: traffic accidents

Traffic accidents have their own process. You must call 110 at the scene — even for minor fender-benders. The responding officer creates an accident record, which is separate from a regular police report. You then apply for a traffic accident certificate (交通事故証明書) from the Japan Safe Driving Center.

For detailed guides by situation:

Dealing with Japanese police and need a translator? Post on LO-PAL for free — a local helper can accompany you to the police station, translate in real time, and make sure you leave with the right paperwork.

This guide is part of our Japan Travel Safety Guide.