In Japanese culture, there is a deep respect for the property of others that Okoban is utilizing as a method of returning lost items to their owners. There are even endless stories of how valuable and some not so valuable items have been adamantly turned in in the hope that it will be returned to the finder. They call the place to turn in lost items the koban. It is the police box and every major city and town has one located in each neighborhood. The “O” is a sign of respect.
Okoban is trying to be a part of the Japanese culture by offering a free global service that enables finders to return lost items to their owners. It is easy to use and once you purchase the UID tags, you get free service for life. After an item is lost, the owner relies on the goodness of strangers to return their lost items. While some may be skeptical of this system it has been working. Okoban has been adopted in over 2,200 airports and more than 400 airlines, not to mention the hundreds of “frequent finder” stations in hotels, train stations, car rental locations and other spots that travellers go to most.
The Okoban system works because it provides secure unique codes for your baggage and your other valuables. These codes are then linked to that specific item and that item to its owner. When the item is lost the code simply needs to be put into the system and the owner will be immediately notified of its location.
It is time to breath easy when there is a Okoban UID tracker tag on your camera. Even if you lose an item, no matter what, when or where, it can be returned to you using the internet and the kind gesture of a stranger.