The number of mobile phones lost by their owners in Tokyo jumped 15.1 percent from over a year ago to 83,907 in 2000, or about 230 per day, the Metropolitan Police Department reported Tuesday.
Of the total, 59,839 handsets, or more than 70 percent, were returned to their owners after the MPD checked the phones' serial numbers and other data.
The MPD said it logged about 1.56 million lost-and-found cases in 2000, including a total of 2.47 billion yen in lost cash, compared to the all-time high of 3.5 billion yen in 1990 at the height of the bubble economy.
"The amount of cash being carried has declined due to the growing use of (credit and cash) cards," an MPD official said.
The Tokyo police said 65 pets, including 10 ferrets, were taken into protective custody in the reporting year.