Man Forgets Who He Is After Waking Up in Shimane Mountains

A Japanese man appeared in a TV interview this week to appeal for information regarding his identity. Around two months ago, he woke up with a severe headache in a shrub along a national highway in the mountains of Okuizumo town in Shimane Prefecture. Suffering from amnesia, he had no idea who he was or how he got there. Nearby were several items, including a designer Italian bag and a designer wallet. The latter was completely empty, with no money or any identification cards.

Japanese Man With Amnesia Wakes Up Next to Bag Full of Cash

Inside the bag, however, was a large sum of cash, believed to be around ¥600,000. Other items found near the man included a Swedish watch, items of clothing, glasses, a lighter and a mobile battery, yet no cell phone. The man, who calls himself Hajime Tanaka, but doesn’t remember his real name, gathered the scattered items, placed them in the bag and went in search of some water.

After spending some time in the wild, Tanaka was approached by a local at a drinking fountain. “I told him, I didn’t know why I was there and that I was honestly at a loss. What should I do?’” said Tanaka. “At first he was skeptical. When I mentioned I had a little money and wanted to go to the city, he said he was heading toward Izumo Station and offered to take me there.”

In the city, Tanaka continued with his nomadic lifestyle. Asked by a reporter why he didn’t immediately contact the police, he replied, “I received lots of help from many people while camping, and one of the pieces of advice I got was to wait a little longer before going to the police. I was told my family might file a missing person’s report in the meantime… I also thought that my memories might suddenly come back to me.”

Fragmented Memories

Unfortunately for Tanaka, they didn’t. With his money running out, he decided to contact the police in August. An officer took his photo and checked to see if it matched any missing person reports. It didn’t. He was subsequently taken to a larger station where they measured his height and weight, and took his fingerprints. He was also taken to a hospital, but couldn’t be treated because he didn’t have any identification or health insurance.

According to Tanaka, he does have a few fragmented memories, with one of them being of the Glico sign in Osaka. Shimane officials agreed to cover the cost of an express bus to Japan’s third most populous city to see if it could help him remember something. Arriving on August 13, he headed straight to Dotonbori. “I stood in front of the sign for about 20 minutes, but couldn’t remember anything in particular. Nothing came back,” said Tanaka.

While in Osaka, Tanaka was introduced to a relief facility. However, when he found out he would be sharing a room, he became anxious and declined admission. He then planned to head to the Tojinbo Cliffs in Fukui Prefecture, as he also had a vague recollection of the place. Before departing, he stopped by at a city office in Osaka to apply for welfare. Officials considered him a missing person and called the police.

Knife Discovered in Man’s Bag

During routine questioning and a search of his bag, a folding knife with a blade length of about 8 centimeters was found at the bottom of an outer pocket. Tanaka couldn’t recall possessing it, yet was arrested on suspicion of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law. The police were initially skeptical about his claims, but after checking with the Shimane prefectural police, they started to believe most of what he was saying.

Without any identification, though, Tanaka couldn’t be released immediately. He was held for 10 days before being placed in emergency rehabilitation protection. He’s currently living in a group home in Osaka Prefecture run by the nonprofit organization, Pia Life, which has also provided him with some temporary work in a restaurant. With the help of many people, he is slowly building a life for himself, but remains very worried about his memory never returning.

Update: Positive News

On August 2, when the interview aired, an appeal was made for any information about the man. By the following morning, more than 300 calls and mails had been received from people believed to be family members and former colleagues. It appears that he may be a man in his 40s who was living in Tokyo. The organization that launched the appeal believe the information is reliable. Tanaka was pleased with the news, describing it as “a major step forward.”