The worker found the banknotes, both whole and torn, when he was sorting plastic and paper waste on an automatic conveyor at a plant in the prefecture of Yamanashi, some 100 kms east of the capital, Tokyo.

The worker informed the police about the find. However, the authorities have so far been unable to locate the owner of the money. Waste comes to the plant not only from Yamanashi but also from neighboring regions, which makes the investigation more complicated.

Last year, 14.1 billion yen (some $146 million) in lost cash was handed in to police in Japan. Almost 4 billion yen of this went unclaimed and was handed back to the finders.