Citizens in Japan (especially the elderly) like to keep a fair amount of cash on hand in their homes. And after the earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on homes, money (and safes full of money) are washing up on shore and appearing in the debris of ravaged towns.

Safes are washing up along the tsunami-battered coast, and police are trying to find their owners – a unique problem in a country where many people, especially the elderly, still stash their cash at home. By one estimate, some $350 billion worth of yen doesn’t circulate.

And we’re not talking about the equivalent of a few hundred dollars in a sock drawer. More like thousands of dollars locked in safes. And we’re not talking a few safes. More like several hundred of them.Citizens in Japan (especially the elderly) like to keep a fair amount of cash on hand in their homes. And after the earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on homes, money (and safes full of money) are washing up on shore and appearing in the debris of ravaged towns.

Safes are washing up along the tsunami-battered coast, and police are trying to find their owners – a unique problem in a country where many people, especially the elderly, still stash their cash at home. By one estimate, some $350 billion worth of yen doesn’t circulate.

And we’re not talking about the equivalent of a few hundred dollars in a sock drawer. More like thousands of dollars locked in safes. And we’re not talking a few safes. More like several hundred of them. [AP, Image via Daily Mail]

via Hundreds of Safes Full of Quake Victims’ Money Are Washing up on the Shores of Japan.