“What are the odds?”
My family recently spent Christmas Vacation in Mauna Lani Hawaii (Big Island). During our visit and while on a walk we found a camera memory card. The card was found on the shoulder (used as a walkway) of a main road into a resort area. We were walking to some shops nearby when we found the small memory card. This was on December 27th, 2012.
When we returned home to Snohomish from our trip, on December 28th, I scanned the memory card and found that it contained 144 family photos. All the photos were taken in the July 2011 timeframe, and appeared to have all been taken in Japan. The photos look to be of a young family from Japan... husband and wife with a couple young children. In a couple of the photos I picked up the name of what appears to be the children's school - the photos looked to me like a family field day event that involved the entire family -- I can make out Masgo Daiichi on one of the buildings. After sometime Googling names.. I started to believe this might be the kindergarten Yochien ??
Also, when I was Googling the school’s name I came across a Web-Site of a law firm in Japan that had the school’s name referenced. The law firm appeared to provide services to locals about housing, schooling etc. -- As a long shot I e-mailed the law firm telling my story, and interest to see if we could get these family memories back to the owners. I received the following message from the law firm:
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Dec. 29th, 2011
Dear Mr. Stu Davidson,
Thank you for your inquiry about the lost memory card.
As you mentioned, Masago Daiichi Yochien is a kindergarten located in Masago, Mihama-Ward, Chiba, Japan. I will inquire of the school about the possible owner of the card and get back to you as soon as I hear from them. It might take a time for the school to identify the family because it is currently closed for the winter break. I will make sure either I or my partner: Mr. Makoto Takagi, who is also a registered Gyoseishoshi lawyer in Chiba district, will follow up with you.
I am currently living in Mumbai, India and will not be able to physically help out the situation.....
I would like to personally express my sincere appreciation for your kindness and hope we will manage to find the family.
The following is my partner's contact information:
Makoto Takagi
(Utase Gyoseishoshi Office)
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On Dec. 30th, 2011
I sent Makoto a link to a sample of the photos that I had, specially ones that included the school and children that I believed maybe attended.
Today, January 11th, 2012 I received the following from Makoto of the law firm:
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Dear Mr. Davidson,
Thank you for the sample photos.
I am glad to tell you we could read the boy's name in one of them and reach his mother today. Unfortunately, she is not able to write you in English, but I assure she was very delighted to hear the news and certainly hopes the card back.
Her name and address is following and I ask you another favor to send the memory card to her via international mail (60 cents from the US, maybe). I have tried to find the international collect on delivery service but I am afraid they don't have one.
Ms. xxxxx xxxxxx
xxxxxx Hamada, Mihama-ku, Chiba, 261-0025, Japan
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I plan to package up the card, with a quick note, and return it to the owners in what it is to me: a far away place in Japan!
What are the odds??
Stu Davidson
360.668.9952
stu@studavidsonphotography.com
