Hi everyone,
I’m currently traveling in Japan and I’m in Tsuruoka, in Yamagata Prefecture. During the New Year celebrations on Mount Haguro I lost my wallet. Most likely it fell into the snow, so there’s a good chance it’s now buried and unrecoverable for the moment. It may very well resurface when the snow melts, but by then it will be spring and I’ll already be back in Italy.
My passport is safe and with me. Inside the wallet I had a Mastercard credit card and a Mastercard debit card. At the moment I haven’t blocked them yet because Google Wallet is currently my only way to pay, and it’s still working. I don’t have access to cash and, without the physical cards, I obviously can’t withdraw or pay in cash anywhere.
I’m trying to understand what the smartest next step is to avoid this situation completely ruining the rest of my trip. I’ve thought about sending money to myself via Western Union, but the closest Western Union office seems to be about an hour away by train from Tsuruoka. Blocking the cards immediately would also leave me with no way to pay at all.
Has anyone been in a similar situation in Japan, especially outside major cities? Do you have any suggestions on how to manage payments temporarily, or any Japan-specific solutions I might not be aware of? Any advice on how to handle this without turning the rest of the trip into a nightmare would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help.
by dieghins