In a surprising turn of events, a vehicle has been discovered in a Japanese coin-operated parking lot that has not moved in six years, accumulating a considerable amount of unpaid fees. With regulations lacking in monitoring long-term parked vehicles, the owner of the car seemed to have simply walked away. The issue was only discovered when the parking lot management decided to take action following this unusually long stay.

In Japan, coin-operated parking lots are quite common and are usually unmanned. While there are rules for non-payment, they are lax in cases of long term parking and are not actively enforced. This case has sparked a discussion about the potential need for stricter rules and regular checks, as this event not only inconveniences others but can also result in loss of revenue for the parking lot operator.

In contrast, in the US and EU, parking lot regulations are stricter. Cars left unattended for an unusually long period in publicly accessible places are typically towed away, and owners can face hefty fines. There are also more vigorous scans of license plates to ensure rules are followed.