Quick Answer: When move-out is near, clear AC, TV, fridge/freezer, and washer/dryer first—they cannot go out as sodai gomi and often need appointments, tickets, or shop pickup. The timeline below is a practical planning guide, not a legal deadline. 30 days out: identify models and routes; 14 days: book shops; if self-hauling, pay the recycling fee at a post office and prepare the ticket; 7 days: confirm pickup/drop-off; 3 days: last-chance calls—not “guaranteed done by X days.”
Hub:
Unknown store:
Why prioritize the four designated items?
They block key return, elevator bookings, and moving-truck space. Leaving them until the last weekend is the most common move-out failure mode for foreign residents.
Everything else—sodai gomi, cardboard, clothing—matters too, but illegal or rejected appliance piles create the highest stress and cost.
If you are moving out next week
Start today with a model list (photos of nameplates) and two parallel tracks:
- Four designated items — cooperative shop calls and pickup quotes; if self-hauling, pay the recycling fee at a post office and prepare the recycling ticket
- Municipal sodai gomi — reservation dates for furniture and mattresses
Sell or list on JMTY only if pickup can happen before your hard deadline. If nobody claims the item in 48 hours, switch to official recycling rather than waiting.
Practical timeline (not legal deadlines)
- Focus
- Inventory
- Actions
- Photo nameplates; list maker/model; read municipality page; decide post office vs shop pickup
- Focus
- Book routes
- Actions
- Call cooperative shops; if self-hauling, pay the recycling fee at Japan Post and prepare the recycling ticket; reserve van rental
- Focus
- Confirm
- Actions
- Reconfirm pickup windows; check designated site hours; ask building move-out rules
- Focus
- Execute
- Actions
- Run AC uninstall (technician if needed); wipe smart TV data; secure fridge doors
- Focus
- Avoid traps
- Actions
- Do not rely on unknown “free pickup” trucks—see
Unauthorized Collectors
| When | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| ~30 days before | Inventory | Photo nameplates; list maker/model; read municipality page; decide post office vs shop pickup |
| ~14 days before | Book routes | Call cooperative shops; if self-hauling, pay the recycling fee at Japan Post and prepare the recycling ticket; reserve van rental |
| ~7 days before | Confirm | Reconfirm pickup windows; check designated site hours; ask building move-out rules |
| ~3 days before | Execute | Run AC uninstall (technician if needed); wipe smart TV data; secure fridge doors |
| Day before | Avoid traps | Do not rely on unknown “free pickup” trucks—see |
📌 Municipal sodai gomi lead times differ. A separate sticker schedule does not replace appliance recycling.
Moving out tomorrow? What is still realistic?
- Often still possible
- Phone blitz to cooperative shops; if self-hauling, pay at post office and prepare ticket; rent van for same-day drop-off if site hours allow
- Often too late without luck
- Waiting for a buyer from a new listing
- Often still possible
- Confirm designated site closing time (many stop intake 30 minutes before posted hours); secure fridge doors
- Often too late without luck
- First-time disassembly without calling ahead
- Often still possible
- Hand carry small leftovers per municipal rules
- Often too late without luck
- Starting appliance recycling paperwork from zero
| Time left | Often still possible | Often too late without luck |
|---|---|---|
| ~3 days | Phone blitz to cooperative shops; if self-hauling, pay at post office and prepare ticket; rent van for same-day drop-off if site hours allow | Waiting for a buyer from a new listing |
| ~1 day | Confirm designated site closing time (many stop intake 30 minutes before posted hours); secure fridge doors | First-time disassembly without calling ahead |
| Move-out morning | Hand carry small leftovers per municipal rules | Starting appliance recycling paperwork from zero |
📌 RKC guidance stresses checking site address, hours, and holidays before you drive. See
Where stubborn items usually go
- Typical route
- Recycling ticket + shop or designated site
- This series
Law guide
- Typical route
- Municipal sodai gomi (often reservation)
- This series
Garbage sorting basics
- Typical route
- Local non-burnable or small-appliance box rules
- This series
- Municipality page
- Typical route
- Small home appliance recycling / local collection points
- This series
- Municipality page
| Item type | Typical route | This series |
|---|---|---|
| AC, TV, fridge, washer/dryer | Recycling ticket + shop or designated site | |
| Sofas, beds, shelves | Municipal sodai gomi (often reservation) | |
| Microwave, rice cooker | Local non-burnable or small-appliance box rules | Municipality page |
| PC, phone cables | Small home appliance recycling / local collection points | Municipality page |
Can your moving company take everything?
Not automatically. Moving companies handle transport of your belongings; appliance recycling law still requires proper recycling tickets and authorized handover for the four items.
The Ministry of the Environment publishes guidance for moving companies that four items must be recycled correctly—consumers should ask explicitly:
- Will you take designated appliances?
- Who pays recycling vs transport fees?
- Who handles paying the recycling fee and preparing the recycling ticket (you vs the company—shops may arrange tickets on pickup routes)?
📌 Verbal “we handle disposal” without detail is not enough—get what is included in writing when possible.
Building and landlord rules
Apartment rules vary:
- Elevator reservation for large items
- No hallway storage policies
- Prohibited curbside placement times
Check your management company sheet—these are building-dependent, not national law.
Reuse, Sayonara sale, JMTY, recycle shops
- When it helps
- Working units, time to coordinate pickup
- Caveats
- Buyer often does not take disposal duty for your old broken unit
- When it helps
- Working AC/TV with remote
- Caveats
- Many decline non-working or very old models
- When it helps
- Rare for appliances
- Caveats
- Still need legal disposal if nobody takes it
| Option | When it helps | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| Sayonara sale / JMTY | Working units, time to coordinate pickup | Buyer often does not take disposal duty for your old broken unit |
| Secondhand shops | Working AC/TV with remote | Many decline non-working or very old models |
| Donate | Rare for appliances | Still need legal disposal if nobody takes it |
Broken, moldy, or ancient units should go straight to recycling routes, not endless listing reposts.
What not to do under time pressure
- Do not leave appliances in the apartment hoping the landlord “handles it” without agreement
- Do not use unverified free pickup ads—
license check guide - Do not disassemble without calling ahead—
disassembly caution - Do not assume one sodai gomi sticker covers a fridge
Useful Japanese phrases
- Japanese
- [日付]に退去します
- Romaji
- [Hizuke] ni taikyo shimasu
- Japanese
- 冷蔵庫の引き取りは可能ですか
- Romaji
- Reizouko no hikitori wa kanou desu ka
- Japanese
- 一番早い日程をお願いします
- Romaji
- Ichiban hayai nittei wo onegai shimasu
- Japanese
- 粗大ごみや家電の出し方に決まりはありますか
- Romaji
- Sodai gomi ya kaden no dashikata ni kimari wa arimasu ka
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| I am moving out on [date] | [日付]に退去します | [Hizuke] ni taikyo shimasu |
| Can you pick up a refrigerator? | 冷蔵庫の引き取りは可能ですか | Reizouko no hikitori wa kanou desu ka |
| I need the earliest slot | 一番早い日程をお願いします | Ichiban hayai nittei wo onegai shimasu |
| Does the building have rules for disposal? | 粗大ごみや家電の出し方に決まりはありますか | Sodai gomi ya kaden no dashikata ni kimari wa arimasu ka |
What to do next (short)
- Four designated items first — book shops today; if self-hauling, pay at post office and prepare the ticket
- Sodai gomi second — reserve stickers and dates
- Small electronics and trash last — verify local sorting rules
Frequently asked questions
Is one week enough?
Sometimes, if shops have slots and you already have model numbers. Often not for pickup-heavy periods (March/August). Start at 14+ days when possible—this is experience-based, not a guarantee.
Can I leave items for the next tenant?
Only with explicit landlord agreement. Otherwise you may lose deposit or face disposal bills.
What about sodai gomi for sofas?
Handle sofas on the municipal schedule in parallel—see
It is an emergency—can I use a cheap online hauler?
Use license verification first—
Can the moving company dispose of everything overnight?
Ask in writing what is included. Many moves exclude proper recycling tickets for the four items—see the moving-company section above.
Sources
- Ministry of the Environment — Moving waste guidance (Japanese) (verified 2026-07-04) — move-related disposal overview
- Ministry of the Environment — PDF for moving companies (four items) (verified 2026-07-04) — movers must recycle designated appliances properly
- METI — Home appliance recycling quick guide (verified 2026-07-04) — consumer entry point
- AEHA — Choose disposal route (Japanese) (verified 2026-07-04) — route diagram