How much does it cost to throw things away in Japan?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

What you pay depends on your city: Shinjuku collects normal household garbage for free, while Sendai and Kyoto charge through designated bags at about 40 to 45 yen for a 45 liter bag. Oversized items cost extra in Shinjuku and Yokohama, from 400 to 3,200 yen an item in Shinjuku. The rules are local and we found no separate rule for foreign residents, so start with your own city's guide.

Normal household garbage

City	How you pay	Household or burnable, 45 liters	Smaller bags
Shinjuku, Tokyo	Free as a rule for homes	0 yen	Not applicable
Sendai	Designated bags, sold in sets of 10	400 yen a set, about 40 yen a bag by our division	30 liters 270 yen, 20 liters 180 yen, 10 liters 90 yen a set
Kyoto	Designated bags, sold in sets of 10	45 yen a bag	30 liters 30 yen, 20 liters 20 yen, 10 liters 10 yen, 5 liters 5 yen

Recycling has its own price. Sendai's plastic resource bags are 250 yen for 10 of the 45 liter size. Kyoto's clear recycling bags are 22 yen for 45 liters, sold in sets of 5.

Our own example: one 45 liter bag a week for a year, 52 bags, is about 2,080 yen in Sendai and 2,340 yen in Kyoto.

Oversized items

Shinjuku counts household items with a side over about 30 cm, such as furniture, bedding and bicycles. You book, buy tickets and put the item out on your date.

Item in Shinjuku	Fee
Chair	400 yen
Bicycle under 16 inches	400 yen
Bicycle 16 inches or more	900 yen
Electric-assist bicycle	1,300 yen
Desk with no side panels	900 yen
Sofa, 1 / 2 / 3 seats	900 / 1,300 / 2,300 yen
Single bed	1,300 yen
Double or semi-double bed	2,300 yen

How booking works

	Shinjuku	Yokohama
Book by	Phone 03-5304-8080, or online	Internet, chat, LINE or phone
Pay by	Shinjuku's own paid tickets, from shops showing the sign	Stickers, or credit card and PayPay for online, chat and LINE bookings
Timing	On your booked date, in the morning	About 2 weeks after you apply, with up to 9 items

Air conditioners, TVs, fridges and washers

These four cannot go out as oversized waste. Shinjuku says to hand them to the shop selling your new one, or to the shop where you bought the old one. If neither will take it, its reception center can help on 0570-08-7200.

Appliance	Recycling fee, tax included
Air conditioner	990 yen
TV, 15 inches or smaller	1,870 yen
TV, 16 inches or larger	2,970 yen
Fridge, up to 170 liters	3,740 yen
Fridge, 171 liters or larger	4,730 yen
Washer or dryer	2,530 yen

Shinjuku lists these as of April 1, 2024, and says makers may set other fees. Collection and transport cost extra, and each shop sets its own price.

Worked example: clearing a one-room apartment in Shinjuku

This is our own sum for a sample set of items, using the fees above.

Item	Fee
Single bed	1,300 yen
Desk and chair	1,300 yen
Bicycle, 16 inches or more	900 yen
Washer	2,530 yen
Fridge, up to 170 liters	3,740 yen
Total, before transport	9,770 yen

Book early if you are moving, because collection dates are not immediate. Add this to your moving out of Japan checklist. When you leave a rental, also read about getting your deposit back.

What we could not confirm

Other cities. We checked only the cities shown. Your city may use bags, tickets or neither.
Sorting rules. Sorting and collection days vary too much for one table. Shinjuku says it has guides in foreign languages, so ask your city for its own.
Yokohama fees. Its fee list is on a separate site, so we leave out figures.
Your first weeks. Ask for your city's garbage guide when you do the steps on our moving checklist.

This page is general information. Your city's guide has the rules that apply to you.