# Garbage and recycling rules in Japan: sorting, days and bulky items

URL: https://japanhow.com/housing/living/garbage-recycling-rules-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 27, 2026

## Summary

As of October 2026, garbage rules in Japan are set by each city or ward, so get your own guide. Setagaya and Yokohama both ask for sorted waste in clear or semitransparent bags, put out by 8 a.m. on your area's day. Items over 30 cm (Setagaya) or 50 cm (Yokohama, non-metal) need a paid, booked pickup, with English phone service in both cities. Air conditioners, TVs, fridges, washing machines and dryers go back through retailers or the Home Appliance Recycling Center.

## Key facts

- Who sets the rules: Your city or ward
- Put-out deadline: 8 a.m. on collection day
- Bulky item (Setagaya): Over 30 cm per side: book and pay
- Not city-collected: TV, AC, fridge, washer, dryer

Your city or ward sets the garbage rules in Japan for every foreigner and resident, so the first step is to get its guide and your area's collection schedule. As of October 2026, Setagaya (Tokyo) and Yokohama both ask you to sort waste, use clear or semitransparent bags, and **put it out by 8 a.m. on your area's collection day**. Items over 30 cm in Setagaya need a booked, paid pickup, and TVs, fridges and air conditioners need a separate recycling route.

**Put garbage out by:** 8 a.m. (On your area's collection day, not the night before (Setagaya and Yokohama). Some early-morning areas in Setagaya use 7 a.m. for combustible garbage.)

## Are garbage rules the same everywhere in Japan?

No. Categories, bag types, size limits, collection days and bulky-waste fees all differ by municipality. A rule you learned in one city may be wrong after you move, so check again each time you change address. Our guide on [moving within Japan](/life/admin/moving-within-japan-address-change/) covers the address change itself.

This article uses three official city guides as examples: Setagaya City in Tokyo's 23 wards (English guide, April 2026), the City of Yokohama (English web pages, updated 2024 to 2026) and Osaka City (English guide, 2025). They show the common pattern, but they are not your city's rules.

| | Setagaya | Yokohama | Osaka City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bag | Clear or semitransparent bag, or lidded container up to 90 L | Clear or semitransparent bag | Clear or semitransparent bag; paper bags and cardboard boxes not collected |
| Put-out time | By 8 a.m. (7 a.m. early-morning areas) | By 8 a.m. | Area pick-up window of about 2 hours |
| Bulky size limit | Over 30 cm per side | Metal 30 cm or more; other 50 cm or more | Household waste is 30 cm or less (sticks up to 1 m) |
| English help | English guide, English phone line for bulky items | English web pages, English phone line for bulky items | English guide; collection map and app on the city site |

## How do I find my collection day and what do I bring?

Collection days depend on your address. Setagaya sends a schedule with its guide. Yokohama says to check the sticker at your collection site or ask a neighbor. Osaka City has a Garbage Collection Map on its website and a waste-separation app, San-aru, and lists a pick-up window of about 2 hours per area. Yokohama and Setagaya also offer sorting apps (see below).

Ask your city office or landlord for the English garbage guide and the schedule for your address. The guides we checked set no separate rules by status of residence (在留資格) or period of stay (在留期間). Setagaya's guide comes in English, but its city office inquiry lines are Japanese only, so a Japanese-speaking friend or your landlord helps. If you rent, your building's management may also set the collection spot and extra rules. See [setting up utilities in Japan](/housing/renting/utilities-setup-japan/) for the other things to arrange in your first week.

## How do I sort household garbage in Japan?

Most cities split waste into the same broad groups, with different names. Here is how the two cities with English guides handle the main ones.

- **Combustible garbage (燃えるごみ).** Kitchen scraps, soiled paper, diapers and similar. In Setagaya, put it in a container (90 liters or less) with a lid, or a clear or semitransparent bag. Drain kitchen scraps completely.
- **Noncombustible garbage (燃えないごみ).** Metal, glass and ceramics. In Setagaya, wrap broken or sharp items in thick paper and label them キケン (dangerous). In Yokohama, glass and ceramics are non-burnable, and small metal items under 30 cm are collected separately.
- **Plastic bottles (ペットボトル).** Remove the cap, label and sticker, rinse, crush, and put them in a clear or semitransparent bag. Only bottles with the PET mark are recyclable in Setagaya.
- **Cans and glass bottles.** Rinse them. In Setagaya, bottles go in the yellow container and cans in the blue container at the site, with no bags in the containers.
- **Used paper.** Setagaya wants newspapers, magazines, milk cartons and cardboard bundled separately with string, with no vinyl bags and no adhesive tape.
- **Plastic packaging.** Yokohama collects items made entirely of plastic, with the longest side under 50 cm, as "plastic resources". Rinse off food stains.

The exact split is the part that changes most between cities, so follow your own guide, not this list. Yokohama's sorting app and online guide (Mictionary) work in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Setagaya's guide links to its own separation app.

**Batteries, lighters and spray cans cause fires:** Osaka City says lithium-ion batteries, devices with built-in lithium-ion batteries, mobile batteries, lighters and cassette cylinders found in household waste have started fires in collection vehicles and facilities. It asks you not to put lithium-ion batteries in household waste, and to empty lighters and spray cans first. Setagaya wants rechargeable batteries discharged, taped and put in a separate bag marked デンチ, and spray cans and lighters emptied and bagged separately. Yokohama asks you to tape batteries too, and to take swollen ones to the Resource Recycling Bureau office.

## What time and day do I put garbage out?

Put it out on your area's collection day, by 8 a.m. at the designated site in Setagaya and Yokohama. Both cities say not to put it out the night before. Yokohama also says not to leave items out after collection. Setagaya collects on national holidays and notes in its guide that garbage, noncombustible garbage and plastic bottles are not collected between the 29th and 31st of the month. Check the schedule for your address, since we could not confirm how this applies to each area.

In Osaka City, collection can stop in strong winds. The city says it may stop non-household waste when the forecast wind is 25 mph or more, and all collection at 30 mph or more. A notice goes up on its website or app around 6 a.m. on the day, and you put the waste out on the next collection day.

## What happens if I sort wrong?

Osaka City says that if the rules are not followed, it attaches a warning sticker and leaves the waste uncollected. It also won't collect bags with unseen contents, paper bags or cardboard boxes. Setagaya says fees are charged if you put out a large amount (about four 45-liter bags or more) or put garbage out outside the collection day, and tells you to contact your local Waste Collection Office.

Ask a neighbor or your landlord if you aren't sure what went wrong.

## How do I throw away a sofa, bed or other bulky item?

Book a bulky waste (粗大ごみ) pickup with your city. It is paid and by advance application. What counts as bulky depends on the city: in Setagaya it is any durable item with a side longer than 30 cm, and in Yokohama it is metal items 30 cm or longer and other items (plastic, wood) 50 cm or longer.

**Setagaya.** Call the reception center on 03-5715-1133, Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (not 29 December to 3 January). The line takes English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish through a three-way call with an interpreter. You can also apply at sodai-setagaya.jp (English supported) or by chat. The fee depends on the item's size before you take it apart. Dismantling an item doesn't lower the fee. You are told your collection date and fee when you apply. Pay by buying a fee sticker (¥200 or ¥300 types) at a supermarket or convenience store with the 取扱所 sign, or pay online. Write the collection date and your name or reception number on the sticker, stick it on the item, and put it out by 8 a.m. on the day. Stickers from other municipalities aren't accepted.

**Yokohama.** Phone 0570-200-530 (Navi Dial) or 045-330-3953 for cell phones, Monday to Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or apply online any day. The center serves English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese callers. Expect about 2 weeks from application to collection. The fee is quoted when you apply. You pay at a designated bank, a post office or a convenience store, get a receipt and a sticker, and keep the receipt until collection. A sticker is invalid unless stamped with the receipt date. Collection happens in the rain.

**Osaka City.** Its English guide says large volumes from moving or major cleaning are collected for a charge as bulky waste, but we couldn't retrieve that page, so check the city's site.

Setagaya's phone line can be hard to reach on Monday mornings and in the March to April moving season. If you are moving, book your mover first and then the bulky pickup. Our [moving company guide](/housing/moving/moving-company-japan/) covers booking a mover.

## Can I take bulky items to the city myself?

In some cities, yes, for about half the price. Setagaya says drop-off costs about half the truck-collection fee (minimum ¥200), takes up to 10 items per visit, and is possible on Saturdays and Sundays at the Funabashi station if you arrange it in advance. Yokohama has four yards (Tsurumi, Nagasakadani, Shinmeidai, Sakae), open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Sundays and 31 December to 3 January. You need to apply in advance, except at Sakae, where you need proof of Yokohama residence and electronic payment.

## What do I do with a TV, fridge, washing machine or air conditioner?

You can't put them out as bulky waste. Setagaya, Yokohama, Osaka and Minato all say they don't collect air conditioners, TVs (including OLED since 1 April 2024), refrigerators and freezers, washing machines and clothes dryers. They fall under the Home Appliance Recycling Law (家電リサイクル法), and you pay a recycling fee. Yokohama and Setagaya also exclude household PCs, which go to the manufacturer or the PC3R Promotion Association.

Your options:

1. **Replace the item.** Ask the shop selling the new one to take the old one.
2. **Ask the shop where you bought it.**
3. **Use the Home Appliance Recycling Center** if you don't know the shop. Call 0570-087200 (Japanese or English only), on weekdays, or apply at kaden23rc.jp. Setagaya lists 9:00 to 17:00, and Minato lists 8:00 to 17:00, so check the current hours.
4. **Self-deliver.** Buy a recycling ticket (家電リサイクル券) at a post office and take the item to a designated site.

Osaka City lists approximate manufacturer recycling charges as of 1 December 2024: ¥990 for an air conditioner, ¥1,870 for a TV of 15 inches or smaller and ¥2,970 for 16 inches or larger, ¥3,740 for a fridge or freezer of 170 liters or smaller and ¥4,730 for 171 liters or larger, and ¥2,530 for a washing machine or dryer. A collection or transport fee is separate.

**Beware of free pickup trucks:** Setagaya warns about unlicensed junk collectors that drive around advertising free pickup of bulky waste. It says some customers were charged after their things were loaded, and bad operators may dump waste illegally. If you have a dispute, call your local consumer life center (消費生活センター).

## More guides

- [Moving within Japan: address change](/life/admin/moving-within-japan-address-change/)
- [Moving companies in Japan](/housing/moving/moving-company-japan/)
- [Utilities setup in Japan](/housing/renting/utilities-setup-japan/)
- [How to rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner](/housing/renting/how-to-rent-apartment-japan-foreigner/)

## Questions people ask

### Are garbage rules the same everywhere in Japan?

No. Each city or ward sets its own categories, bags, collection days and bulky-waste fees. Setagaya, Yokohama and Osaka all publish English guides, and they differ in details such as size limits and bag rules.

### What time do I put garbage out in Japan?

Setagaya and Yokohama both say by 8 a.m. on your area's collection day, and Setagaya uses 7 a.m. for combustible garbage in some early-morning areas. Do not put it out the night before. Osaka City publishes a pick-up window of about 2 hours per area.

### How do I find my collection day?

Setagaya gives you a schedule with its guide. Yokohama says to check the sticker at your collection site or ask a neighbor. Osaka City has a Garbage Collection Map on its website and an app called San-aru. Your landlord or building management can also tell you.

### How do I throw away a sofa or bed in Japan?

Book a bulky waste (粗大ごみ) pickup with your city, pay the fee, and put the item out on the agreed day. Setagaya and Yokohama both take phone bookings in English, and Yokohama says collection takes about 2 weeks.

### Can I put a TV, fridge or air conditioner out as bulky waste?

Not in the cities checked. Setagaya, Yokohama, Osaka and Minato all say they don't collect them. Ask the retailer, or use the Home Appliance Recycling Center, and expect a recycling fee.

## Sources

- [How to Properly Sort and Dispose of Garbage and Recyclable Resources (English, April 2026)](https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/documents/409/wakedashid-data-e.pdf), Setagaya City (世田谷区) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [粗大ごみの出し方](https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/02241/online_tetsuzuki/380.html), Setagaya City (世田谷区) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [粗大ごみの処理手数料について](https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/02239/382.html), Setagaya City (世田谷区) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [粗大ごみなどの処分に違法な不用品回収業者を利用しないでください](https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/02241/385.html), Setagaya City (世田谷区) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Sorting and disposal of garbage (English)](https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/garbage/sortinganddisposal.html), City of Yokohama (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Garbage and recycling (English)](https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/garbage/default.html), City of Yokohama (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Oversized garbage (English)](https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/garbage/oversizedgarbage.html), City of Yokohama (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Garbage the City does not collect and recycling (English)](https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/garbage/garbageandrecycling.html), City of Yokohama (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Household waste guide for Osaka City, page 1 (English, April 2025)](https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/kankyo/cmsfiles/contents/0000524/524768/P1_ABC2025_EN2.pdf), Osaka City Environment Bureau (大阪市環境局) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Household waste guide for Osaka City, page 2 (English, 2025)](https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/kankyo/cmsfiles/contents/0000524/524768/P2_ABC2025_EN.pdf), Osaka City Environment Bureau (大阪市環境局) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [テレビ・エアコン・冷蔵庫・冷凍庫・洗濯機・衣類乾燥機 (家電リサイクル法対象品)](https://www.city.minato.tokyo.jp/unei/kurashi/gomi/kate/dekinai/kaden.html), Minato City (港区) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)