moving companies – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Sat, 21 Feb 2026 23:31:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 moving companies – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan https://soranews24.com/2026/02/22/burning-through-cash-just-to-throw-things-away-tops-list-of-headaches-when-moving-house-in-japan/ https://soranews24.com/2026/02/22/burning-through-cash-just-to-throw-things-away-tops-list-of-headaches-when-moving-house-in-japan/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2026 23:30:57 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=727099

Spring relocations in Japan can drain your budget faster than expected, and garbage disposal fees are the biggest surprise.

For many people when they think of spring in Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is rows of cherry blossom trees in full bloom lining the riverbanks of the country’s towns and cities. However, for the working residents of Japan, spring also heralds a procession of cardboard boxes.

From late February through early April, the country enters into moving mode as new jobs and school terms begin in April, with moving companies and real estate agents working in overdrive to support the many changing households. Naturally, this often sees their prices hiked up in response to the higher demand, but for people who have yet to undergo their first move in Japan, moving house comes along with several fees they may not have been expecting.

A survey of 500 people who have moved house at least once was conducted by Japanese real estate information site AlbaLink and listed many things that people were surprised at when they moved house. Yet, the biggest surprise fee, for 30 percent of the respondents, was not the key money or the moving truck, but oversized garbage disposal fees they had to pay for large items that they weren’t taking with them to their new place.

These fees were ranked as a bigger shock in the survey than furniture purchases, (29 percent) appliance purchases (14.4 percent), moving company fees (11.0 percent), or the cost of new curtains (7.8 percent) for windows that are inevitably too large for your current ones.

▼ Can we please standardize window sizes?

Oversized garbage disposal in Japan is serious business, so if you think you can just set all your no-longer-needed large items out on the street on the next garbage pick-up day and call it a job well done, you’re in for a big surprise.

Oversized garbage items, referred to as sodai gomi in Japanese, generally require:

Fees vary by municipality, and they can add up quickly with the more stuff you have. What can be even worse, though, is that sometimes there are items that you don’t think are oversized that are classified as such, like umbrellas and small suitcases, depending on where you’re located. Or if you’re seeking to dispose of some household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and air conditioners, then Japan’s recycling laws kick in, needing a recycling fee to be paid to be properly thrown away.

Disposal stickers for even small pieces of furniture or compact appliances can costs thousands of yen (equivalent to dozens of dollars) each, and since stickers need to be purchased for each individual item, the fees can quickly add up, particularly if you are combining households. If you haven’t budgeted for oversized garbage disposal on top of all of the other moving costs, it’s going to feel like a gut punch when your money is already pouring out of your wallet.

Other standard costs when signing a contract for a new place include:

There’s also the guarantor system to have to deal with, as most contracts often require a guarantor, who is legally responsible if you fail to pay the rent, and needs to be a person in Japan. An alternative, used by many foreign residents who don’t happen to know anyone who can act as their guarantor, is to use a guarantor company, which comes with an additional initial fee usually equal to 50 to 100 percent of one month’s rent.

So, you’re already looking at four to six months’ worth of rent to be paid before you’ve even stepped foot in your new home, Don’t forget that the moving company is also going to take a hefty chunk of your funds to get you on your way, and once you add in oversized garbage disposal fees, all those costs can really throw a wrench in an otherwise well-planned budget.

If you can save money, then you should absolutely do so, and the same survey highlighted some of the common places people tend to cut costs. 40.6 percent of respondents recommend carrying as many of your belongings as you can by yourself, as every extra object crammed into your suitcase or car is a little more money saved. Of course, you could always try to reduce your amount of belongings where possible (37.6 percent). You could sell items in good condition to second-hand stores, sell them online, or pass them on to friends who might want them.

Other answers included looking for a cheaper moving company (11.0 percent), because it’s perfectly acceptable to get multiple quotes before deciding one despite how much they push you for an answer, avoid moving during the peak season (4.8 percent), or to avoid the full-packing service some companies offer and do your packing yourself (4.4 percent).

However, at a time when you’re focused on cutting costs, what services do people recommend as actually worth spending money on? A reliable moving company is first and foremost (38.4 percent), as you want someone you can trust to handle all of your precious belongings.

Pre-moving-out cleaning services came in second at 8.2 percent, because there are some landlords and management companies out there who will deduct money from your security deposit for anything found to be “dirty” on the final inspection. Because of that, some people prefer the peace of mind of asking a professional to clean for them, which usually ends up cheaper than what they would otherwise be charged.

▼ They’ll clean all the places you would’ve forgotten about.

Some people are too busy with work or family life, so actually find the moving company’s packings services very useful (7.4 percent), whereas others need a hand installing their appliances (5.8 percent), such as the air conditioners, and some people invest in the unwanted item collection services (5.0 percent) to not have to deal with their municipality’s convoluted garbage rules.

Moving in Japan can feel overwhelming and complicated initially, but it’s manageable with enough preparation. Be sure to budget a little extra beyond what you think you might need, book early if it’s spring, measure the windows before buying curtains, and double-check what counts as oversized trash.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
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A warning to anyone using a moving company in Japan. 

Our reporter Yuuichiro Wasai reckons about 90 percent of our readers, Japanese or otherwise, will be left gobsmacked at the story he’s about to tell. Heck, even he was gobsmacked when this series of events happened to him, and he’s still not quite over it yet, but he thinks it’s an important experience to share with anyone who’s thinking of using a moving company in Japan.

You see, Yuuichiro moved apartments recently, so a few months ago he began the search for a good moving company to suit his limited budget. In Japan, that involves making time for a removal company representative to visit your house to discuss a quote, so he rang around and arranged a number of appointments, as is the norm in Japan.

▼ Yuuichiro’s old place, pictured here after he moved, was the scene for this series of events.

After seeing a few reps, the doorbell rang yet again, and this time Yuuichiro opened the door to a man who looked to be in his early 20s, wearing a neat suit that accentuated his stiff, tense-looking shoulders.

By the time this particular man arrived, Yuuichiro had already welcomed a previous rep into his home who offered a much cheaper quote than expected, so he had a viable option already, but he still decided to give this guy and his company a chance.

However, the quote given to Yuuichiro by this man — let’s call him Tense Shoulders-san — was quite high compared to other companies. With a few reps yet to visit and make a quote, Yuuichiro decided to usher the man to the door, politely telling him that he would think about it and contact him again if he decided to enlist the help of his company.

At this point in the bargaining process, the rep might offer a slightly cheaper quote, but rather than do this, Tense Shoulders-san did something totally unexpected instead.

He dropped to his knees and performed a “dogeza”, the deepest bow in Japanese society and one that’s usually reserved for matters of dire consequence.

▼ Yuuichiro re-enacting the rep’s actions to show us exactly how it looked from his angle.

While Japanese companies are known for their polite customer service, staff performing dogeza is on a whole other level, and it’s not something you’re likely to see outside of leaving a fancy traditional restaurant or accommodation, and even then it’s a bit of a novelty.

Heck, even company reps apologising at press conferences for misconduct only go so far as bowing at the waist, so when Yuuichiro saw Tense Shoulders-san prostrate himself at his feet, he gasped in astonishment.

However, this unexpected sight wasn’t the most astonishing aspect of the situation — it was the words that came out of the rep’s mouth:

“If you don’t sign here, I can’t go back to the office! Please help me!!”

Yuuichiro was speechless. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing or hearing. You could’ve heard a pin drop in the silence that followed, and though Yuuichiro expected Tense Shoulders-san to pull himself back up from the floor to a kneeling position after prostrating himself, he remained parallel to the floor.

At this point, Yuuichiro knew one thing — he definitely wasn’t going to be enlisting the services of this company for his move. However, he now had the problem of figuring out a way to get this man out of his house, so he decided to reason with him calmly and quietly, saying:

“I’ll contact you later if I decide to go with your company, so would you mind leaving for today?”

Tense Shoulders-san immediately replied with:

“I can’t return until I get a good answer from you.”

The situation appeared to be going from bad to worse, and Yuuichiro’s initial shock now turned to frustration. This was his place of residence, and yet it was now being controlled by the rep, who had become a very unwelcome visitor.

Tense Shoulders-san, however, remained steadfast, with his forehead on the floor, and though Yuuichiro reasoned with him a number of times, he wouldn’t budge.

▼ Even this stock photo of a man performing dogeza isn’t quite as low as the one that took place in Yuuichiro’s apartment.

Yuuichiro was at his wit’s end by this stage, so he eventually told him: “If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police“.

With those magic words, Tense Shoulders-san quietly stood up and turned to put his shiny shoes back on at the entrance, with his face on the verge of tears.

Yuuichiro opened the front door and silently guided him outside. He didn’t know what to say, so he simply whispered “Bye” before slamming the door shut.

Relieved to finally have him out of the house, yet puzzled as to what had happened, Yuuichiro remains unnerved about it all to this day. He’d seen around 10 companies for estimates, but none of the other reps had prostrated themselves, so he figured it wasn’t a new sales strategy being adopted across the board.

He couldn’t deny, though, that it did seem to be a sales strategy, and according to Yuuichiro, the impact of seeing someone prostrate themselves in front of you is so strong that some people might crack and end up signing with them.

However, parking the fact that it’s unfair tactics and downright dirty, it’s a pretty risky sales strategy to adopt. Surely there would be many people like Yuuichiro who would only end up being more resolute to never use that company ever again in future. In fact, he’d go so far as to say nobody would be happy to see someone prostrate themselves like this over a moving quote.

▼ Even this would be a less awkward way to plea for someone’s custom.

In the days that followed, Yuuichiro couldn’t help but wonder whether the rep’s story about the company pressuring him to get the job was actually true or not. Either he was a great actor, in which case Yuuichiro was glad to have got rid of him, or his superiors and company conditions really are the worst, in which case Yuuichiro can’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

Either way, it was an experience that left a bad taste in Yuuichiro’s mouth, and he hopes by telling it, it will help others know what to do if they ever find themselves in a similar situation. Moving is stressful enough at the best of times, without having to deal with a man who won’t leave the floor of your apartment.

Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2), ©Soranews24
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2023/04/06/japanese-moving-company-scam-the-time-we-almost-called-police-on-a-removal-rep/feed/ 0 620361 Removal Company Japan cheapest moving best quote Tokyo review news top Trouble with stalkers? Japanese moving company offers discount to musicians trying to escape fans https://soranews24.com/2019/11/25/trouble-with-stalkers-japanese-moving-company-offers-discount-to-musicians-trying-to-escape-fans/ https://soranews24.com/2019/11/25/trouble-with-stalkers-japanese-moving-company-offers-discount-to-musicians-trying-to-escape-fans/#comments Sun, 24 Nov 2019 16:00:25 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=476646

Multiple music-related scenarios earn band members cheaper bills.

Car ownership rates are low in Japan, and the cars people do own tend to be on the small side. Because of that, if you’re moving you probably need to pay for a professional moving service, but there are ways to lower the cost.

For example, the last time my wife and I moved, we saved a ton of cash by moving on a weekday morning, since there was a discount for off-peak hours when the moving staff were usually sitting around idle. But Japanese Twitter user @pickon103 recently shared a photo of a flyer for a moving company that offers a much more unexpected deal: a discount for customers who are in a band.

こんな読んでて辛くなる引越し業者のチラシある？ pic.twitter.com/xpcSUOYCIt

— すだ(ナードマグネット) (@pickon103) November 19, 2019

“Discount for band musicians,” the flyer for Aichi Prefecture’s Maruta Unso moving company announces, before laying out a number of scenarios such clients might be looking to relocate:
● Fans have figured out your address
● You want to slip out of town in a hurry without your talent agency’s president noticing
● You want your musical instruments handled by movers who know how to take proper care of them
● You think your lover is going to stab you soon
● You’d rather be spending money on new instruments than expensive movers
● You want a moving company that can work with your nocturnal lifestyle

OK, those all sound like understandable reasons to be looking for a new place to live, but why specifically offer this accommodation to musicians? Because, as the flyer goes on to reveal:

“Our driver is a band member himself, so he understands how you feel! Let us put your mind at ease!”

▼ The full version of the flyer, with Cat Mover saying, “It’s tough making music!”

一応原本上げときますね(・ω・)笑 pic.twitter.com/Z5Euf7vqou

— ジェイムズ&けもべえ (@JamesGodfield) November 20, 2019

While there seems to be a bit of a tongue-in-cheek tone to the advertisement (it’s got a cartoon cat hauling boxes on it, after all), the discount offer appears genuine, and is no doubt a big help to those who need to take advantage of it. Given some of the stalking incidents that have happened in Japan in recent years that involved musicians who aren’t at the filthy-rich level of show biz success, odds are there are more than a few would-be recording stars out there who’re famous enough to have a mentally unbalanced fan or two, but not famous enough that they don’t have to worry about money, and this is the sort of help they’ll definitely appreciate.

Related: Maruta Unso
Source: Twitter/@pickon103 via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
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