Cancelling Utilities Before Leaving Japan: Full Checklist | MyKyoten

Last verified: 2026. This guide is based on Immigration Bureau regulations, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare guidelines, and standard Japanese administrative practice. It is informational only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney or official government sources for case-specific guidance.

Forgetting to cancel even one utility before leaving Japan means you keep getting charged on a Japanese bank account or credit card you can no longer access. Disputing it from overseas is a bureaucratic nightmare. Providers will mail final bills to your old address. Automated payments will keep processing. And nobody is coming to help you sort it out from another country.

This is the guide that walks you through every step, in the right order, before you get on that plane.

How Much Notice Do You Actually Need for Each Utility?

The answer is different for every service, and this is where most people get tripped up.

Electricity cancellation through major providers like TEPCO (Tokyo area) or Kansai Electric requires a minimum of 3 to 5 business days notice before your final use date. The process can often be done online or by phone, which makes it the most forgiving of the three.

Gas is the one that catches people by surprise. Cancellation requires an in-person disconnection appointment where a technician physically comes to your unit to shut off the meter. Lead time is typically 1 to 2 weeks, sometimes longer during peak moving seasons in March and September. You need to be present, or arrange for someone to be.

Internet is the most expensive mistake you can make if you ignore contract terms. Month-to-month contracts (解約月末まで) mean cancellation is effective at the end of the current billing month. Fixed-term contracts carry early termination fees (違約金) that commonly range from ¥10,000 to ¥40,000 depending on your provider and how far into the contract you are.

Warning Box Do not wait until two weeks before departure to check your internet contract type. Log into your provider portal or call customer service now. If you are in a fixed-term contract and your departure date falls inside the penalty window, you may be paying that fee regardless. Knowing early at least lets you budget for it.

→ Use the Document Decoder to translate and understand your Japanese administrative documents.

How Do You Actually Cancel Electricity in Japan?

Basically, electricity is the easiest of the three.

Step 1: Locate your customer number (お客様番号) and meter number (メーター番号). Both are on your monthly bill or the paper envelope slipped under your door.

Step 2: Go to your provider's website or call their cancellation line. TEPCO's cancellation page is available in Japanese only, but the online form is straightforward. Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric, and others have similar portals. Call during business hours if you need phone support.

Step 3: Specify your final date of use (使用終了日). This is the day you vacate, not your flight date.

Step 4: Provide a forwarding address for the final bill. If you are leaving Japan entirely, use a trusted contact in Japan, or the address of whoever is handling your mail. See also: mail forwarding and temporary addresses.

Step 5: The provider will either do a remote final meter reading or arrange a physical one. Most urban providers now read meters remotely. Confirm this when you cancel.

The final bill typically arrives 1 to 3 weeks after disconnection and covers your remaining balance. If you are on 口座振替 (automatic bank debit), the last payment will attempt to process from your account. If the account is already closed, the bill goes to collections.

What Happens During the Gas Disconnection Appointment?

This is the utility that requires the most planning.

Call your gas provider (Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, or your local provider) and request a disconnection appointment. Give yourself at least 10 business days lead time. During March, reports from foreign residents indicate appointment slots fill up fast.

A technician will arrive at your apartment at the scheduled time. They will shut off the gas supply at the meter, check for leaks, and issue a disconnection certificate. You or another adult must be present. Leaving a key with a neighbour is generally not accepted.

If your original contract required a security deposit (保証金), the refund process begins after disconnection is confirmed. Refunds are typically mailed by cheque or transferred to your registered bank account within 30 to 60 days. If you are closing your bank account before that window closes, notify the provider of an alternative account at the appointment.

Reality Check A Brazilian IT contractor on an Engineer/Humanities visa reported that his gas refund cheque was mailed to his old apartment address three weeks after he left Japan. His former landlord held it, but he had to coordinate an international mail forwarding through a friend to retrieve it. Sort the refund destination before the appointment, not after.

What if you cannot be present for the appointment? Based on common experience among foreign residents, some providers in certain areas allow a proxy with written authorisation. Call your provider directly to confirm this option. Do not assume it is available.

Internet and Mobile: Where the Real Money Gets Left Behind

This is where people mess up most often, financially.

MVNOs (IIJmio, Mineo, OCN Mobile, etc.): Most MVNO contracts are month-to-month. Cancel through the app or member portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of that billing month. Return any leased SIM cards per the instructions in your contract documentation.

SoftBank, NTT (Hikari), au home internet: These are almost always fixed-term contracts. Early termination fees commonly run ¥10,000 to ¥40,000. The cancellation process requires either a store visit or a phone call to the cancellation department (解約窓口). Online-only cancellation is not always available. Budget 30 to 60 days notice.

Leased routers: Return the router in person at a store, or ship it back via the provided return label. Failing to return it triggers a non-return fee, typically ¥5,000 to ¥15,000.

SIM cards for mobile phones: If you purchased a SIM under your name with ID verification (required by law since 2023), cancellation must be confirmed to prevent ongoing billing. Read more about how SIM card ID verification works in Japan here.

Step-by-Step Checklist: Internet and Mobile Cancellation

• Check contract type: month-to-month or fixed-term
• Calculate early termination fee if applicable
• Call or visit the cancellation window at least 30 days before departure
• Confirm written cancellation notice (email or letter) from provider
• Return leased router with tracking confirmation
• Return or destroy SIM per provider instructions
• Confirm final billing date and payment method

The Full Cancellation Timeline Working Backwards from Departure Day

Here is the part nobody tells you: these cancellations do not all happen on the same day. They need to be staggered.

60 days before departure: - Check internet contract type and calculate termination fees - Begin notice period for fixed-term contracts if required

30 days before departure: - Submit cancellation for internet and mobile (especially NTT Hikari, SoftBank) - Confirm gas disconnection appointment date

10 to 14 days before departure: - Gas disconnection appointment scheduled and confirmed - Electricity cancellation submitted online or by phone

5 to 7 days before departure: - Confirm cancellation acknowledgements in writing for all utilities - Confirm forwarding address is registered with each provider - Arrange for someone to receive any final paper bills at a Japan address

Day of vacating: - Gas technician visit completed - Take meter reading photos for electricity and gas as documentation

After departure: - Cancel 口座振替 (automatic bank debit) authorisations once final bills are settled - Close Japanese bank account only after all final payments have cleared

For help calculating what financial obligations remain before you leave, the Leaving Japan Calculator can help you map out timing for bills, taxes, and account closures in one place.

What if a final bill arrives after you have left Japan? If you registered a forwarding address, Japan Post will forward mail for up to one year. Otherwise, coordinate with a trusted person in Japan. Unpaid utility bills in Japan can affect your credit record if you return on a future visa, based on common experience among returning foreign residents.

What if your automatic bank payment processes on a closed account? The payment will bounce. The provider will attempt to collect by paper invoice. If uncollected, the account may go to a third-party collection agency. Resolving this from overseas requires written correspondence in Japanese. Avoid this entirely by keeping the bank account open until all final utility payments confirm.

Your next step: Make a list today of every utility account you hold, note the provider name and customer number, and check whether each is on a fixed-term or month-to-month contract. That single action will tell you exactly how much lead time you need and whether any early termination fees apply.

Can I cancel gas without being home for the technician visit? In most cases, you must be present or arrange an authorised adult proxy. Some providers accept written proxy authorisation, but this varies by company and region. Call your gas provider directly to ask. Do not assume flexibility exists. Missing the appointment means rebooking, which can delay your departure timeline significantly.

What happens to my electricity deposit if I paid one? Many standard residential electricity contracts in Japan do not require a deposit. If yours did, the refund is typically processed within 30 to 60 days after final billing is confirmed. Provide the provider with a valid bank account before you leave. A closed account will cause the refund to fail and require additional correspondence to resolve.

Do I need to cancel my internet in Japanese, or can I do it in English? Most major providers including NTT and SoftBank do not offer English-language cancellation support by phone. Store visits at locations with foreign customer support counters are an option in major cities. MVNOs like IIJmio offer English member portals. If language is a barrier, use the provider's online form with browser translation, or bring a Japanese-speaking friend to the store.

If you are planning your departure and still working out what financial and administrative obligations remain, the Leaving Japan Calculator is built specifically for this. It helps you track timing for final bills, tax settlements, pension lump-sum refund deadlines, and account closures so nothing falls through the gap after you board the plane.