Moving to a new home can be an exciting as well as a challenging experience, especially when it comes to navigating the various procedures and regulations in a foreign country. For expats in Japan, this article will provide an overview of the key steps you need to take when relocating here, as well as some helpful tips and resources to make the process as stress-free as possible.
Essential timeline for moving
Here is the basic timeline you should follow to avoid any potential issues from arising. We provide the detailed information for each topic later in this article.
More than 1 month before moving
- Find and sign a contract for a new residence
One month before moving
- Notify current landlord on the termination
- Reserve a moving company for your relocation day
- Notify your employer of address change
1 week before moving
- Submit a notification of moving out, and obtain a certification of moving out from the City Hall
- Contact utility services for termination of the current contracts, and for the application for new contracts
The day of moving
- Have the gas supplier and the water supplier come to your old house for closure of gas and water services
- Meet the gas supplier for opening gas tap at your new house
Within 14 days after moving in
- Submit a notification of moving in, and obtain a certification of moving in from the City Hall
- Complete all other procedures that can be done at City Hall in one day. This may take more than 4 hours, so have your entire day off if possible.
As soon as possible after moving in
- Update your registered address in various services
- Consider postal forwarding service
Each step explained
Now, let’s take a closer look at what you have to prepare for your move.
Find and sign for a new residence – More than 1 month before
Please see detailed explanation at Finding Housing in Japan as an expatriate.
Notify your landlord about termination – 1 month before moving
To terminate a house lease agreements, in general, you need to send a notice of termination in advance. In most cases, one month’s notice is stipulated in the contract.
Reserve a moving company – 1 month before moving
Reserving a moving service well in advance of the moving date is essential for a few reasons:
High demand: Moving services in Japan are high in demand, especially during peak moving seasons such as the end of the month and the end of the fiscal year. By reserving a moving service well in advance, you can ensure that you will have a spot on the schedule and won’t have to worry about not being able to find a service on the day of your move.
Cost: Reserving a moving service well in advance can also save you money. Many moving companies offer discounts for early reservations and planning ahead can help you make better cost-saving choices.
Notification of moving out – 1 week before
Go to the City Hall to submit a notification of moving out. A detailed explanation will be given in the section on resident registration.
Contact the utility services – 1 week before
You need to contact the gas, electricity, and water services separately for termination of current contract and/or application for new one. Gas and electricity services are run by local companies, and water service is run by the municipality in your area. Thus, unless you are moving nearby, you are likely to have to contact two companies respectively for each service.
Contact information can be found here.
Major electricity companies
| Electric Company (Site Link) | Phone Number | Business Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Electric Power | 0120-12-6565 | Weekdays 9:00-17:00, Saturdays 9:00-15:00 |
| Tohoku Electric Power | 0120-066-774 | Weekdays 9:00-17:00 |
| Tokyo Electric Power | Varies by plan and address | Weekdays 9:00-17:00 |
| Chubu Electric Power | 0120-921-691 | Weekdays 9:00-19:00, Weekends and Holidays 9:00-17:00 |
| Hokuriku Electric Power | 0120-776-453 | Weekdays 9:00-20:00, Saturdays 9:00-20:00 |
| Kansai Electric Power | 0800-777-8810 | Weekdays 9:00-18:00 |
| Chugoku Electric Power | Varies by address | Weekdays 9:00-20:00 |
| Shikoku Electric Power | Varies by address | Weekdays 9:00-17:00 |
| Kyushu Electric Power | Varies by address | Weekdays 9:00-17:00 |
| Okinawa Electric Power | 0120-586-390 | Weekdays 8:30-17:00, Saturdays 8:30-17:00 |
Major gas companies
| Gas Company (Website Link) | Telephone Number | Business Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Gas | 0570-008800 or 011-792-8110 | Weekdays 9:00am – 7:00pm, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sendai City Gas Bureau | 0800-800-8978 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm, Saturdays 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Tokyo Gas | 0570-002211 or 03-3344-9100 | Mondays – Saturdays 9:00am – 7:00pm, Sundays and Holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Hokuriku Gas | 0570-025-880 or 025-229-1104 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm, Saturdays 8:30am – 5:10pm |
| Shizuoka Gas | 0570-020-161 | Weekdays 8:45am – 7:00pm, Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, and May 1st 8:45am – 6:00pm |
| Tohbu Gas | 0120-015455 | Open 24 hours, all year round |
| Osaka Gas (depends on location) | Mondays – Saturdays 9:00am – 7:00pm, Sundays and Holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm | |
| Hiroshima Gas | 0570-002-888 or 082-251-2176 | Weekdays 8:50am – 7:00pm, Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, and May 1st 8:50am – 5:30pm |
| Okayama Gas (depends on location) | Weekdays 8:30am – 5:15pm | |
| Seibu Gas | 0570-000-312 or 092-633-2440 | Mondays – Saturdays 9:00am – 7:00pm, Sundays and Holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
Major water suppliers
| City (Water Bureau) | Phone Number | Business Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sapporo (Sapporo Water Bureau) | 011-211-7770 | Open year-round, 8:00am – 9:00pm |
| Sendai (Sendai Water Bureau) | 022-748-111 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm, Saturdays 8:30am – 5:00pm, March and April holidays and first Sunday of April 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Saitama (Saitama Water Bureau) | 048-665-3220 | Open year-round, 8:00am – 9:00pm |
| Chiba (Prefectural Water Customer Center) | 0570-001-245 or 043-310-0321 | Weekdays 8:45am – 6:00pm, Saturdays 8:45am – 5:00pm |
| Tokyo 23 Wards (Tokyo Water Bureau) | 03-5326-1100 | Monday to Saturday 8:30am – 8:00pm |
| Yokohama (Yokohama Water Bureau) | 045-847-6262 | Open 24 hours, year-round |
| Kawasaki (Kawasaki Water Bureau) | 044-200-3548 | Open year-round, 8:30am – 8:00pm |
| Sagamihara (Kanagawa Prefectural Water Bureau) | 0570-005959 | Monday to Saturday 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Niigata (Niigata Water Bureau) | 0120-411-002 or 025-266-9311 | Open year-round, 8:00am – 9:00pm |
| Shizuoka (Shizuoka Water Bureau) | 054-251-1132 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm, March and April Saturdays and Sundays 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Hamamatsu (Hamamatsu Water Bureau) | 0120-09-1132 or 053-476-8100 | Weekdays 8:00am – 7:00pm, March 10th to April 10th Saturdays and Sundays 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Nagoya (Nagoya Water Bureau) | 052-884-5959 | Weekdays 8:00am – 7:00pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8:00am – 5:15pm |
| Kyoto (Kyoto Water Bureau) | 075-672-7700 | Open year-round, 8:30am – 9:00pm |
| Osaka (Osaka Water Bureau) | 06-6458-1132 | Weekdays 8:00am – 8:00pm, Saturdays 9:00am – 5:00pm, December 29th and 30th and March to April holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sakai (Sakai Water Bureau) | 0570-02-1132 or 072-251-1132 | Weekdays 8:45am – 7:00pm, Saturdays and Sundays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Kobe (Kobe Water Bureau) | 078-797-5555 | Weekdays 9:00am – 5:15pm |
| Okayama (Okayama City Waterworks Bureau) | 086-234-5959 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Hiroshima (Hiroshima City Waterworks Bureau) | 082-511-5959 | Weekdays 8:30am – 7:00pm Saturdays 9:00am – 5:00pm (March and April only) |
| Kitakyushu (Kitakyushu City Waterworks Bureau) | 093-582-3031 | Mondays – Saturdays 8:30am – 7:00pm Sundays 8:30am – 7:00pm (March and April only) |
| Fukuoka (Fukuoka City Waterworks Bureau) | 092-532-1010 | Weekdays 8:45am – 5:30pm Saturdays 9:00am – 5:00pm |
Before contacting your current gas, water and electricity services for termination, check and prepare your customer numbers for smooth communication.
For gas service, you have to make appointments both at your old and new houses for closing and opening the gas tap. This is important because you won’t be able to use gas until the gas tap is opened.
For water supply, an executive will come to your old house for collecting residual payment.
For electricity, you don’t need to make such appointment and the moving process can be done online here.
Residential registration – Within 14 days after moving in
*This is only applicable for VISA holders for more than 3 months’ stay.
Register your address with the local City Hall or ward office. This is necessary for obtaining the Certificate of Residence (住民票 “jyu-min-hyou”), which is required for many processes in both public and private. For example, without this, you won’t be able to:
- obtain or renew a driver’s license
- file a tax return (with a few exceptions)
- receive some important documents like cash cards
- vote in elections (in case you have obtained Japanese citizenship)
Time frame
The registration process should be completed within 14 days of moving into your new residence. Failure to register in this period without any reasonable cause can result in fines and other penalties.
However, such penalty is extremely rare in practice, so in case you missed the timing, don’t hesitate to submit a notice of moving in.
Process
If you have a previous residence in Japan, first, submit a notification of moving out [“転出届(ten-shutsu-todoke)”] and obtain a certification of moving out [“転出証明書” (ten-shutsu-syou-mei-syo)] at the city hall in your previous address. Be sure to do this before the moving day.
Next step is to submit a notification of moving in [“転入届(ten-nyu-todoke)”] to the city hall of your new residence.
When submitting these forms, bring your residence card, My Number card (if you have one), Certificate of National Health Insurance (if applicable), and your personal seal (if you have one).
At the end of the process at the counter, don’t forget to obtain a copy of the Certificate of Residence. It will be required to rewrite the address on your driver’s license and so on.
If you aren’t confortable in communicating in Japanese, it’s recommended to have a Japanese-speaking friend or translator to help you with the process.
Other administrative procedures – at the same time of Residential registration
There are several processes that you should complete, including procedures for school transfers, child care benefits, social insurance services for the elderly and disabled, and dog registration, as applicable to you. Most of those can be done at the same time as you go to the City Hall for residential registration. Please ask at the counter about where you can process them and they will be willing to help.
Renewal of the address – As soon as possible after moving in
Be sure to update your address on all official and personal documents after moving. This can be a tedious task, and even locals may forget to do it. However, this guide will provide useful information to help you change your address. The points below will help you update the following documents.
- Driver’s license at the nearest police station
- Garage certification at the nearest police station
- Vehicle registration at the Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration Office
- Bank, credit cards, moble phone, etc.
Helpful tips when moving
- Postal forwarding service
- The post office offers a free forwarding service. You can request this both online at https://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/tenkyo/ and in person at the counter.
- This will redirect the mails sent to your previous address to your new house for one year.
- However, certain types of important documents, such as credit cards are not subject to this service.
Conclusion
Moving to a new home in Japan can be a daunting task, especially for expats. However, by following the essential timeline and steps outlined in this article, the process can be made much simpler and less stressful. With proper planning and preparation, your move to/in Japan can be a positive and exciting experience.
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