Moving home in Japan · Practical guide
Arrange your last day of service, check gas meter access and keep your final bills covered. Start with each provider’s official procedure—or get help with a Japanese call.
Direct answer
Request a stop date for each utility.
Find the electricity retailer, gas supplier and water bureau on your bills. Request each service’s final date, save the confirmation and check how the final bill will be paid.
Returning the keys does not automatically cancel your utilities. If a service is included in rent or managed by the building, ask the management company who arranges the stop.
01 · Prepare
Before you start
- Identify each account. Check the bill or payment record for the actual provider and customer number. Electricity and gas can share a provider, but confirm both services are covered by the request.
- Choose the last day you need each service. Allow for cleaning, showers, packing and any inspection. Confirm the timing if you need service throughout the final day.
- Keep account details ready. Prepare the contract holder’s name, service address, customer number, requested date and a contact method that works after you move.
- Plan access and payment. Check whether a gas technician needs help reaching the meter, and how every final bill will reach you.
Apply once your moving date is settled, within your provider’s booking window. Availability and deadlines differ; confirm them on the official page.
02 · Choose your next step
How would you like to handle it?
03 · Do it yourself
Start with gas and water.
Gas: request closure and check meter access.
Use the company on your gas bill. Look for stop service / 使用停止 or closure / 閉栓, then select your current address and final date.
For Tokyo Gas, stopping service usually does not require you to attend. You may need to be there if a locked entrance or another access restriction prevents the technician from reaching the meter. Confirm your supplier’s requirements before returning the keys.
Tokyo Gas recommends applying about a week ahead, earlier during busy moving periods. Its English instructions link to a Japanese application form.
Water: contact the bureau or building manager.
Check whether you pay the water bureau directly or through the landlord. If you hold the account, request a stop for your current address and save the confirmation. If the building collects the charge, ask the manager how the final reading and bill are handled.
For customers served by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks, the Tokyo Water App offers an English start/stop route. You need the customer number for a stop request; the official guide shows where to find it.
Official procedures to start with
Choose the provider on your bill. These are examples; other cities and suppliers use their own procedures.
| Provider | Official route | Before applying |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Gas |
English instructions → Stop-service procedure → |
English guidance; application form in Japanese. Check meter access. |
| Osaka Gas |
Moving procedures → Stop-service FAQ → |
Japanese. The FAQ directs customers moving abroad to its customer center rather than the online form. |
| Tokyo Waterworks Bureau | English start/stop guide → | For its customers. Customer number required to stop service. |
Electricity: use the separate step-by-step guide.
Cancel electricity with TEPCO, Kansai or Chubu →
A simple Japanese request
引っ越しのため、ガスの使用を停止したいです。最終使用日は〇月〇日です。立ち会いは必要ですか？
“I’m moving out and would like to stop gas service. My last day of use is [month/day]. Do I need to be present?”
引っ越しのため、水道の使用を停止したいです。最終使用日は〇月〇日です。最後の料金はどのように支払えばよいですか？
“I’m moving out and would like to stop water service. My last day of use is [month/day]. How should I pay the final bill?”
Replace the date and have the account holder’s name, address and customer number ready.
Confirm these before ending the call
- The accepted stop date for the correct service and address.
- Whether an appointment, meter access or your attendance is required.
- How and when to pay the final bill.
- A contact method or forwarding address that works after your move.
- The reference number and any action still needed.
LifeAdmin · Japanese call support
Still blocked by a Japanese call?
LifeAdmin can contact one utility provider, communicate one clear moving-out request and confirm its procedure. You receive a written English summary of the result and what to do next.
- ¥2,980 · one organization, one clear purpose
- Up to two call attempts
- Normally reviewed within one business day; calls during Japanese business hours
What we’ll need from you
- The provider’s name and your customer number, if available
- The account holder’s name and service address
- Your requested stop date and a contact method that works after your move
- Meter-access or appointment details, if relevant
- Times when you can join a call for consent or identity verification, if required
Provide these through the task form. The provider may need your direct participation; LifeAdmin cannot bypass its consent or verification rules.
Moving or leaving in less than 3 days? Contact the provider directly through its online procedure or language support first. LifeAdmin may not be available before your deadline; same-day completion is not guaranteed.
Get help with this call →Completion is not guaranteed. Separate providers require separate requests. If one organization supplies more than one service, confirm the task’s scope before ordering.
04 · Check the details
Keep your final bills covered.
A confirmed stop date does not settle unpaid charges. Ask each provider when the last bill will arrive and how to pay it after moving.
- Closing a Japanese bank account? Confirm another payment arrangement before closing an account used for utility debits.
- Leaving Japan? Tell the provider that a Japanese forwarding address or local phone number may no longer work.
- Moving within Japan? Check start dates at the new address separately from the old stop requests.
05 · Keep your move on track
Keep each stop request on your moving checklist.
Use this quick list to check what still needs your attention. Tick an item once it is arranged; the ticks apply to this visit.
See the detailed electricity cancellation guide →
Gas, water and other services are separate tasks. Confirm what your landlord or management company handles.
Leaving Japan? Check these next
-
City hall: moving-out notification (Shibuya’s English example) →
Check the overseas moving-out procedure with your own municipal office.
- Pension: check the lump-sum withdrawal guide →
- Taxes: check remaining obligations before departure →
- Bank accounts: plan your account and final payments →
- Cancel home internet and arrange equipment return →
Affiliate link: VisaSHOGUN may earn a commission if you use this link.
Tokyo Gas · Explore your options
Setting up utilities at your next home?
If you are moving within Japan, you can check Tokyo Gas’s offer below. Check the advertised service, supply area, rates and application conditions on the destination page before applying. This offer does not cancel your existing utilities or arrange every move-in procedure.
Affiliate link: VisaSHOGUN may receive a commission if you apply through it.
See the guide to starting electricity, gas and water at your next home →
Questions before you move
Can I cancel all utilities in one request?
Confirm each service separately. Some companies provide electricity and gas together, but water may be billed by a different organization. Ask exactly which contracts the request covers.
Do I need to be present for gas closure?
Tokyo Gas generally does not require attendance for stopping service, but meter-access restrictions can make it necessary. Ask your own supplier; do not assume the rules for starting gas also apply to stopping it.
Can I stop water in English?
Tokyo Waterworks publishes an English start/stop guide for the Tokyo Water App. Other municipalities and building-managed accounts have different procedures.
What if I am moving abroad with Osaka Gas?
Its official stop-service FAQ directs overseas movers to the customer center. Check the current contact route in the linked FAQ.
Will my landlord cancel the utilities?
Confirm this with your management company or lease. If the account is in your name, do not assume returning the keys ends it.
Can LifeAdmin guarantee cancellation?
No. LifeAdmin communicates your request and confirms the procedure within the agreed scope. The provider controls the result and may require your consent, verification or direct action.
Continue your move
One provider · One clear request
One call you don’t want to handle alone?
LifeAdmin can make the Japanese call and explain the result in English.
Get help with your call →Before buying, check what we’ll need from you. Moving or leaving in less than 3 days? Contact your provider directly first.
Keep in touch
Moving within Japan, or returning later?
Keep the Japan life guides close for your next move. Subscribe to the newsletter, or add VisaSHOGUN on LINE.
Official sources
Checked 1 October 2026. Your own provider’s procedures and contract apply.