Letting go of things in Tokyo: throw out, give away, or sell

Ask AI, then check. The quickest way to find an answer is often to ask ChatGPT or Claude, for example: "How do I throw out an umbrella in Minato City?" AI is helpful, but it can mix up ward rules or give old information. Before you put something out, check the city's sorting app or this guide.

Know this first: Japan has fewer places to donate. In many Western countries, you can drop off almost anything at a charity shop. In my experience, that's much less common in Japan. Most people here sell their used things instead: at secondhand shops like Book Off and Hard Off, or on Mercari. So the donation list on this page is short. That's how things work here, not something missing from this guide.

Start with two apps: Mercari and Jimoty. Most people in Tokyo use Mercari to sell and Jimoty to give things away (or sell them cheaply to someone nearby). If you only try two things on this page, try these.

Choose speed over money. In my experience, Mercari is the only place where things sell for a good price. Most other options pay very little. If you're moving or short on time, your time is worth more than the few thousand yen you might get.

Set a deadline. Selling sounds like a good idea, but ask yourself honestly: do I have the time, and will I really do it? If you decide to sell, give yourself a date. Anything that hasn't sold by then goes to the next option.

Make a "let go" corner. Choose one corner of your home for things that are leaving. When something goes there, it's decided. You can deal with the whole corner at once, instead of making a new decision every day.

Some things can't be used again. Throwing them out properly is a good choice too.

Everyday garbage and large items

Garbage rules in Tokyo are different in each ward. For Minato City, I made a separate English guide: collection days, sorting, large-sized waste (sodai gomi), moving-out garbage, and what the city can't collect, like soil from plants. It also links to the city's own English guidebook and a one-page sorting chart you can print.

→ How to throw out garbage in Minato City

Living in another ward? See the official English guides: Shibuya · Meguro · Setagaya

Air conditioners, TVs, fridges, washing machines, and computers

The city doesn't collect these.

• Air conditioners, TVs, fridges, washing machines: by law, these must be recycled, and you pay a recycling fee. Buying a new one? Ask the shop to take the old one. Just getting rid of it? Ask the shop where you bought it. If it still works, try Jimoty first.
• Computers: contact the maker. It's free if the computer has the "PC Recycle" mark. Or use Renet Japan, Minato City's partner: book online, pack the computer in a box, and a courier picks it up for free. Erase your data first.
• Before a move, book early. Last-minute requests may not make it in time.

Dolls, photos, keepsakes: let them go with care

In Japan, many people don't like to throw dolls, photos, or a family member's things in the trash. Instead, they ask a shrine or temple to hold a short ceremony and burn them. This is called otakiage (お焚き上げ).

Minna no Otakiage (みんなのお焚き上げ): you buy a kit online, pack your things, and send them to a shrine by post. The shrine holds the ceremony and sends you a certificate.

• Prices start at about ¥1,650, including shipping to the shrine.
• Dolls, stuffed toys, photos, and albums are accepted. Things that don't burn are also accepted.
• The website is in Japanese.

Ai

Ai's note: I recommend this for things like Children's Day dolls (五月人形) and old photos. If you have a Japanese partner or family, they may feel strongly about this. It's a kind way to say goodbye.

You get no money, but your things are used again. Donating used things is less common in Japan than in many Western countries, so the list is short. Here are the main options.

Give it away for free

In front of your house (if you live in a house)

Put things on your own property, by the gate, with a sign: ご自由にお持ちください ("Please take freely"). Neighbors pick them up surprisingly fast.

Ai

Ai's note: This works best for dishes and kitchen items.

Keep it on your property, not on the street, and bring in what's left by the end of the day. A few paper bags next to the items are a kind touch: people can carry things home easily.

Jimoty (ジモティー)

A Japanese website and app for giving things away or selling them to people nearby. The buyer usually comes to your home to pick up.

• The app is in Japanese. Use your phone's translation to read it.
• Keep your listing simple: what it is, the size (for furniture), the model number (for appliances), and about two photos. You don't need to describe every scratch.
• List it for ¥0. Free items get picked up quickly.

Ai

Ai's note: For large furniture, Jimoty is my first choice. Throwing out a sofa costs money and takes about two weeks to book. If it still works, list it for free — someone usually comes quickly, often with a car. Many are small businesses. It saves time and effort.

Minato City free furniture pickup

Minato City picks up good-quality wooden furniture for free, cleans it up, and sells it at its furniture recycling shop.

• Measure the width, depth, and height. Then call the office for an assessment: 03-3472-8186 (Monday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed Sundays and the third Thursday).
• It must be from a home in Minato City, in good condition, with no missing parts.
• Not accepted: electrical items (including kotatsu tables), exercise equipment, or anything with big scratches or stains.
• The office speaks Japanese. Ask someone to call for you if you need to.

Donate

Most household items: The Salvation Army bazaar (救世軍バザー)

The Salvation Army in Japan collects used items and sells them at its bazaar. It accepts clothes, bags, accessories, toys, household goods, books, and more. Items must be in good enough condition to sell again.

• Bring them to the center in Suginami (Wada 2-21-2, about 10 minutes' walk from Nakano-Fujimicho Station). Drop-off: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. There is parking.
• Send them by courier from anywhere in Japan. You pay the shipping.
• Free pickup by truck in some parts of Tokyo, if you have 3 boxes or more. Call to ask.
• Not accepted: furniture, used dishes, used bedding, electronics more than 5 years old, women's clothes and men's suits bought more than 10 years ago, used underwear and socks, child car seats, opened toiletries, food, and alcohol.
• Phone (Japanese): 03-5860-2992 (closed Wednesdays and Sundays). The line is often busy, so try again later. Donated items can't be returned.

Unopened food: Second Harvest Japan

A food bank in Tokyo that gives food to people who need it. Useful before a move, when you're clearing out the kitchen.

• Bring food to the office in Higashi-Kanda, Chiyoda City (Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.), or send it by post. If you have a lot, call first: 03-5822-5371.
• Good to give: rice, pasta and noodles, canned food, instant food, seasonings, snacks, coffee and tea.
• Not accepted: expired food, opened or damaged packages, food with no expiry date, and food without Japanese ingredient labels. Food you brought from home may not be accepted.

English books: Minato City libraries

Minato City libraries accept book donations. Bring them to the counter at any Minato City library.

• Books must be in good condition, with no stains or writing. DVDs and videos are not accepted.
• The library decides what to do with them. Some go on the shelves, and some go to other public places or to the library's free "recycle" shelf.
• There's no special rule about English books. If you have a lot, call your library first.

Clothes: Minato City clothing boxes

Minato City has clothing collection boxes at 18 places, including the branch offices.

• Wash the clothes first (no need for dry cleaning). Put them in a see-through bag.
• Also accepted: shoes and socks (in pairs), bags, towels, sheets, curtains, and kimono. Clothes should be wearable again.
• Not accepted: boots, high heels, futons, blankets, pillows, carpets, and used underwear.

Clothes: store collection boxes (UNIQLO, ZARA, MUJI)

Some clothing stores have collection boxes. You can drop things off while you're out shopping.

• UNIQLO: every UNIQLO store has a RE.UNIQLO box. It takes anything bought at UNIQLO, GU, or PLST (and a few sister brands), including underwear and socks. Wash them first. Clothes that can be worn again go to refugees and people in disaster areas, with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other groups. The rest is recycled.
• ZARA: takes clothes and home textiles (like towels and sheets) of any brand, in any condition. Put them in a closed bag. Only some stores have a box, so check the store finder on ZARA's website.
• MUJI: takes MUJI clothes (not underwear, socks, shoes, bags, or hats), MUJI cotton towels, and MUJI plastic storage boxes. You get 10 MUJI points (once a day). Each store takes different items, so check MUJI's website before you go.

Toys: Minato City toy boxes

Minato City collects used toys. They are sent abroad (to Cambodia) and used again.

• Boxes at 3 places: Minato Recycling and Waste Management Office (Konan 3-9-59), Eco Plaza (Hamamatsucho 1-13-1), and the office in Moto-Azabu (Moto-Azabu 3-9-6). Closed Sundays; Eco Plaza is also closed Mondays and holidays.
• Accepted: dolls, stuffed toys, models, educational toys, puzzles and board games, handheld game consoles, toy cars, and balls and sports toys.
• Not accepted: toys that need to be plugged in or charged (battery toys are OK), broken or very dirty toys, picture books, and anything that doesn't fit in the box (40 × 40 × 70 cm).

Furugi de Vaccine (古着deワクチン)

You buy a collection kit (from ¥2,750), fill the bag with clothes, shoes, and bags, and send it. The clothes are sold in developing countries, which creates local jobs, and each kit pays for polio vaccines for children.

• It's a paid service, not a free donation. But you can send a lot at once, from home: a courier (Sagawa) picks up the bag, and you pay nothing more at pickup.
• The website is in Japanese.

Ai

Ai's note: A good choice if you want your things to be used again and do some good at the same time.

Recycle

Where can I drop things off in Minato City?

Minato City collects some items at 31 city facilities, including the branch offices. Not every place takes every item, so check the city's list before you go.

• Clothes, small appliances, and toys (see above and below)
• Dishes and glass
• Batteries (regular dry-cell batteries)
• Fluorescent lamps
• Used cooking oil
• Plastic bottle caps

Large items (30 cm or more) can be taken to the Shibaura facility on Sundays, after booking. See the garbage guide.

The Minato Resource Recycling Center in Konan is a sorting plant for the city's recyclables. You can't bring your own things there.

Small appliances and phones

• Minato City collection boxes (yellow) take small appliances such as phones at 14 city facilities, including the branch offices. Erase your data, and remove SD cards and batteries first.
• Phone shops (docomo, au, SoftBank, and others) take old phones of any brand for free.
• Apple Store: bring any used Apple product (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and more) for recycling. Macs and iPads are recycled for free. You can also send them by courier. Erase your data first.

Dishes and glass: Minato City collection boxes

Instead of putting dishes out as incombustible garbage, you can bring them to a Minato City box. Good pieces are sent abroad and used again. The rest is crushed and made into building material.

• Accepted: plates, bowls, cups, glasses, teapots, cosmetic bottles (remove caps), and flat glass under 30 cm.
• Boxes at 2 places: Minato Recycling and Waste Management Office (Konan 3-9-59, 8:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m.) and the office in Moto-Azabu (Moto-Azabu 3-9-6, 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.). Closed Sundays.
• Wrap them in newspaper. If something is broken, write キケン ("danger") on the paper. Unused gift sets can go in as they are, in their box.

Selling takes time. Set a deadline, and if something hasn't sold by then, move it to option 1 or 2.

Mercari (メルカリ)

Japan's biggest app for selling things person to person. You can switch the app to English. Write your item description and messages with an AI translation tool.

Ai

Ai's note: In my experience, Mercari gets the best prices. Books are easy to sell, and shipping is cheap. iPhones also sell for more here than anywhere else.

Book Off and Hard Off (ブックオフ・ハードオフ)

Secondhand chain stores. Book Off buys books, CDs, and games. Hard Off buys electronics and appliances. Its sister store, Off House, buys clothes and household goods (some stores have both in one building). You bring your things to the store, and they pay you on the spot.

Ai

Ai's note: You won't get much money. The good part is that they take everything at once. When I brought clothes, they took them even when they couldn't give a price. (This may depend on the store.) When you're short on time, that matters more.

Pollet (ポレット): sell a box of things from home

A Japanese app that buys your things by courier. You order a free box, fill it, and a courier picks it up at your door. Pollet checks the items and pays you in the app. You don't have to list anything or wait for a buyer.

• It takes more than 60 kinds of items, so you can put many different things in one box.
• The box and the assessment are free. Shipping is free the first time. If you cancel after pickup, you pay the shipping to get your things back.
• The app is in Japanese.

Like Book Off, don't expect a lot of money. The good part is that you can do it all from home.

Secondhand shops in Minato City

Minato City has no large secondhand shops like the big Hard Off or 2nd STREET stores you find in the suburbs. What you'll find nearby:

• Rehello by BOOKOFF: small Book Off stores in Azabu-Juban, Tamachi, Shirokane, and Takanawadai.
• 2nd STREET Azabu-Juban: a buying-only store for brand-name items (bags, clothes, watches). It doesn't take furniture or everyday things.
• Furniture and appliances? Large chains such as 2nd STREET and Treasure Factory can come to your home to buy them (出張買取 / shutcho kaitori). Check their websites to see if they cover your area.