Three separate companies, three separate procedures, and one of them needs you to be physically present. Arranging this before your move-in date rather than after is the difference between a hot shower on night one and a cold week.
Electricity
Start it online or by phone with the provider for your area. You will need the address, your name, the start date, and often the supply identification number from a sticker in the flat or on a previous bill.
No appointment needed. In most flats the supply is live and you simply flip the main breaker on the panel by the door. If nothing happens, check the ampere breaker first — it is often switched off between tenants.
The market is deregulated, so you can change provider later for a better rate. Get connected first and optimise afterwards.
Gas — the one that needs you
Gas cannot be turned on remotely. A technician must attend, open the supply, and check for leaks, with someone present in the flat. They will usually also check any appliances.
Book it as soon as you have a move-in date. Slots go quickly, and in March and early April — when much of Japan moves at once — a week or more of waiting is normal. The appointment takes about half an hour.
Note whether your building is on city gas (都市ガス) or propane (LPガス). Propane is common in smaller and older buildings, is usually more expensive, and the supplier is often fixed by the landlord. Gas appliances are not interchangeable between the two.
Water
Run by the municipality rather than a company. Usually the simplest: submit a start notice online or by phone, or fill in the postcard often left in the flat. No appointment, and the stopcock may need opening — typically in a small covered box outside the door.
Water is commonly billed every two months, which makes the first bill look alarming.
Paying
- Direct debit (口座振替) — set up with a form from the provider or at your bank. The only method you cannot forget, and some providers discount it slightly.
- Credit card — convenient, and often earns points, but not every provider accepts foreign-issued cards.
- Convenience store — a payment slip arrives and you pay at any konbini in cash. Flexible, and entirely dependent on you remembering.
- Bank transfer — using the details on the bill.
Set up direct debit once your account exists. Until then, konbini slips are the fallback, and they are why some new arrivals accumulate a drawer of unpaid paper.
If you miss a payment
Nothing dramatic happens quickly. You receive a reminder, then a notice with a disconnection date, typically some weeks out. Pay before that date and nothing else follows. If you have been disconnected, reconnection usually happens the same or next business day once payment clears — but gas may need another appointment.
When you move out
Contact all three with your move-out date, at least a few days ahead. Final readings are taken and a closing bill issued, which can be paid by transfer or at a konbini. Do not simply stop paying and leave — an unpaid final bill follows you, and it is exactly the kind of loose end that complicates a later application.
The phrases
- 電気の使用開始をお願いします。 — Denki no shiyō kaishi o onegai shimasu. — I would like to start electricity service.
- ガスの開栓の予約をしたいです。 — Gasu no kaisen no yoyaku o shitai desu. — I would like to book the gas connection appointment.
- 口座振替にしたいです。 — Kōza furikae ni shitai desu. — I would like to set up direct debit.
- 引っ越すので使用停止をお願いします。 — Hikkosu node shiyō teishi o onegai shimasu. — I am moving, please stop the service.
Where to confirm this
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 21 August 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.