As an American, I’m used to people getting rid of stuff by throwing crap on their lawns and sticking a big old “free” sign on it. So I was a little surprised when I read that someone in Japan tried to do just that recently – until a neighbor laid into them.
Which raises the question: is leaving stuff out for free in Japan legal? And, perhaps more importantly: is it good manners?
The issue came up as a question to Japanese legal site Bengoshi.com. The writer left out a TV on a public sidewalk with a sign that read, “Old model but good condition. Please take.”
Later, however, they discovered another neighbor had put their own sign on the TV.
“To the person illegally disposing of the television: This is a massive inconvenience. Please take it back immediately. If you don’t, I’m reporting you for illegal disposal.”
The proper way to get rid of a TV in Japan
If you’re trying to throw away large objects in Japan, the rules are pretty clear. You contact your City Hall and purchase a disposal ticket. You then leave that ticket on the object and leave it outside for disposal at the appropriate date and location.
People in Japan are pretty sensitive to illegal disposal, which some construction companies here commit at a massive scale. Some people also get seriously uptight about enforcing garbage rules in their neighborhoods. (In my building in Tokyo, we have one resident who leaves nastygrams in the elevator whenever they spot a garbage bag that mixes burnables with other trash.)
But recycling is good, right? Surely giving away a still-functioning television instead of disposing of it is right and proper?
So the TV disposer sent a message to Bengoshi.com with a simple query: am I the asshole?
To which a site author responded: Yes. Yes, you are.
Japan has a recycling law that specifically addresses the proper disposal of electronics. Your options are to take it to a recycling center, take it to a second-hand shop like Hard Off, call your City Hall to arrange for disposal, or sell it online.
You absolutely cannot, however, under any circumstances, leave it outside on a public road for a random stranger. That’s deemed illegal disposal under Japanese law and can result in up to five years in prison and/or a 10 million yen (USD $65,500) fine.
So, can you leave it out on your own lawn for someone to take? Nope. That amounts to “reckless disposal” and is also illegal.
Social media reactions to this article are uniformly positive. Everyone seems to agree: if you want to reuse a TV, take it to a secondhand shop or sell it online. Leaving it outside, according to Japan, is real YTA vibes.
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