Style & Gear

Furnish Your Tokyo Apartment Second-Hand: Recycle Shops, Apps and Sayonara Sales

Japan's recycle shops sell fridges, desks and rice cookers in great condition for a fraction of new. Which chains to try, the apps locals use, and how to sell or throw out big items.

By JOHN NANJO 2026.10.24 2 min read

Moving into an empty Tokyo apartment is a shock: often no lights, no fridge, no curtains. Before you max out a card at a furniture store, know this: Japan's second-hand market is enormous, clean and honest. People move often, items are well looked after, and "recycle shops" grade everything. Here's how residents furnish a place for a fraction of the price.

Budget¥30,000–80,000 for a basic setup

TimeA weekend

Best forNew arrivals, movers, leavers

BringResidence card (for selling)

The recycle shop chains

Treasure Factory

Big branches in the suburbs and along train lines · furniture, appliances, clothes

The best bet for furniture and home appliances: fridges, washing machines, microwaves, desks, beds. Larger suburban stores have the most stock. Appliances usually come with a short shop warranty; ask about it.

Hard Off / Off House / Hobby Off

Often in one building · electronics, household goods, hobbies

Hard Off is electronics and audio (the famous "junk" bins of untested gear are cheap and fun), Off House is homeware, furniture and clothes, Hobby Off is toys and games. Great for kitchen basics: rice cookers, pots, dishes for a few hundred yen each.

2nd STREET

Everywhere in the city · clothes, bags, some homeware

The clothing-focused chain, with hundreds of stores. Suburban branches also stock furniture and appliances. Good for winter coats when your first Tokyo winter surprises you.

BOOKOFF

Books, games, music, plus clothes at larger "BOOKOFF PLUS" stores

Cheap paperbacks (yes, English ones too), games and DVDs, and the easiest place to sell books when you leave.

The apps locals use

Jimoty (ジモティー): local classifieds. People give away or sell furniture and appliances to whoever can pick them up, often for free. Some cities even partner with Jimoty to cut bulky waste. Bring a friend and a car or van rental.
Mercari (メルカリ): the giant buy-and-sell app. Best for smaller items and anything you can ship. Big items get expensive to send.
Sayonara sales: foreigners leaving Japan sell everything at once, cheaply, usually through Facebook groups and community boards. Watch for them in March and August, the big moving seasons.

Selling and throwing away

Selling needs ID. By law, shops must check identity when they buy from you. Bring your residence card.
Ask for pick-up. Many chains do home buy-back for large items; call or book online.
Bulky waste (粗大ごみ, sodai gomi): you can't just leave furniture on the street. Book a collection with your ward, buy the fee stickers at a konbini, stick them on and put the item out on the morning given. Each ward's website has an English guide.
Appliances are special. TVs, fridges, washing machines and air conditioners can't go out as bulky waste; they go through the appliance recycling system (ask the shop you buy the replacement from, or a recycle shop).

Buy smart

Measure first: doorways, stairs and your kitchen space. Japanese apartments are narrow.
Check the year. Appliance labels show the manufacture year. Five years old or newer is a safe bet.
Ask about delivery. Many shops deliver large items for a fee. It's often cheaper than renting a van.
Look at the tag codes. Shops grade condition (often A to D or with notes). Read it before you get excited.

Words that work

配達してもらえますか？ (haitatsu shite moraemasu ka?) — Can you deliver it?
保証はありますか？ (hoshou wa arimasu ka?) — Is there a warranty?
買取お願いします (kaitori onegaishimasu) — I'd like to sell this.

My favourite things in my flat all have a previous owner: a desk from a recycle shop, a lamp from a sayonara sale. In Japan, second-hand doesn't mean worn out. It means somebody took care of it, and now it's your turn.
— John Nanjo