Utilities
水道料金 請求書: Japan Water Bill (Water Bureau) Explained
This is a water bill or notice from your local water bureau (水道局, run by the municipality or a contractor). In most areas it comes every two months, calculated from your meter's 使用水量 (water used). The charge usually includes both 上水道 (the clean tap water) and 下水道 (sewage/treatment of used water) — though in some areas sewage is billed separately. It is typically a base charge plus a usage charge, and the amount varies by area, household and season. Always check the water used, amount and due date printed on your own bill.
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Whoever holds the water account for that home — usually the resident who set up service when moving in. In apartments where water is included in rent or management fees, or where the landlord holds one contract, you may not get an individual bill. Nationality does not matter. If you just moved in and the account is still in the previous tenant's name, the billing may be mismatched.
What to do
- 1Check the 使用水量 (water used), the amount, and the 納期限 (due date) on the bill.
- 2Pay by the due date, using a method listed on the bill: convenience store, bank, direct debit (口座振替), credit card, or a payment app.
- 3To avoid paying each time, set up 口座振替 (auto-debit) or credit-card payment via the water bureau's site or the enclosed form.
- 4When you move, tell the water bureau to stop service (使用中止) at the old address and start it (使用開始) at the new one, by phone or web. Skipping this throws off the billing.
- 5If the bill is suddenly high, check for a leak (running toilet, worn washer) or a misread meter, and contact the water bureau if you find nothing.
About the deadline
The due date is printed on the bill. Missing it does not cut off water immediately, but after reminders, continued non-payment leads to a water-cutoff warning (給水停止) and eventually the supply being stopped (the cutoff warning is a separate document). If paying is difficult, don't ignore it — contact the water bureau early about instalments or an extension.
Common misunderstandings
- Why every two months, not monthly?
- Most water bureaus read the meter once every two months and bill that usage together, so the bill is usually every two months. Some areas bill monthly.
- What is the sewage (下水道) charge? Is it separate from water?
- 上水道 is the clean tap water; 下水道 covers treating the water after you use it. In most areas both are on the same bill, calculated from your water usage, though some areas bill sewage separately through another provider.
- I just moved in but no bill comes / it's in the previous person's name.
- If you didn't tell the bureau you were starting service when you moved in, the account may still be in the old tenant's name or no bill arrives. Contact the water bureau soon to start service in your name.
- The bill is higher than usual.
- Usage rises in some seasons, but a sudden jump often points to a leak (a running toilet, a worn washer). Compare the meter reading with the billed usage, and if nothing explains it, ask the water bureau.
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This page is general information. For your own case, confirm with the office that issued the document, or with a qualified professional.