GomiMate (ゴミメイト) is a mobile app for iOS and Android (currently in private beta) that manages garbage collection schedules in Japan. It downloads the official pickup calendar for your exact city block, sends push notification reminders the night before and again on collection morning, and provides a searchable guide to Japan's complex waste-sorting categories across English, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Hindi, Korean, Arabic, and Malaysian Malay.

How do I find my garbage collection schedule in Japan?

There are two ways to get your garbage collection schedule in Japan using GomiMate: (1) Select your ward or city in the app and it automatically downloads the official garbage collection calendar for your specific block from your local government. (2) Walk to your nearest collection station and scan the garbage slip posted there — GomiMate reads the schedule instantly using your camera. Most users are fully set up within 2 minutes.

Which cities and wards in Japan does GomiMate support?

GomiMate's public guides currently cover 168 ward-level pages across 16 major Japanese cities. Coverage includes all 23 Tokyo special wards, all 24 Osaka City wards, all 8 Niigata wards, all 3 current Hamamatsu wards, and all 5 Kumamoto wards, alongside Kobe, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Saitama, Sapporo, Chiba, and Sagamihara. The private beta app is expanding municipality coverage across Japan.

What types of garbage are collected in Japan and how do I sort them?

Japanese municipalities typically separate waste into five or more categories: (1) Burnable waste (燃えるごみ / 可燃ごみ) — food scraps, dirty paper, rubber, leather; (2) Non-burnable waste (不燃ごみ) — small metal and glass items, ceramics, lighters; (3) Recyclable waste (資源ごみ) — PET bottles, cans, glass bottles, cardboard, newspapers; (4) Bulky waste (粗大ごみ) — furniture, bicycles, large appliances that require advance reservation; (5) Hazardous waste (有害ごみ) — fluorescent tubes, dry-cell batteries, spray cans. Exact categories and collection days vary by ward. GomiMate's sort guide lets you search any item to find the correct category for your specific municipality.

Do I need an internet connection to check my garbage calendar in GomiMate?

No. After your initial setup, GomiMate saves the full schedule offline on your device. You can check what to put out today or browse the full 2-week calendar without any internet connection. An internet connection is only needed when first setting up your location, using the Scan feature to import a new schedule, or syncing schedule updates from your municipality.

How do I get access to GomiMate?

GomiMate is currently in private beta with invite-only access. To request early access, enter your email address on the GomiMate website. We will send an invitation when your spot is ready. Pricing for the full release has not yet been announced.

What languages does GomiMate support?

GomiMate supports English, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Hindi for India, Korean, Arabic, and Malaysian Malay on the website, with app localization expanding across the same languages. The Japanese experience keeps optional furigana reading aids for learners.

How do I get a reminder before garbage collection day in Japan?

GomiMate automatically sends push notifications before each collection day, including the evening before and an optional collection-morning nudge. After setting up your location, notifications are enabled by default. You can customize the reminder time, choose which waste categories to be notified about, and enable a second reminder on the morning of collection day — all from the Settings screen.

What is a garbage collection slip (ゴミ収集票) in Japan?

A garbage collection slip (ゴミ収集票 or ゴミカレンダー) is a paper schedule issued by your local ward office that lists which type of garbage is collected on which days for your specific collection station. It is usually posted at your nearest designated garbage collection point. GomiMate can scan this slip with your phone's camera and automatically import the schedule into the app.

How does garbage sorting work for expats and foreigners in Japan?

Japan's garbage sorting system is one of the strictest in the world and varies by municipality, making it confusing for newcomers. Rules typically require separating waste into burnable, non-burnable, recyclables (further split into plastics, PET bottles, glass, cans, paper), and bulky items. Bags must often be transparent, items must be clean, and collection only happens on designated days. GomiMate was designed for this challenge: it shows your exact schedule, explains the rules in English, and reminds you the night before and again on collection morning so you never miss a collection or receive a rejection sticker on your bag.

Can I use GomiMate for multiple addresses in Japan?

Yes. Once GomiMate launches publicly, multiple location profiles will be supported — for example, your home in Shibuya, your office in Shinjuku, or a family address in Yokohama. Each location shows its own independent collection schedule and reminders.

What happens if I put out the wrong type of garbage in Japan?

Incorrectly sorted garbage is typically left uncollected. Collection workers attach a rejection sticker (収集不可 or 出し直し) to the bag explaining the problem. The bag must then be taken back and put out correctly on the right collection day. Repeated violations can lead to a warning from your local ward office. GomiMate's sort guide and schedule reminders help prevent this by telling you exactly what to put out, and when.

Japan trash-day companion

Japan garbage collection, made simple

GomiMate is an iOS & Android mobile app (currently in beta) that auto-syncs Japan's official garbage collection schedules and sends night-before and morning reminders. Public guides now cover Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Saitama, Sapporo, Chiba, Sagamihara, Niigata, Hamamatsu, and Kumamoto, with beta coverage expanding across Japan.

Private beta for residents across Japan

GOMIMATE

Garbage Calendar

Today, the next pickups, and your saved local rules.

Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo

Tokyo · Tokyo

OFFLINE

East and west Shinjuku areas can use different non-burnable weeks.

THU, JUL 2, 2026

Today's Garbage

Burnable

Food scraps, paper, wood

Today

Hazardous

Batteries, fluorescent tubes

Today

2-Week Calendar

Color dots show scheduled pickup types.

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

BurnableRecyclablePlastic PackagingNon-burnableBulky WastePaper & Cloth

Plastic Packaging

Fri / Weekly

Non-burnable

Tue / Monthly

Bulky Waste

By appointment

168

Ward guides live

City guide hubs

Major cities covered

Languages

City guide coverage

Jump straight to the local rules people search for.

Thirteen public city hubs now connect visitors to ward-level collection rules, official sources, bag guidance, and localized pages.

Tokyo23 special wards · Garbage collection schedulesOpen guide

Osaka24 wards · Transparent bag rulesOpen guide

Kobe9 wards · Designated bag systemOpen guide

Yokohama18 wards · Neighborhood collection calendarsOpen guide

Kawasaki7 wards · District-level collection daysOpen guide

Fukuoka7 wards · Night collection and city bagsOpen guide

Nagoya16 wards · Designated household bagsOpen guide

Kyoto11 wards · Paid designated bagsOpen guide

Hiroshima8 wards · Official bag and bulky-waste rulesOpen guide

Saitama10 wards · Area calendars and bulky wasteOpen guide

Sapporo10 wards · Winter-aware collection rulesOpen guide

Chiba6 wards · Port, campus, and suburb rulesOpen guide

Sagamihara3 wards · Town-name schedule checksOpen guide

Niigata8 wards · Address calendar numbersOpen guide

Hamamatsu3 wards · Town-numbered calendarsOpen guide

Kumamoto5 wards · Numbered collection calendarsOpen guide

Multilingual access

Garbage rules in Japan, explained in 8 languages.

GomiMate is built for residents, international students, expats, workers, and families who need practical guidance without decoding municipal PDFs.

GomiMate supports English, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Hindi for India, Korean, Arabic, and Malaysian Malay across the website, with app localization expanding across the same languages.

Guide quality

What makes the public guides useful.

GomiMate does more than list municipal links. Each public guide is written for real move-in, weekly pickup, and item-disposal decisions, with enough context to avoid the most common collection mistakes.

Official-source first

Guides point residents back to city and ward pages, then translate the practical rule: what category to use, when it goes out, and which exceptions matter.

Local caveats included

Collection rules can vary by block, building, and holiday schedule, so guide pages flag address-level checks, apartment notices, and bulky-waste reservations.

Original resident help

Content focuses on the questions people actually search for: bag rules, PET bottles, spray cans, appliances, moving season, and rejected-bag causes.

Substantial coverage

The library now spans 168 ward pages, 24 item disposal pages, city hub pages, and practical articles instead of a thin directory of repeated pages.

Why GomiMate

Everything you need to master Japanese sorting

Complex rules made simple. GomiMate translates local ward regulations into a beautiful, easy-to-use daily companion.

Smart Calendar

Automatically syncs with your specific neighborhood's collection schedule. See what needs to go out today, tomorrow, and next week at a glance.

月

Burnable

火

PET Bottles

Reminder set

Sort Guide

Not sure if that plastic wrapper is burnable or recyclable? Search our comprehensive local database instantly. No more guessing.

plastic wrap…

Burnable

Laminated Wrap

Recyclable

PET Bottles

Scan Your Schedule

Got a paper collection notice from your ward office? Just scan it. GomiMate reads the schedule automatically and sets everything up for you.

Schedule detected

App Preview

Your friendly neighborhood expert.

Moving to Japan is hard enough. Understanding the 10+ categories of garbage sorting doesn't have to be. Let our mascot guide you through local rules with a smile.

Live guides for 16 major Japanese cities
Customizable night-before and morning push notifications
8-language support
Offline mode for quick checks

Join the Beta Waitlist

Getting Started

Set up in 3 easy steps

Step 1

Get your schedule — two ways

Select your ward

Find your city and we auto-download the official calendar for your block.

Scan the slip

Snap the garbage slip at your nearest collection station — done in seconds.

Step 2

Your schedule is set

GomiMate syncs the official calendar for your exact block to your app instantly.

Step 3

Get notified

Receive friendly reminders the night before and again on collection morning.

Have Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about GomiMate.

Ready to Take Out the Trash?

Join the waitlist for early beta access.

Invite-only beta access — spots are limited.

Japan garbage collection, made simple

Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo

Today's Garbage

Burnable

Hazardous

2-Week Calendar

Jump straight to the local rules people search for.

Garbage rules in Japan, explained in 8 languages.

What makes the public guides useful.

Official-source first

Local caveats included

Original resident help

Substantial coverage

Everything you need to master Japanese sorting

Smart Calendar

Sort Guide

Scan Your Schedule

Your friendly neighborhood expert.

Set up in 3 easy steps

Get your schedule — two ways

Your schedule is set

Get notified

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my city supported?

Do I need an internet connection to check the calendar?

What languages are supported?

How do I get access to GomiMate?

What are the main types of garbage in Japan?

What happens if I put out garbage on the wrong day in Japan?

How do I know what day to put out each type of garbage?

Why do garbage rules differ between Japanese cities?

Ready to Take Out the Trash?