Cancelling your internet when you leave Japan

Written by Internet in Japan editorial team · Updated 3 October 2026 (each source's check date is listed at the end of the page)

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Each provider has its own cancellation method and deadline. At least a month before you leave, check your end date, the cancellation fee and any installation balance, the deadline for returning equipment, and how you will pay the last bill.

How to cancel, and the deadlines

GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari is cancelled on BBnavi My Page; apply by the 20th and the contract ends on the last day of that month. au Hikari through GMO Tokutoku BB works the same way: by the 20th for the end of that month, from the 21st for the end of the next month. Neither prorates the final month.[1][2]

docomo Hikari can be cancelled online (24 hours), in a docomo shop or by phone, and you can choose an end date up to the end of the following month. SoftBank Hikari has to be cancelled by phone, and the end date must be between six business days and 90 days after you call.[3][4]

Sakura Fiber Internet is cancelled on My Page; apply by the 25th and service ends on the last day of that month. GTN Home Internet's fibre page does not describe how to cancel or the deadline.[5][6]

Renewal months and cancellation fees

On docomo Hikari and SoftBank Hikari two-year contracts, there is no fee if you cancel in the month the contract ends or the two months after. Otherwise, docomo Hikari charges ¥5,500 for a house and ¥4,180 for an apartment, and SoftBank Hikari ¥5,720 for a house and ¥4,180 for an apartment.[3][7]

au Hikari charges ¥4,730 on the three-year house plan (Zutto Gigatoku) and ¥2,290 on the two-year apartment Type V plan (Otoku Plan A) if you cancel outside the renewal window. GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari and Sakura Fiber Internet have no cancellation fee.[5][8][9][10]

The installation balance

GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari's "installation effectively free" offer (工事費実質無料) splits the installation cost into monthly instalments and discounts the same amount from your monthly fee. If you cancel part-way through, the rest of the installation cost is billed in one go. SoftBank Hikari also bills any remaining installation instalments in full when you cancel.[4][10]

With GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari, cancelling after 12 payments leaves ¥17,424 for a house or ¥16,632 for an apartment, billed with your final month. SoftBank's own example: cancelling a two-year plan after 15 months leaves ¥17,820.[7][10]

For new docomo Hikari applications from 1 June 2026, docomo gives back the installation cost as d POINTs, paid over 24 months starting seven months after the month service begins; once you cancel, the remaining points stop. Sakura Fiber Internet does not discount installation; it charges the fee after the connection is confirmed.[5][11]

When you call or apply to cancel, ask for the total, including any installation balance, not just the cancellation fee.

Returning the equipment

A Wi-Fi router borrowed from GMO Tokutoku BB must reach GMO by the 20th of the month after you cancel; if it does not, you are charged ¥11,000 (1 Gbps model). SoftBank Hikari rental equipment must be returned by the 20th of the month after service stops; failing to return the Hikari BB Unit costs ¥12,000.[10][12]

docomo Hikari's NTT equipment goes back in a return kit NTT sends after you cancel, and au Hikari rental equipment goes back with a shipping slip KDDI sends after you cancel. Sakura Fiber Internet's NTT equipment must be returned within one month of cancelling, or you can be charged up to ¥20,000.[2][3][13]

Because the return kit or slip arrives after you cancel, cancelling just before your flight can mean you are no longer there to receive it. When you cancel, ask where it will be sent and how you can send the equipment back in time.

Paying the final bill

An installation balance appears on the bill for the month after cancellation with docomo Hikari, and two months after the cancellation month with au Hikari through GMO Tokutoku BB. GMO's charge for an unreturned router also comes two months after the cancellation month.[2][3][10][14]

If you have closed your Japanese bank account by then, the payment cannot be collected. Keep the account open until the final bill, or switch to a credit card that will still work after you leave. With au Hikari through GMO Tokutoku BB, you cannot cancel at all while you have unpaid charges.[2]

If you pay Sakura Fiber Internet in cash at convenience stores, the terms say your deposit is used to cover any remaining charges when the contract ends.[13]