Japan to Take Steps against Malicious Biz amid Reuse Boom

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has begun working with an industry group to take steps against malicious businesses among those that collect used goods for sale at secondhand shops, as the reuse market continues to boom. In early July, a seminar on the management of houses left vacant was held in Tokyo. The lecturer urged participants to carefully check the wishes of owners, typically parents, sort through their abandoned belongings and dispose of those considered unnecessary. “I have no plan to live in my family house, where my mother lives,” a participant in her 50s from Toshima Ward said. “I want to hire a company to clean it up before it becomes a hoarder house and causes problems for neighbors, but I don’t know which company to choose.” The reuse market, including companies that collect unwanted items in their household goods clearance services, is expanding amid inflation and increasing demand for such services reflecting a decrease in the number of members per household. According to The Reuse Economic Journal, a Japanese newspaper, the size of the market reached a record 3.3 trillion yen in 2024, almost triple the level of 2009, when the market survey began. One reason for the growth is “increasing demand for service operators that clear out goods from family homes left vacant because of the aging population and a shift toward nuclear families. The market is likely to continue growing,” said Akira Hatabe, 66, head of industry group Japan Reuse Organization. Meanwhile, as the market expands, the presence of malicious companies has become a problem. According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, the number of consultations on problems related to the collection of unwanted household effects in fiscal 2025 reached 2,680, about twice the number in fiscal 2016. One consumer complained that goods were not properly collected despite a contract that cost 1 million yen, while another said that items of sentimental value were discarded without consultation. The center has called on the public to make sure that they choose licensed operators of services such as waste disposal and go through the fine print in the contract. The Environment Ministry plans to draw up by the end of fiscal 2027 guidelines for evaluating unwanted-goods collectors in cooperation with Japan Reuse Organization. Companies certified as quality service providers will be granted additional aid. “We want to create an environment in which consumers can use such services with peace of mind,” Hatabe said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]