The NHK letter (and the knock on your door)
Japan's public broadcaster bills by law, not by whether you watch it. Here's how the system actually works.
The legal basis
Under the Broadcast Act, a household with a device that can receive NHK broadcasts — a TV, or a car/portable device with a tuner — must sign a reception contract (放送受信契約) and pay the fee. A phone or PC that only streams isn't automatically covered; an actual TV is.
What it costs
Terrestrial contract: about ¥1,100/month; satellite (BS) about ¥1,950/month. Paying annually is cheaper than monthly. Students living away from home and some welfare recipients can get exemptions or discounts.
The letters
They escalate: information → application form → increasingly firm reminders. Since 2023 NHK can add a surcharge for long-term non-contracting TV owners. Letters addressed to ご在住の皆様 ("resident") mean they don't know who lives there yet.
The door visit
You are not required to let collectors in, show your residence card, or sign anything on the spot. If you don't own a TV, you can simply say so: テレビはありません ("I have no TV"). Don't sign a contract just to end the conversation — it's binding and cancellation requires proving you no longer have a TV.
If you do have a TV
Honestly: sign up and pay — the fee is enforceable and NHK has sued households. Set it to annual bank/card payment and forget it. When you move out of Japan or get rid of the TV, cancel (解約) by phone and form.
Photograph it and Kakete tells you the amount, the deadline and exactly what to do — in your language, free.
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