How to Read a Garbage Collection Calendar in Japan: What “2nd and 4th Tuesday” Means

If you live in Japan, you may see a garbage collection schedule that says something like “2nd and 4th Tuesday” or, in Japanese, 「第2・第4火曜日」.

This means the second and fourth Tuesday that occur in that month. It does not mean the 2nd and 4th day of the month.

Illustration showing how to count the second and fourth Tuesday on a garbage calendar

For example, imagine the Tuesdays this month are:

6th → 1st Tuesday
13th → 2nd Tuesday
20th → 3rd Tuesday
27th → 4th Tuesday

In this case, “2nd and 4th Tuesday” means the collection dates are the 13th and 27th.

It seems simple once you know it, but this was one of those small Japanese 생활 rules that confused me when I first started dealing with garbage collection in Narita, Chiba.

I remember looking at the schedule and wondering, “Does 2 and 4 mean the dates? Or the second and fourth week?”

Now I know exactly what to look for.

How “2nd and 4th Tuesday” Works

Japanese garbage schedules often combine items collected every week with items collected only once or twice a month.

For example, you might see something collected every Monday, while another category is collected on the 1st and 3rd Friday or the 2nd and 4th Tuesday.

The easiest way to work out the date is to open that month’s calendar, find the correct weekday, and count from the beginning of the month.

This is also why the actual dates change from month to month.

Narita City’s official collection calendars use shortened Japanese labels such as 「2・4水」, meaning the second and fourth Wednesday. The monthly calendars then show the actual collection dates, so you do not have to calculate everything yourself.

One important point is that collection schedules are not the same everywhere. Narita City publishes separate calendars for different areas, and in some neighborhoods the correct schedule even depends on the location of the collection point you use. 

So do not copy a garbage schedule from another neighborhood just because it is also in Narita.

How I Learned the Schedule After Moving to Narita

I did not understand all of this immediately.

And honestly, I did not sit down on my first day and carefully read the entire garbage guide from beginning to end.

Instead, I learned in a much more ordinary way: I watched what happened at the neighborhood collection point.

If I went there and saw that other residents had put out PET bottles, I knew it was probably the correct collection day for PET bottles. I did the same thing with cans, bottles, and other items.

After seeing the pattern several times, it finally clicked.

“2nd and 4th” meant the second and fourth occurrence of that weekday during the month.

It is obvious to me now, but I still remember being confused by it at first. If you have recently moved to Japan and the garbage calendar looks more complicated than you expected, you are probably not the only one.

Why I Keep a Photo of My Collection Point Sign

These days, I have a much easier way to check my usual garbage days.

I took a photo of the sign at the collection point I actually use and saved it on my phone.

When I suddenly wonder, “Is this the week for PET bottles?” or “When are cans and bottles collected?”, I can open the photo and check it in a few seconds.

For me, this is faster than searching for the city website or opening a PDF every time.

Garbage collection schedule sign at a collection point in Narita

😁This is the sign at the collection point I actually use. Collection days vary by area and collection point.

The photo is useful for my everyday routine, but it is not a replacement for the official information. If the schedule changes or I need information that is not written on the sign, I check the city’s current guidance.

Narita City’s official calendars also tell residents to put garbage out by 8:30 a.m. on the collection day, not the previous day or during the night.

What Happens If You Put Garbage Out Incorrectly?

Knowing the correct day matters, but so does sorting the garbage correctly.

Rules vary between municipalities in Japan, so it is better not to assume that something you did in one city will automatically be correct in another.

In Narita, the rule is clear: garbage that does not follow the sorting or disposal rules may not be collected.

The city explains that when garbage is sorted incorrectly, the collection company can attach a yellow violation sticker to the bag and leave it at the collection point. The person who put it out is expected to take it back, sort it correctly, and put it out again according to the rules.

So if you see a garbage bag still sitting there after collection, it does not always mean the truck simply missed it. There may be a problem with how or when the garbage was put out.

That is one reason I try not to guess when I am unsure about an item.

Three-step illustration showing what may happen when garbage is sorted incorrectly

Check Your Local Rules When You Are Unsure

A photo of the collection-point sign is useful for answering “When do I put this out?”

But it may not answer “What type of garbage is this?”

That can be the harder question.

Japan’s garbage sorting rules are set locally, and an item that seems obvious may have specific instructions about the bag, preparation, or collection category.

Narita City provides a garbage sorting guide and collection information in several languages. English materials are available, along with Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, and Sinhala resources. 

The city also provides the San-Aru (さんあ～る) garbage sorting app, which can be used to check collection information and sorting guidance.

For everyday collection days, the photo on my phone is usually enough. If I am unsure about sorting or need the latest schedule, I go back to the official city information.

Living in Japan involves many small local rules that become easy once you are used to them. Garbage collection was one of those things for me.

If your garbage calendar says “2nd and 4th Tuesday,” count the Tuesdays from the beginning of that month and use the second and fourth ones.

Then check the schedule for the collection point where you actually live.

It is a small thing, but once I understood that—and saved a photo of my local sign—taking out the garbage became much less confusing.

Official Sources

• Narita City — Garbage Collection Calendars by Area (2026)

• Narita City — Garbage Sorting Guide and Multilingual Information

• Narita City — Garbage Sorting App “San-Aru”

• Narita City — Information for New Residents on Garbage Disposal

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