Movers Damaged Your Furniture or Home in Japan? Photos to Take and the 3-Month Deadline

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · 10 min read · By the PEA team (Lumina Spark)

日本語版 (Japanese version)

Short answer: Photograph or film your furniture, appliances, floors, walls and the route out both before and after the movers work. Under Japan's Standard Moving Contract terms, the mover's responsibility for damage to your belongings ends unless you notify them within three months of delivery. Unpacking eats time, so check everything as soon as the work is done and, if you find damage, tell the company right away in a form that keeps the date, such as email. Damage to the home itself (floors, walls) isn't covered by that three-month rule, but movers and their insurers still ask for prompt notice. This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Why records matter when you move

Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center (NCAC) receives a growing number of consultations about moving: 2,128 in fiscal 2023, 2,344 in fiscal 2024 and 2,703 in fiscal 2025. In its February 4, 2026 warning, 45.2% of fiscal 2024 consultations concerned compensation and 16.4% concerned damage.

Cases it describes:

  • Moving out of a rental without floor and wall protection left many marks in the hallway, stairs, floor and doors; the staff member denied it, suggesting the marks were already there (received July 2025).
  • Removing a washing machine peeled up the flooring, and the mover denied responsibility (NCAC newsletter, March 12, 2026).

NCAC notes that the cause of damage is hard to pin down, and the three-month deadline is easy to miss while you're unpacking. It advises recording before and after with photos or video and raising problems early. The Tokyo Metropolitan Consumer Center also recommends recording before and after a move with photos.

The Standard Moving Contract: key terms and the 3-month deadline

Most movers in Japan use the Standard Moving Contract terms (hyōjun hikkoshi unsō yakkan) set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (current version effective April 1, 2025). The parts about damage:

TermWhat it says
Mover's liability (Article 22)The mover is liable if your belongings are lost or damaged between pickup (including packing) and delivery (including unpacking), unless it proves it took due care
Notice deadline (Article 25)The mover's liability for partial loss of or damage to the belongings ends unless notice is sent within three months of the date the belongings were delivered (not applicable if the mover knew of the damage when delivering)
Court claim (Article 27)Liability ends unless a court claim is made within one year of delivery (it can be extended by agreement after the damage occurs)
Accident certificate (Article 17)On request, an accident certificate is issued, within one year of delivery
Fragile items (Articles 8 and 24)If you don't declare fragile items such as computers and the mover didn't know without fault, it may not be liable for damage from not taking special care

Damage to the home (floors, walls, doors) falls outside the three-month (Article 25) and one-year (Article 27) limits, according to a ministry document. The Japan Trucking Association's Q&A explains that the terms don't set compensation for damage to the home, which is handled as an ordinary civil matter. Movers' insurance may still set a notice period: Nippon Express's moving cargo insurance, for example, requires contact within three months of completing the work. Report damage to the home as promptly as damage to your belongings.

What to photograph before the move

WhatHow
FurnitureThe whole piece, plus close-ups of corners, tops, legs and doors; include existing marks
AppliancesTV screen, fridge and washing machine doors and casing; video showing they power on
Fragile itemsComputers, glassware, instruments; record that you declared them to the mover
Old homeThe route out (floor, walls, door frames, stairs, elevator area) and the floor and walls where furniture stood
New homeThe route in and the rooms' floors and walls before anything is carried in; for a rental, these double as move-in photos
Shared areasApartment corridors, elevator and entrance, before and after protection is put up

Shoot wide-and-close pairs, walk through on video so positions are clear, and keep the original files unedited.

On moving day: check together before and after

  • Check the floors and walls with the movers before work starts. The Japan Trucking Association recommends checking floors and walls together with the mover before and after work at the old home, and before carrying in and after work at the new one. For a newly built home, it suggests asking for floor and wall protection when you get the estimate.
  • Declare fragile items. Otherwise damage from not taking special care may not be covered (Articles 8 and 24).
  • Walk through before the movers leave. If you see damage, tell them on the spot and photograph it, before you sign any completion form.

If you find damage: tell them in writing, quickly

  1. Photograph it, wide and close, and note when you found it. Leave the item and packing as they are.
  2. Tell the company right away. The terms say liability ends unless notice is sent within three months, so use email or another method that records the date you sent it. If you call, follow up by email. Major movers also ask for contact right after the work; Art says it can't take responsibility if it hears nothing for three months or more, and the Ari-san Mark mover limits claims to three months from moving day.
  3. Ask for an accident certificate within one year of delivery (Article 17).
  4. Don't repair or throw anything away before the mover has seen it.

Compensation covers damage directly caused to the belongings (Article 26). The Tokyo Metropolitan Consumer Center explains that monetary compensation is based on the item's value at the time of the move, taking depreciation into account.

If the mover denies the damage

  • Show your before photos: "This mark wasn't there before the work (photo attached)."
  • Keep a record of emails and messages, and notes of phone calls.
  • If the company holds the "Hikkoshi Anshin Mark" (Moving Safety Mark), contact its customer contact point. The Japan Trucking Association's mark requires, among other things, compliance with the standard terms and a designated customer contact point for complaints (349 companies as of January 2026).
  • Consult a consumer center or the Japan Trucking Association's transport consultation line.

Damage to a rented apartment

Japan's guideline on restoring rental properties lists "scratches made during moving work" as damage the tenant can be responsible for (it isn't normal wear and tear). Even if a mover made the mark, the landlord may ask you to pay for it when you move out.

  • At move-in, photograph the rooms before anything is carried in, so moving damage can be told apart from what was already there.
  • At move-out, photograph before and after the furniture goes out, so you can take damage the mover caused back to the mover (see moving out of an apartment in Japan).
  • If the landlord charges you, claim from the mover promptly, with your photos.

Where to get help

  • Consumer hotline 188: connects you to your local consumer affairs center (in Japanese).
  • Japan Trucking Association transport consultation: 03-5925-8981 (weekdays 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00). It gives advice based on the standard terms; it doesn't mediate with movers.
  • Houterasu Multilingual Information Service: 0570-078377 (weekdays 9:00–17:00, English and nine other languages): free information on the legal system and where to consult; call charges apply.

What PEA can and can't do

PEA (Professional Evidence Authenticator), from Lumina Spark in Japan, checks an image for signs of AI generation or editing with several independent analyses and shows a grade from 1 to 10. It doesn't decide who caused damage or how much compensation is due.

Start with the free steps: photos and video before and after, original files kept, checks done together with the movers.

  • Fix your before photos in a form others can verify. When you run a check, PEA records the file's SHA-256 hash and seals it with an Ed25519 digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp from a third-party authority. The timestamp is the time of the check, so checking before the work starts gives you material to show the photo existed by then.
  • Turn it into a certificate within 7 days. Free results are deleted after 7 days. A certificate costs ¥1,000 per image, charged in yen (international cards accepted); anyone you show it to can check the issue time, file hash and timestamp by certificate number on PEA's public verification page.
  • Pick one or a few photos, such as expensive furniture or a conspicuous stretch of floor.
  • Photos only (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, up to 25 MB); keep videos as original files.

PEA can't prove when or by whom a photo was taken, or when and by whom damage was caused. It shows that the file existed at the time of the check and hasn't changed since, plus the analysis results. The timestamp is not one accredited by Japan's Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and we can't promise how a mover or court will weigh it. Use it with your before-and-after photos and videos, the estimate and your messages with the mover. The account and certificate screens are in Japanese; browser translation works on them.

This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How soon do I have to report moving damage in Japan?

Under the Standard Moving Contract terms, the mover's liability for damage to your belongings ends unless notice is sent within three months of delivery. Because unpacking takes time, check as soon as the work is done and report damage by email or another method that records the date. Damage to the home isn't covered by that deadline, but insurance may require contact within three months of the work, so report it promptly too.

The mover says the damage was already there. What can I do?

Compare with photos you took before the work and send them, saying the mark wasn't there before. Keep your exchanges in writing. If the mover holds the Moving Safety Mark, contact its customer contact point; otherwise consult a consumer center (188) or the Japan Trucking Association's transport consultation line (03-5925-8981). Without before photos it's much harder, so take them before moving day.

What should I photograph before moving?

Furniture and appliances (whole pieces and vulnerable corners and tops), appliances working, the routes in and out of both homes (floors, walls, door frames, stairs), where furniture will stand, and shared areas of the building. The Japan Trucking Association recommends checking floors and walls with the mover before and after the work. Keep the original files unedited.

Who pays if movers scratch my rented apartment?

Japan's guideline on restoring rental properties lists scratches made during moving work as damage the tenant can be responsible for, so the landlord may charge you when you move out. Photograph the rooms before and after the movers work, and claim from the mover promptly, with photos, for damage it caused.

Is there a time limit for claiming from a moving company?

For belongings, you must send notice within three months of delivery, and the mover's liability ends unless a court claim is made within one year of delivery (this can be extended by agreement after the damage). An accident certificate can be requested within one year of delivery. Damage to the home is handled as a civil matter outside these limits; ask a consumer center or a lawyer about your case.

Sources