How to Cancel an au Contract in Japan (Without Speaking Japanese)
2026-08-05
Cancelling a Japanese mobile contract is one of those small tasks that quietly turns into a wall of anxiety. The website is dense, the retention line is entirely in Japanese, and one wrong menu choice can leave you on hold with someone speaking faster than you can follow. Here is the calm version of how it actually works with au (KDDI), what it costs, and how to get it done even if your Japanese stops at konnichiwa.
Before you cancel: three things to check
Your contract type. Older au plans sometimes had a fixed 2-year term with an “update month” (更新月, kōshin-getsu) — the short window where you could leave without an early-termination fee. Most newer plans have dropped this, but it’s worth confirming, because cancelling one month early versus one month late can be the difference between ¥0 and a penalty.
Your device payment balance. If you bought your phone on an installment plan, cancelling the line does not erase the phone debt. You’ll continue paying the remaining device balance, or you can settle it in one lump sum.
Whether you want to keep your number. If you’re switching to another carrier and want to keep the same phone number, you do not cancel — you request an MNP (mobile number portability) reservation number instead, and the new carrier finishes the switch. Cancelling outright releases the number for good.
The ways to cancel
- au shop in person. Bring your ID (residence card or passport) and the phone. Staff walk you through it. The most foreigner-friendly option, but you may wait, and the conversation is still in Japanese.
- Phone (au Customer Center). Fast if your Japanese is strong. Brutal if it isn’t — there’s an automated menu tree before you reach a human, and retention staff will often try to keep you.
- My au / online. Some cancellations can be started online, but the flow is Japanese-only and certain plan types still force a phone call or store visit.
What it typically costs
Recent au plans generally have no cancellation fee for the line itself. The costs that catch people out are the remaining device installments and, occasionally, a small final-month charge (billing is usually for the full month regardless of the cancellation date). Always ask for the final amount in writing or a screenshot so there are no surprises on the last bill.
If the phone call is the thing stopping you
This is the exact task people put off for months. If you’d rather not sit through a Japanese-only retention line, we can make the call for you — confirm your plan details, request the cancellation, capture any fees, and send you a written summary of what was agreed. You describe the situation once; we handle the Japanese.