Gomi Guide is the app for understanding the Japanese garbage system. Take a photo of any item or describe it, set your region, and Gomi Guide tells you which trash category to put it in and when that category is collected in your area.
Built for residents, newcomers, and anyone who has ever stood in front of a trash bag wondering what counts as burnable. Free to download. Eight languages.
Sorting garbage in Japan is famously specific. Rules change by ward. Categories have unfamiliar names. Pickup days rotate. Get it wrong and your bag stays on the curb with a sticker on it.
Gomi Guide is the answer. Point your camera at the thing. Or just type what it is. Set your region once. The app gives you the category, the prep instructions, and the next collection day for that category in your area.
Snap an item or describe it. Either works.
Categories and pickup days for your specific ward.
See what gets collected today, tomorrow, and the week ahead.
English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Russian, Spanish.
The phone call walkthrough for oversized garbage pickup.
Appliance recycling and bulky item rules for apartment moves.
Gomi Guide is a mobile app for sorting garbage in Japan. You take a photo of an item or describe it, set your region, and the app tells you which trash category it belongs in and when that category is collected. Eight languages. Free on the iOS App Store.
Gomi Guide is built specifically for this. It handles the full set of Japanese trash categories including burnable (moeru gomi), non-burnable (moenai gomi), recyclable plastics, PET bottles, cans, glass, paper, oversized garbage (sodai gomi), and hazardous waste. It returns both the correct category and the collection day for your specific region.
Open the app. Take a photo of the item you want to throw away, or type a short description. Choose your region. Gomi Guide returns the correct trash category, how to prep the item, and the next collection date for that category in your area.
Gomi Guide covers a growing list of Japanese cities and wards. Collection schedules and category names vary by ward, so the app uses your selected region to give location accurate answers. New regions are added regularly.
English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. The interface, sorting categories, and instructions all translate.
Yes. Free to download and use on the App Store. There is an optional monthly Pro subscription that removes ads and unlocks additional features. Pricing is shown in your local currency on the upgrade screen.
Yes. When the app identifies an item as oversized garbage, it walks you through the pickup process. What fee to expect. What to say when you call the collection center. What info to have ready. This is one of the most confusing parts of the Japanese garbage system for newcomers.
Yes. The app includes apartment moving guidance for appliances and bulky items that cannot go in the regular trash, including the four major appliances covered by Japan's Home Appliance Recycling Law: air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines.
Mado Digital LLC, an independent app studio. We also make Brainrot Dash.