au Hikari for foreign residents: documents, language support and costs when you leave
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Runs on its own fibre rather than NTT lines, so availability depends on your exact address and it is often unavailable in older apartment buildings. Check the address before you plan around it.
| Language support | Japanese only Japanese |
|---|---|
| Apartment / month | ¥4,180 |
| House / month | ¥5,610 |
| Contract | House 3-year / Apartment 2-year |
| Time to connection | 1–8 weeks Can take longer than 8 weeks depending on the building or the time of year |
Everything below was checked against each company's own pages. The numbers in brackets point to the sources listed at the bottom of the page, each with the date it was checked.
Which languages you can use
au has an English page for au HIKARI, but you can only check whether your address is covered in Japanese. The contact on that page is KDDI's Customer Service Center (0077-7084, 9:00 to 18:00). It does not say which languages they speak.[1]
au's foreign-language support covers English, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Spanish and Nepali by phone (9:00 to 20:00, free; the English line is 0120-959-472) and English, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Japanese by chat (10:00 to 19:00). When you call, a Japanese-speaking operator answers first and then brings in an interpreter.[2]
The examples on that support page are about mobile phones, such as a lost phone or how to use your phone. It does not say they can help with au HIKARI installation or cancellation. On the English site you can also search for au shops that offer help in other languages.[1][2]
The button on this page goes to au's official site. The GMO Tokutoku BB conditions on this page apply only if you sign up through GMO instead. If you do sign up through GMO, KDDI sends you a text message (SMS), and you then book your installation date in My au. If you cancel later, you do it on GMO's member pages.[5][8]
What you need to apply
Through GMO Tokutoku BB, you pay by credit card or have the charge added to your KDDI bill (KDDIまとめて請求, KDDI matomete seikyū). The credit card must be issued in Japan, and debit cards are not accepted. If you add certain GMO options, you cannot use the KDDI bill and must pay by credit card.[7][9]
If you rent a house and want au HIKARI Home (the plan for houses), you need the owner's permission before installation. You are expected to get it yourself before KDDI calls you with possible installation dates, about one to three weeks after you register. au has an information sheet for building owners on its website. Ask your management company (管理会社, kanri-gaisha) early.[5]
New registration costs ¥4,950 (from 1 August 2026).[3]
Before you apply: residence card address, payment methods and the confirmation call →
Installation and how long it takes
au's own estimate is one to two months for Home (houses) and one to two weeks for Mansion Type V (apartments). A note says that Home is currently taking longer than this in some areas because of high demand.[5][6]
For Home, a technician runs fibre from the nearest utility pole and fits a fibre socket (光コンセント, hikari konsento) inside, and you must be there. You must also be there for an apartment installation. Installation on a weekend or holiday costs an extra ¥3,300.[5][6]
You connect the equipment yourself when it arrives. With KDDI's own provider (au one net), the monthly charge starts the day after you connect it. If you do not connect it, billing starts anyway about a week after installation.[5]
Moving or leaving Japan: what it costs and what to do
The Home "Zutto Giga Toku" plan renews automatically every three years, and the apartment plans every two years. If you cancel outside the renewal period, you pay the cancellation fees shown above.[3][4]
GMO Tokutoku BB also offers a "standard plan" (標準プラン, hyōjun puran) with no contract term. For Home it is ¥6,930 a month, more than the ¥5,610 you pay in the first year of Zutto Giga Toku. For Mansion Type V (buildings with 16 or more subscribers), the discounted Otoku Plan A and the standard plan cost the same, ¥3,740 a month plus ¥440 for the modem. If you already know when you will leave Japan, this may change which plan is right for you.[7]
The initial fee, including installation, is ¥48,950 for Home and ¥33,000 for Mansion Type V. If you cancel while you are still paying it in instalments, the rest is billed all at once. KDDI says it reduces this remaining amount based on how long you have had the contract. If you signed up through GMO, it appears on the bill two months after the month you cancel.[3][4][8]
Through GMO, you cancel on BBnavi My Page. If your request is complete by the 20th, the contract ends at the end of that month. From the 21st, it ends at the end of the next month. The last month is charged in full. You cannot cancel while you have an unpaid bill, so pay everything first.[8]
Rented equipment goes back to KDDI with a return slip that KDDI sends after you cancel. Removing the fibre from a house is optional. If you leave it, you pay nothing. If you ask for it to be removed, it costs ¥31,680 (the amount depends on when you applied). Ask your management company whether they want it removed.[3][8]
If you move within Japan and can keep au HIKARI at the new address, there is no cancellation fee even in the middle of the term.[3]
Leaving Japan: when to cancel and how to deal with the final bill →
Sources (official pages)
- au HIKARI | Home Broadband - Internet | au（英語版） (3 October 2026)
- Contact us | FAQ | Support | au（英語版） (3 October 2026)
- ずっとギガ得プラン | 料金 | auひかり ホーム1ギガ | au (3 October 2026)
- マンション タイプV | auひかり マンション | au (3 October 2026)
- 開通までの流れ | auひかり ホーム1ギガ | au (3 October 2026)
- 開通までの流れ | マンション タイプV | au (3 October 2026)
- 【公式】auひかりGMOとくとくBB（月額料金・注意事項） (27 September 2026)
- auひかりの解約手続きをしたい｜GMOとくとくBBお客さまサポート (27 September 2026)
- どんな支払い方法がありますか？｜GMOとくとくBBお客さまサポート (27 September 2026)