We’ve talked before about the oddities of how Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, goes about collecting its fees from ordinary citizens. Rather than sending you an official bill in the mail, collectors will come to your door and ask you for a stack of cash to cover the 13,600 yen (US$133) Japanese residents are technically supposed to pay.
However, many people refuse to pony up the money, since there’s no official penalty for nonpayment, and many feel that NHK’s programming is sub-par and rarely watch it. However, should you make one particular NHK collector walk away empty-handed, he just might mark your house for all to see, as he apparently did to one person we talked to.

Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
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Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
How lucky are the themed retro video game lucky bags from this shop in the Tokyo boonies?
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Confessions of a 46-year-old Japanese male pole dancer
We eat hoya sea squirts out of a can, enjoy a tasty regional delicacy from the comfort of home
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Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
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Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
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Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
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Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
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We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
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No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
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Confessions of a 46-year-old Japanese male pole dancer
We eat hoya sea squirts out of a can, enjoy a tasty regional delicacy from the comfort of home
Japan’s 10 best Ferris wheels for beautiful views, as chosen by travelers【Survey】
What’s inside Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
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Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
We zapped up some tasty hot sandwiches in the microwave with 3COINS’ new gadget from Japan
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Bamboo trees vandalized near Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari shrine, foreign graffiti prevalent