TOKYO (TR) – Japan’s public broadcaster is facing a wave of intense public backlash after reportedly telling a grieving family that only their deceased mother could cancel her own television subscription, reports Shukan Josei Prime (Sep. 17).
The controversy erupted when a bereaved social media user shared their infuriating experience trying to terminate their late mother’s NHK broadcasting fee. According to the post, when the relative called to explain the death, an NHK representative coldly informed them, “Unless you are the account holder, the contract cannot be canceled.”
The viral post quickly opened the floodgates for similar horror stories regarding NHK’s notoriously rigid and aggressive billing bureaucracy.
One user shared their struggle to cancel the service for a 92-year-old mother moving into a nursing home. Instead of processing the request, the operator questioned them: “Won’t she watch TV at the facility?” The user had to argue that a bedridden 92-year-old was in no condition to watch television before the cancellation was finally accepted.
Another user reported calling to cancel after finding a pile of dunning letters at their deceased parent’s home, only to be pressed by the operator: “Could you please pay the outstanding balance up until today?”
While some users noted they were able to cancel their deceased relatives’ accounts without a hitch, a veteran social desk reporter points out that the experience heavily depends on operator roulette.
“If the bereaved family reports the death to the correct department, the cancellation process should proceed normally,” the reporter said. “However, the differences in treatment likely come down to the specific operator or desk you get connected to. Either way, deep-seated skepticism toward NHK’s collection practices is undoubtedly fueling this current wave of criticism.”
Phone call required
Adding to the frustration is the fact that NHK deliberately makes canceling difficult. According to the broadcaster’s official website, online cancellations are strictly limited to households that are merging. All other terminations — including deaths — require a phone call to the “NHK Fureai Center.”
The hotline is infamous among Japanese consumers for agonizingly long wait times and constant busy signals, no matter the time of day. Once connected, families must request a physical cancellation form to be mailed to them, which must then be filled out and returned alongside an official death certificate.
The sheer difficulty of ending a contract has reignited long-standing animosity toward the broadcaster.
“This is NHK’s true nature. It shows they will do anything for money,” one netizen fumed online. Others went further, questioning whether NHK’s heavy-handed contract enforcement is even legal.
For grieving families already drowning in paperwork to close out utilities, mobile phones, and rent, NHK remains a unique bureaucratic headache. However, ignoring the broadcaster is not an option — if left non-cancelled, unpaid NHK fees will silently pile up and ultimately be passed on to relatives as inherited debt.
