How We Cleared 200kg of Pebbles From Our Akiya Garden

When we first saw our akiya in Setagaya, the outdoor space was completely overgrown. Weeds had taken over the stone pathway, wild plants were growing through every crack, and decades of neglect had turned what was once a simple Japanese garden entrance into a jungle.

We knew the interior restoration was the priority, but eventually we had to deal with the outside too. What followed was one of the most frustrating — and ultimately educational — parts of our entire akiya restoration journey.

The Problem

The garden was filled with small decorative pebbles, overgrown plants, and compacted soil that had accumulated over decades. None of it could stay if we wanted to lay new tiles and create a proper entrance path.

We spent days collecting pebbles by hand, pulling out plants, and bagging everything up. By the time we were done, we had roughly 200 kilograms of pebbles, soil, and garden waste sitting in bags outside our front door.

Now we just needed to get rid of it. Simple, right?

The First Quote: ¥300,000

We called a private waste removal company — the kind you find easily online in Tokyo. They came, looked at our bags, and quoted us ¥1,000 to ¥1,500 per kilogram.

For 200kg, that meant ¥200,000 to ¥300,000 just to haul away pebbles and dirt.

We were stunned. That’s more than some of our interior renovation work cost. For pebbles.

Finding a Better Way

We weren’t going to pay ¥300,000 for rock removal, so we started calling around. The local waste disposal center told us we could bring the material to their facility ourselves — they weigh your vehicle on the way in and out, and charge by weight.

The problem: we don’t have a car.

But when we explained our situation, they offered another option — a pickup service. They would send someone to our place with a scale, weigh the bags on-site, load everything up, and haul it away.

The Final Cost: ¥16,000

The waste disposal company came to our akiya, weighed all the bags, loaded them onto their truck, and drove away.

Total cost: ¥16,000 for 200kg.

That’s ¥80 per kilogram — compared to the private company’s ¥1,000-1,500/kg quote. We saved over ¥280,000 with one phone call.

The Lesson

If you’re restoring an akiya in Japan, don’t accept the first quote for waste removal. Private companies charge enormous premiums for convenience. Municipal or semi-public waste disposal services are dramatically cheaper, and many offer pickup options even if you don’t have a vehicle.

Here’s what we’d recommend:

1. Call your local waste disposal center first — not a private company
2. Ask about pickup services — many will come to you
3. Separate your waste — pebbles, soil, and plant matter may have different disposal rules
4. Get multiple quotes — the spread between private and public services can be 10x or more

What’s Next

We’ve ordered tiles online and will be laying them in the coming days to create a clean, welcoming entrance path. The transformation from overgrown jungle to a proper wabi-sabi entrance is almost complete.

If you want to see the finished result in person, join our newsletter for updates on the restoration and to know when tours open in April 2026.