Leave the small white box marked 光 on the wall. It is usually the fiber-optic outlet, not the ONU. When cancelling SoftBank Hikari in Japan, the equipment you borrowed goes back by supplier: a rented Hikari BB Unit normally goes to SoftBank, while an NTT-branded ONU generally uses an NTT collection kit.
Moving out can turn three similar-looking boxes into a guessing game. The easiest clue is not the shape: it is the logo and whether the unit is attached to the wall.
Three things, three different jobs
- Hikari BB Unit (光BBユニット): SoftBank’s standard rental return set includes the unit, power adapter, Ethernet cable and modular telephone cable. You usually arrange the packaging and prepaid shipping yourself. SoftBank instructions
- NTT-logo ONU or home gateway: normally returned with the NTT kit sent after cancellation. A technician may take it during line-removal work. If you switch providers through Japan’s provider-change procedure to another service using the same NTT fiber line, the NTT equipment normally stays in use. Check separately whether your SoftBank rental devices must be returned. SoftBank’s NTT guidance
- The fixed white 光 box: an optical outlet connecting the building fiber to the powered device. Do not remove it yourself as if it were rental hardware. NTT East
The 10-gigabit trap
An ONU is not automatically an NTT return. SoftBank’s equipment list also includes SoftBank-provided ONU models for Hikari Plus. The 10G setup itself differs by application date: before or on 15 April 2025 the guide shows an NTT home gateway plus BB Unit; from 16 April 2025 it shows an NTT ONU plus SoftBank home gateway (S). Check the label on your equipment and the return list in My SoftBank rather than copying someone else’s setup. 10G equipment guide · Return equipment lookup
Check the reason for your move
For a regular SoftBank Hikari relocation, you normally take the BB Unit to the new address. SoftBank Hikari 10G and Hikari Plus currently require cancelling and applying again for the new location, so the rented unit is returned. Moving FAQ
Moving out of a rental? Ask the landlord or property manager whether the fiber outlet may stay. Some rentals require a line-removal job at move-out. If so, arrange it with the provider; do not pull the wall outlet off and put it in a parcel. SoftBank explains when removal work may be needed and how to check whether a technician visit is required. Installation and removal guidance · Checking a removal appointment
Sending back a device does not cancel your internet contract. Complete the separate cancellation procedure, then follow the return instructions issued for your account. SoftBank cancellation and returns
Before shipping, keep SoftBank equipment separate from the NTT kit and check the Japanese recipient name on your return instructions—cancellations, faulty-unit exchanges and temporary pre-installation loans use different addressees. If a cable is missing, SoftBank says the main rental device can still be returned without a missing-accessory penalty. Return FAQ
For NTT-branded equipment, SoftBank says the collection kit is normally sent 7–10 days after it accepts the cancellation. Wait for that kit rather than putting NTT devices in the SoftBank return parcel. NTT collection instructions
Check the return after shipping, too. SoftBank says its equipment-return record generally updates about a week after you send the parcel. If the return is still missing after a week, or the NTT collection kit has not arrived after a week, contact SoftBank chat support. SoftBank returns FAQ
You can check the return status yourself. Sign in to SoftBank’s official equipment-return status page. Keep the tracking number and shipping receipt until the recorded return matches your shipment.
For timing, the official FAQs distinguish 14 days after service stops for cancellation from the 20th of the following month for a service change. Use the deadline given for your specific procedure and retain the shipping receipt. Cancellation · Service change
The rule to remember: follow the lender and the return notice, not the word “ONU”. The wall outlet does not belong in a return parcel. If the landlord wants it removed, book the appropriate work instead. A packing box is no substitute for a technician.
Official sources checked on 14 October 2026. Check your personal return notice.
