Delivery drivers in Japan are reportedly locking apartment parcel boxes without leaving any packages inside, a phenomenon known as "empty locking" [1].
This practice disrupts the essential logistics chain for urban residents and creates financial and operational burdens for property owners. Because these lockers remain locked without a package, they are unavailable for other residents to use, effectively freezing the delivery system for specific units.
In some reported cases, these lockers remained unusable for as long as two months [1]. Security camera footage has confirmed the identity of the perpetrators. "Because empty locking is occurring, when we check the security cameras, the person appearing there is the delivery driver locking the box," said Gaku Matsuda of the TBS News Dig social affairs department [1].
Apartment owners have expressed frustration that these systems, installed to assist drivers and improve labor environments, are now being targeted by the very people they were meant to help. One anonymous apartment owner said that those who established the boxes to improve the working environment for delivery services are now receiving these nuisance acts [1].
While some observers have characterized the behavior as mere mischief [1], law enforcement has intervened in related crimes. In separate incidents in Ozu Town and Chuo Ward of Kumamoto Prefecture, two delivery drivers, aged 25 and 35, were arrested on suspicion of theft [2].
Property owners suggest the behavior may be a reaction to the high-pressure labor conditions and operational burdens placed on delivery personnel. The trend has led to increased surveillance at apartment entrances to prevent further misuse of the shared infrastructure [1].
“The person appearing there is the delivery driver locking the box”
The 'empty locking' trend highlights a growing tension between Japan's reliance on high-efficiency delivery infrastructure and the deteriorating mental and physical health of the workforce. While owners view the act as sabotage, the behavior suggests a systemic failure in labor management where drivers may be intentionally creating bottlenecks to cope with unrealistic delivery quotas.
