How to buy a car in Japan | Full Guide
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- This is a video explaining the lengthy process of purchasing a car in Japan. In addition, I also share my experience in buying my car in Japan and what I would have done differently. The estimated costs in the video are ESTIMATES this number vary a lot depending on circumstance and are purely indicative of what you should expect to spend. I hope you find it interesting and as usual, if I made any mistakes or missed anything please let me know in the comments below.
Music: Terrabot - "Focal Bingo"
Terrabot's Soundcloud: / terrabot
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Important Information to know
01:04 Knowing what type of car you are buying
01:39 What you need BEFORE buying a car
02:15 The fees when purchasing a car (there are many)
05:20 The purchase process
06:09 My experience buying a car in Japan
07:17 What I would have done differently
07:48 Outro
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Thanks for watching :D - Авто та транспорт
Lots of good info in this video! I stuffed up the transfer paperwork on my S13 and it haunts me to this day 😢
hey JDMism, didn't expect to see ya here, appreciate your touge clips a lot. keep up the amazing work 🙏
Yea you have to be careful with the paperwork because they absolutely wont accept any mistakes lol Glad you liked the vid!
No matter how I love Japanese cars, car culture and community, these videos keep me away from dreaming of life in Japan. Japan seems like a bureaucratic hell.
Honestly, so many people have this realisation. I think many have a Japan fantasy that does not quite match reality and they get a bit of a shock when they move to Japan. I personally don't mind it, but I can see why many have issues. It's a great country though and I stand by it even though it has many faults.
@@JayDM2311it's honestly not nearly as bad as some people think either
@@JayDM2311 I think its not bad for the people that already got rid of the fantasy elements about japan/moving to japan so we get used to it; the newbies trying to get in just get stunlocked into a everlasting culture shock lol.
You see in some regards yes and some no. I get many mixed reviews from foreigners. To be honest I think it depends on the individuals perception of Japan and their openess to accepting different culture and practices. Not focusing on things being "The wrong way" to do something.
I think for the most part you are 100% correct.
Definitely want to live in the countryside and drive my CTR around town
Planning to buy a car soon, this video was really really helpful. ありがとうございます
I'm glad I could be of service :) Good luck with your purchase!
A few things to add here for people :
If you're good with working on your own car you can save a ton of money doing user shaken.
If you buy a vehicle than can be registered as a one number plate your yearly vehicle tax will drop drastically. Usually pickup trucks fall into this category.
Depending on where you live like in my case when I buy a vehicle, my village doesn't require a parking certificate.
You also don't even need a license or an IDP to buy a car in Japan, but obviously you need one to drive legally.
When I bought my first car I didn't have my Japanese license yet and never showed them my IDP.
I can't remember if foreigners need a jitsuin or not, though if you plan on staying long term its probably better if you have one.
For user shaken, is there some kind of process I need to go through to certify myself as capable of doing it?
@@evanmico There's no certification, its called user shaken but you basically just drive through a few tests with a clipboard in your hand and you either get passed or failed at each station. For example last time I failed the headlight portion, I had put on new coil overs on the front of my car and it changed the angle of the headlights. So I left and took it down the road to a pre inspection place and paid $20 to realign my headlights. When I returned I passed and got everything done as simple as that.
The hardest part for most people is just doing all the paperwork in Japanese.
There's some great info in this video. Keep at it, I hope your channel keeps growing!
I'm glad you found it informative :) I'll be trying my best well into the future!
Thanks for such an informative video! Definitely saving this one, because you never know where life may take you next
I'm glad you enjoyed, I just hope I did not miss anything important! Pretty sure I covered it all though :D
great video!!! main reason why I moved from Tokyo to Chiba was mainly the parking price. It would cost me 25k JPY per month to rent a parking spot. In Chiba, I pay 7k JPY :D
Yeah major cities are waaay to expensive for parking lol I certainly plan to avoid living in Tokyo...
TLDR You just need to give blood, they test for gaijin, if you pass you must then fax your entire living history to the Japanese DMV, it must be stamped by your neighbors hanko to confirm you have a parking space for your vehicle, minimum of 4 hanko stamps, once that's done you go to the DMV shrine and toss 20,000 yen per liter of your car over your left shoulder into the collection box. If it doesn't rain in 48 hours your application is approved, the title is then faxed to the nearest prefecture 711 where you must read it out loud for the entire store to listen to your great accomplishment.
😂😂
Your not far off of reality there lmao
thanks, the video was 9 minutes too long; you really saved me dude
Your videos just keep getting better!! I would love to see a video of some cinematics of you driving your car!!
I'm a one man operation so cinematics are a struggle lol I am working on a Supra video which features a driving segment though.
@@JayDM2311 YAY!! 🥳
even if it takes a lot of process just to own a car i wish i can live in japan and buy a kuruma, less traffic jam and less cars parking on the side of the very tight road unlike in my country
A quick note.
If you want to experience Japan's beauty, but don't want the hassle....
Buy an under 250cc motorcycle.
No shaken.
No storage certificate, parking is cheap.
Tax, mandatory insurance dirt-cheap.
Gasoline is cheap.
No traffic jams.
Freedom - priceless(?)
Yeah motorbikes/mopeds are definitely the best tactic
It’s wild you have to have your car inspected twice a year over there.
Actually we kinda have this in Australia too, but only in some states. It's called a "roadworthy certificate" works roughly the same as the Japanese inspection. They check the safety equipment, alignment, tyres etc.
@@JayDM2311 I know NSW has the yearly inspection requirements, but twice a year is a bit crazy
Damn here in america they just say sell your life away and sign on the dotted line with a huge monthly rate. But they will get you in that car whatever it takes
It's more or less the same in Australia too. In Japan, not so much lol
since buying a car requires a citizenship (which is already hard enough to get) is renting cars much different? are foreigners allowed to rent cars along with a driving permit?
As mentioned you can buy a car if you have "residency" meaning you live and work in Japan full-time. Without that residency card I showed in the video or citizenship you cannot buy a car. Foreigners that are visiting absolutely can rent a car. You just need to present your passport and international drivers license and most places require a credit card. Hope this clears things up :)
Step 1: live in Japan 😢
Legit that is step 1. This is why I had to mention it first and foremost. It is just how it is sadly.
or find someone you can trust
That is a good method. For example right now I am out of the country and I'm not holding a residency card so I needed someone I trust to look after my car!
Very accurate info! Im living in center of Tokyo and the Shakoshomei is a nightmare. There is no available parking lot near by. I ended up renting an expensive parking that 1.5km away from my house. But is owning a car worth all these trouble? HELL YES!!!
For those of us that need a car in our lives because we love them so much, it is totally worth it!
So much paper work, not surprised you accidentally sent the wrong form 😅
Interesting you HAVE to have parking for most cases, I wonder if other countries do this?
I moved to Japan in 2018 and decided I wanted to buy a car, as a car enthuast I am. With my contacts I found an R34 4 door dirt cheap, only 200.000 yen. I knew getting it fixed and passing shaken and everything else would have double or even triple the price of the car! But I wanted to enjoy and drive thru Japan while on my stay. Sadly the Corona came and I lost all contact with the seller (who suddenly refused to meet a dirty gaijin because of the pandemic), so I lost the opportunity to buy it. But actually, I think that saved me from an endless amount amount of headaches and spents.
At the end I spent 4 years in Japan with no car, I would just rent or ask the company where I was working for the company car, and that's it. At my hometown I already own several JDM legendary cars, so instead of buying a car in Japan I bought parts and sent them home, think it was the right move.
Yeah look it can certainly be "more trouble than it's worth" buying a project car in Japan, that all depends on what it is though. I mean if you have the means to fix it like cheap parts, a place to do it, a mechanic who might lend you a hand or tools than it's doable. But honestly, for 95% of people it's not worth it at all, you likely made the right choice in my humble opinion!
I hope there are many more videos to come. Just like the numberplate video I enjoyed this one a lot!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have a couple more informative videos planned as well as various car content so stay tuned!
Thanks for your help mate, Im returning my JDM 1988 Honda Prelude from NZ to Japan this year (my Japanese wife and I have a house here)- we also live in Australia but found they make life far too hard and expensive to import car there now plus with the amount of revenue gathering going on with the roads there, its far cheaper to move i to Japan where I can enjoy it on their nice roads within their sensible legal system. Its also far easier to access race tracks in Japan than in AU now.
Yep I know what you mean. For those reasons and more is why I'm planning the move. If you like cars and racing Japan is a great option. Of course, there are many drawbacks but in my eyes the benefits far outweigh them!
@@JayDM2311 for sure! Do you live in Kyoto? I'm in Hyogo, would be keen to DM and do a meet when the time comes...
Sadly I’m back In Australia, for now…
I'm going to drop this comment before watching the video: Yesterday I was looking for some cars online (Germany), to get some ideas what I could get myself in case my GT86 somehow wouldn't be around anymore. Prices for enthusiast cars are just mad... Old NSX: 85.000€+... Then I looked up the market value on my 91 Supra: 17.500€... Thanks a lot. That's why I'm going to take a look at this video :-D
2:38 I imagine that the Shaken is as nightmarish as the vehicle inspection of my country
Sometimes the vehicle will not pass the inspection for the most stupid reasons and then hundreds of euros or even thousands goes to the mechanic
From what my friends tell me it's hit or miss. Sometimes you get through easy even though maybe you shouldn't have. Other times your car is perfect and it wont get through. Same thing here in Australia if you need an inspection...
so i have learned that there is a residence card which is give out to people wishing to stay longer than 90 days and then there is a permanent residence card which is given out to people who have lived for 10 years in Japan. could i get a car with just a residence card? and yes this question is saying that I already have a plot of land to park it.
I think the recycling tax is actually kind of a cool idea. Especially for those environmental nerds.
I also see why so many Japanese cars get imported out of Japan. That's a lot of yearly costs to even just own a car there
This is why you see alot of the more expensive cars to own (Skyline's, Crown's, Century's etc.) get exported as they can get top $ for them overseas and people do not desire them as much in Japan due to costs.
Very insightful and well articulated. The idea of renting sounds a lot more appealing to me now. 😅 If you're coming back to Australia, do you plan to take the Cappuccino with you? Would be keen to hear about the process.
Actually I recently got back to Australia! At this stage it is stored in Japan as I will be going back regularly to race it. I would like to eventually bring it back though.
If you are importing a car should I get a shaken report before I buy it?
I have a residence card rn... But it's only valid for 6 months. I wonder if I'd still be fine using it to buy a car?
You’ll be fine 100%. For all they know you’ll be renewing it in 6 months to continue working. If you have a card you’ll be totally fine!
That's a lot just for taxes, do you think if it is even viable/possible for a person with average pay to own a normal sized car over there?
Honestly in densely populated cities it's a big life choice to buy a car, not just because of the initial costs but also the ongoing costs. Most people I met in Tokyo did not own a car nor have the plan to. Meanwhile in less populated areas a lot of people own cars. It's likely viable but it's definitely a luxury/hobby item. This is why many buy Kei cars as it's the only financially responsible way for many people.
Hi Jay, would the buyer still need to be a resident if the vehicle was being exported out of Japan?
In regards to buying a car to export you will need a broker to manage this for you. You can "buy" a car online at an auction or in-person in Japan but the handling of the paperwork and signing over of the car will need to be done by a broker. You wont get the title of the car until it is in your home country. Home this helps!
Very Helpful, Thanks i might find myself in Japan making a financial mistake next year@@JayDM2311
Hi, if you move to Japan to study can you purchase a car?
If you have a student visa you will be given a residency card, which than means you have permanent residency (exactly what I did). This means you are able to purchase a car no problem!
@@JayDM2311 legend thanks for clearing that up for me. Love ya vids
im now curious on what is involved in buying and exporting a car from Japan
If your not a resident you will need a broker or a resident to buy it for you and take it to an exporter.
What is different when it comes to Motorcycles?
I'll be completely honest I don't know. The only thing I can say is that you don't need the parking certificate.
shaken when you have an old sports vehicle is THE WORST 😭
Yea old cars don't like to pass emissions tests for various reasons, in addition to the variable modifications usually found on sports cars. Such is life in Japan.
Can you rent a fun car like a suzuki cappuccino in Japan? Or only regular cars?
There are rental companies that focus on "enthusiast cars" so this is possible, but keep in mind most of them have a strict age requirement of 25 years or older to be able to rent.
I thought being in america I was getting stiffed importing a Toyota GR86 over here for $35k while they're only $18k in japan but with all those fees I think not 😭
Yeah cars are significantly cheaper new and used in Japan, but you can kinda see why these procedures are a likely factor in their pricing.
Folk do not know old sport jdm car in japan have high tax 😅
good vid! also small miss-spelling at 1:52
Yeah, I had this pointed out to me after the fact... So annoying! I spend hours making the video and check it a hundred times including watching it through probably half a dozen times. Yet, this still happened! Now it's gonna be like that forever :(
Hope your channel makes it big I've genuinely learned so much from your videos ❤️
I'm glad your hopeful. I will continue to do some informative videos, but honestly a have a lot of car content lined up with various cars. I'm not sure if it will be popular though, but we will see!
Meow
I am seeing this on every video lmao
@@JayDM2311 meow, im everywhere, it doesn't matter what channel it is, im still meowing
So I see lmao
0:48 I really wish the @juiceboxforyou guys had made is clear how they actually got "their" van for the fantastic "Japan in a Van" series. Other guys like @larrychenphoto who are driving "their" cars in Japan should really explain it too
Larry did explain it in one of his videos. The buying agent he used, does everything for him, which includes "renting" it out to him, so he can drive it in Japan.
Ouuu... Do one for jetpacks 🙂🥲