Buy Cars From Japan

Vehicles from the area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which suffered a series of meltdowns after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, were supposed to be destroyed. But unscrupulous dealers have registered them under new license plates and sold them, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported. Unable to export the cars, they're selling them in Japan.

buy cars from japan

Dealers have traditionally bought used vehicles in Japan and exported them to Russia and Southeast Asia, according to the Telegraph. In June, Russian police turned back a half-dozen used cars from Japan after finding they were contaminated with radioactove isotopes, according to the Interfax news agency. Authorities in South America, Australia and the U.S. have also stepped up inspection of new and used cars coming in from Japan.

Nearly 700 cars have been barred from export for exceeding the legal radiation limit of 0.3 microsieverts per hour. One van that was re-registered and sold within Japan was found to emit 110 microsieverts of radiation an hour.

If you'relooking for a classic car or Japanese domestic right-hand-drive (RHD) vehiclein the U.S., Canada or worldwide, turn to Duncan Imports & Classics. Ourantique car dealerships in Christiansburg, VA, and Nashville, TN, sell anincredible selection of classic vehicles from many different eras, as well as awide selection of Japanese RHD vehicles that will announce your presence anduniqueness with authority. Whether you're looking for a right-hand-driveminitruck, a classic convertible or a rare import that will turn heads whereveryou drive it, Duncan Imports & Classics is for you. We ship all over theworld!

Browse ourincredible selection of Japanese domestic models,including RHD vehicles, that you won't find anywhere else in North America. Wesell models from Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Suzuki and other top Japanesemakes, providing you with incredible variety. We also have an impressiveinventory of vehicles from Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Honda and other foreignautomakers that are more readily found in the U.S., as well as classic carsand vintage vehicles. Every car we import has been brought to our lot followingall Federal and Commonwealth of Virginia laws, and we don't pass along anyauction or importing fees when selling to you. At our Japanese RHD vehicledealerships in Virginia and Tennessee, we make the process as straightforwardas possible. We even make it easy to sell a classic carnearby!

In addition to our collection of Japanese domestic models and our antique cars, Duncan Imports also provides a capable parts department that will help you locate the rare parts and accessories that your unique vehicle needs. We can also help point you in the right direction when it comes to auto financing, so that you can drive off our lot as happy with your payment plan as you are with your incredibly unique vehicle.

Duncan Imports& Classics is located at 2300 Prospect Drive in Christiansburg, VA. Thatmakes us easy to get to from other points in Virginia, as well as from WestVirginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and beyond. Coming from fartheraway to shop our unique selection? We also have a location at 100 G Street inSmyrna, TN. Visit us today!

But industry observers chalk the admittedly glaring disparity up to the unique characteristics of the Japanese auto market: American firms don't really make cars that suit Japanese tastes, Americans have not invested in a dealership presence in the country, and many Japanese consumers have a persistent, if outdated, idea that American vehicles are unreliable and inefficient.

Roughly 40 percent of the cars sold in Japan are a special class of extra small cars call Kei cars. Nearly all of those are sold by Japanese brands, such as Suzuki and Daihatsu. Japan is a crowded country, and drivers like the convenience and efficiency of small vehicles that are easy to maneuver on narrow streets or fit into tight parking spaces.

"In Japan, there is a different market and different consumer," said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor & economics at the Center for Automotive Research. Although U.S. autos aren't taxed going into Japan, American cars aren't made for Japanese consumers. "We are giving them our off-cast, things we make for the North American consumer that we hope we can then sell in other markets."

Japanese automakers are so adept at serving their home turf that about 95 percent of the cars on Japanese roads are Japanese makes. Imports make up the balance, and most of those are European luxury vehicles or sports cars.

Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen, including Audi, all sell tens of thousands of cars in Japan each year. While that is still a pretty small number compared with the overall local market and other major markets, it isn't nothing, said Tokyo-based CLSA analyst Christopher Richter.

It is said that Japanese people treat their possessions with more care than other culture and this extends to cars, sticking to the service schedules and driving fewer miles as public transport is of a high standard. They can become quite fond of their cars as they get older.

The majority of European MPVs of the 1990s have long since been scrapped or the survivors will be disintegrating as they go, but there are plenty of imported Japanese MPVs from the early 2000s still in good condition.

Do your homework, because there are downsides. Many of the Japanese cars have Facebook groups and clubs you can join. If you buy from a dealer, find a well-reviewed specialist which sells lots of the same type of Japanese import.

Importing yourself can be done but requires work. Many businesses advertising in the UK will import you a car to order. There are huge internet auctions of used Japanese cars and these firms will bid on your behalf.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI)-funded Thatcham Research takes the basic details only that are available from the DVSA/ DVLA documentation, assign an ABI code, and then add to the data file made available to insurers. The vehicle itself, based on the DVLA records, will have an indicator that it is an import vehicle. The insurers will then make decisions on how to rate those vehicles.

That is why we recommend, strongly, that you buy through the auctions. The auctions give an independent evaluation of the vehicle. The auctions have a tracking system to prove whether the car has had its odometer tampered with. You need no proof of the existence of the vehicle when you see it in an auction. We also recommend, before you purchase your vehicle, that the company you are purchasing from is registered with JUMVEA.

Again, buying from an auction guarantees your exporter has not tampered with the odometer.Provide Cars sources Japan cars, trucks, buses, SUVs and vans from over 115 Japanese car auction locations from Hokkaido in the far North of Japan to Okinawa in the far south.

Japan's large metropolitan areas around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya are served by highly efficient public transportation systems. Consequently, many residents do not own a car or do not even possess a driver's license. Outside the big cities, however, public transportation tends to be inconvenient or infrequent, and most people rely on cars to get around.

Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland and Taiwan do not issue permits based on the 1949 Geneva Convention, but instead have a separate agreement that allows drivers from these countries to drive in Japan for up to one year with an official Japanese translation of their driver's license. A translation can be obtained from the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), through Driving-Japan (use voucher code "JapanGuide22" for a 5 EUR discount) or some of the respective countries' embassies or consulates in Japan.

Japan has bilateral agreements with more than twenty countries, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, as well as the US states of Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, to ease the process of acquiring a Japanese license. If you hold a valid driver's license from one of these countries you can get a Japanese license without taking a written or practical exam.

Instead, go to your local license center with an official translation of your license (obtainable from the Japan Automobile Federation), your passport, and proof that you held your license for at least three months in the issuing country before coming to Japan. Then, take a basic eye and physical test and you will be issued a new license on the same day.

If you have a driver's license from a country or state which does not have an agreement with Japan, such as China, Brazil or most US states, you will have to take a written and practical exam in order to obtain a Japanese driver's license. This process typically takes several attempts, even for experienced drivers.

Japanese cars are classified into regular and light (keijidosha) cars, which are subject to different taxes and regulations. Keijidosha cars (yellow license plates) are smaller vehicles that must conform to strict size, weight and power restrictions. In return, they enjoy several tax and toll breaks, and relaxed ownership regulations that make them cheaper and easier to own than regular cars (white license plates).

Shaken is a compulsory safety inspection, which cars in Japan have to undergo every two years, except new cars, for which the first inspection is not due until three years after purchase. Shaken typically costs between 100,000 and 200,000 yen, and besides the actual inspection fee, includes a weight tax (typically 8,000 to 50,000 yen) and mandatory insurance (about 30,000 yen).

Numerous documents are required to purchase a car, including forms to register your car and to verify ownership of a parking space. Used cars additionally require a transfer of ownership. Keijidosha cars enjoy more relaxed transfer processes. Fortunately, if you buy a car through a car dealer, they will handle most of the paperwork for you, while your main task is to sign the forms with your officially registered, personal stamp (inkan). 041b061a72