These days, more and more people are setting out to buy Japanese used cars. Although most of these used car buyers have good knowledge about cars as well as car buying techniques, they are not quite sure of ‘Why they should import Japanese cars from Japan?’ and, ‘How to import used cars from Japan?’

We believe that Japan is the best place to buy used cars mainly because cars in Japan are very carefully maintained and the Japanese roads are one of the best in the world. World-class public transportation system, heavy traffic conditions, high toll and parking fees, and stringent rules of Japanese government with regards to proper maintenance of car safety system are some primary reasons why Japanese cars are used infrequently, and hence, are technically sound. Also the Japanese government discourages people to own cars more than 5-6 years through a tier based technical car examination system called ‘shaken’- the older the car is the more ‘shaken’ tax you have to pay. This system encourages Japanese people to buy new cars since shaken taxes vary greatly depending on the age of the car. Also as repair costs in Japan are very high buying a new car makes much more sense than repairing a damaged car even if it is easily repairable. All these factors make Japan a very attractive used car market and it makes a good economical sense to import used cars from Japan.

Once, you’re convinced that Japanese used cars are the best; the primary question that impinges your mind is, ‘Where to buy used Japanese cars from?’ There are several dealers and exporters who supply Japanese used cars, you can easily purchase your used Japanese car from them. However, in reality all these exporters get the used cars from major auction houses. These auction houses have a wide variety of used Japanese cars, and all of them are available at very low prices to professional buyers such as dealers and exporters. Hence, it would be a better proposition to buy your used Japanese car directly from such auction houses rather than obtain it from intermediate dealers and exporters.

However, you cannot purchase Japanese used cars directly from auctions because you cannot become a member of these auction houses. Only used car dealers and exporters in Japan can apply for the membership. Furthermore, there are several strict contract terms that have to be followed when applying for the membership. Nevertheless, there are several used car exporters as www.best-trade-car.com, who provide “Auction Agent” service, that is, they would purchase Japanese used cars from auctions on your behalf. They also handle all the necessary procedure for shipping Japanese used cars.

When you buy used Japanese cars from online auction houses, using an “Auction Agent”, you would neither get a chance to inspect your Japanese used car from close quarters nor you would have the privilege to test drive the used car before purchasing it. Hence, to know more about the condition of the car, you would have to depend solely upon the ‘Auction-Sheet’, which is nothing, but a car evaluation sheet prepared by the auction house. Although all auction houses have different criteria for measuring the condition of the Japanese used cars, but some parameters are the same. For instance, they allocate grades 2 to 5 or 6 to S for the condition of car exteriors, and grades A to C for the state of car interiors. Apart from external and internal condition, mileage is the next most crucial factor that used car buyers’ worry about. The auction houses take care of this aspect. The seller is compelled to divulge the correct mileage. If the owner rolls back the mileage to hide the true figures, he is severely penalized by the auction house.

Most used car buyers hold the opinion that it is usually difficult to import used Japanese car. Nonetheless, importing used cars from Japan is not at all difficult if you know the correct process. Here is a glimpse of the entire procedure that is put into practice while importing Japanese used cars.

1. Find out details about every law dealing with import of foreign cars in your own country.

2. If you haven’t found the right used Japanese car as yet, then you would have to send a request to the dealer to find the right car for you first.

3. Before giving a confirmation to the exporter/dealer (Auction Agent) to buy the used car, you should (1) check recent market price of your favorite car, which is usually provided by Japanese used car exporter or dealer (Auction Agent); (2) read the auction sheet very carefully; and (3) decide your budget to bid from auctions.

4. The next step is to make the payment. Before issuing the check, you should verify the authenticity of the exporter/dealer. This can be done in two ways:

(1) by getting the company registration number and address confirmed at Japanese embassy in your country,

(2) by checking if your exporter is a member of JUMVEA (Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporter Association), which is the most reputable organization in the Japanese used car export industry, and is officially accredited by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japanese Government.

5. On arrival of the used car in your country, you would have to reproduce the documents that the exporter/dealer has sent to you. Thereafter, you would have to complete a few official procedures as paying import tax, getting your Japanese used car tested and insured etc. Once, you do that, you can drive your used Japanese car home.

Japan is a very industrialized country that has quickly grown since the turn of the century to become one of the strongest economic powers in the world. Just as Japan’s economy has developed rapidly, so too has its business etiquette. The vast Japanese market has the potential to yield huge opportunities. If you are considering expanding your business to the Japanese market, it is important to understand Japanese business etiquette and how to effectively do business with the Japanese.

It is also important to realize that the Japanese for the most part are very careful with their money. They are very analytical and calculated with their financial decisions, and it is important to have a very well composed proposal for any meetings. Make sure that you also have your proposal or documents translated into Japanese, this is very important and will be further addressed later in this piece.

When visiting Japan for business, try to make the meetings as casual as possible. In many cases the Japanese hosts will lose interest in forming alliances with American companies due to the fact that they feel too pressured to do something. The Japanese are very relationship based and loyal to their business partners. Japanese companies hire for life, they will do this for you too if you come across the right way. Some good advice would also be to wear slip on dress shoes, because the Japanese frequently take their shoes off in restaurants, homes, and other places.

Most importantly, carry many bilingual business cards with English on one side and Japanese on the other. This is a stable of Japanese business etiquette and will be the first test of your knowledge in this subject. The Japanese present their business cards at the start of every meeting, and it’s the equivalent of a handshake in American culture. When someone presents you with a card, do not put it in your pocket, leave it out in front of you on the table or put it in a cardholder. You should also bow slightly when you accept the card. Having your cards translated into Japanese is a minimum requirement, but you really should have them printed 2 sided, with English on one side and Japanese on the other. By translating your cards, proposals, and other documents into Japanese, you are demonstrating your seriousness and dedication. Japanese businessmen love to see translated documents, just make sure you have a reputable translator so embarrassing situations are avoided.