NEWS

Hello everyone!

We are now in the autumn season in Japan.

Autumn can be called the driving season.

So, starting today, I would like to introduce the procedures for purchasing a car for the first time in Japan.

This will be a real estate related story, such as regarding parking contracts, so this will be necessary information for those who need a car along with their new home.

To be honest, it may be quite difficult for you foreigners. From start (deciding to buy a car) to finish (receiving the keys), the entire process is said to take more than a month. You might think it took a month because it took so long to find a good car, but that part of the process is just a few days. Still, for many people, the longest part of the process is grieving over whether a car is worth buying, and then finding the car they want to buy.

In this article, I would like to discuss some considerations to take into account before buying a car.

How to Buy a Car in Japan and Notable Features

In this section,

What kind of car should I buy?

Where is the best place to buy a car?

What kind of car should I buy and what features should I look for?

There are two types of cars in Japan: kei cars and standard cars.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Many people have the image that it is entirely a matter of size, and that kei cars are small toaster-shaped Toyotas. While it is true that most of them are small toaster Toyota cars, the most important thing is the power of the engine. Most automotive websites don't really point out whether a car is “standard” or “mini,” but the magic number to look for is 660cc. If the car is above that line, it is a standard car. 

Engine Power
If you have ever owned a car in a foreign country, you are probably familiar with standard cars. Standard cars can be identified by their white license plates. It has all the necessary features of a car. Light cars are generally smaller (though not always) and have yellow license plates. While they have no problem driving around town, they will have some difficulties on mountain roads and highways in some respects. In such cases, you can still get from point A to point B, but you will need to push the car harder.

Price and Convenience
The main advantages of light cars are price and convenience. Not only are light cars inspected and the car itself much cheaper, but the process of receiving the keys is actually much faster. I did not know that until I purchased a regular car. I still would have chosen a regular car, but had I known that, I would have had to think more...

Features: navigation system and ETC card system

No matter what type of car you choose, there are two features that I think are essential: the first is the built-in navigation system. In the US, we never needed navigation unless we were going somewhere for the first time. The directions on Google Maps were clear and I could easily identify where I needed to go by street name and signage alone.

Unfortunately, most street layouts in Japan have not changed. Therefore, realistically, it is really difficult to navigate even the highways here. Most navigation systems in cars are specifically designed for Japan and are said to be much better than Google Maps. For example, directions like “turn right at 742 meters ahead” are much more difficult to determine when to turn than directions like “turn right at 2nd street,” which is much more difficult to determine when to turn, than “turn right at 2nd street,” which is much more difficult to determine when to turn, and so on.

The built-in navigation system is also very useful for highway entrances and exits. All of the navigation systems I have used have very good features that display images showing exactly what the exit looks like and which lane you need to be in. You might think, “Why not just look at the signs?” but if you drive in Tokyo, you quickly learn that it is never that simple. The complexity of the highways in Tokyo (especially in the 23 wards) needs to be experienced firsthand. 

The second necessary feature is the ETC card system, a card linked to your bank account or credit card that allows you to pass through toll booths instantly. The toll is automatically charged to your account. Fortunately, it is usually as easy as applying for a card at your current financial institution. For example, we recommend the Rakuten Card for its simplicity. It takes only a few minutes to apply, and you will receive your card within a week. No special procedures are required. 

However, once you have the ETC card, you need a reader in your car to use it; the ETC reader connects to your navigation system and provides audio and visual updates as each charge is incurred. Please note that in some places, ETC is not yet installed. 

Where to Buy a Car in Japan
There are two main options. First, you can search online. The two main websites are Goo and Car Sensor. Both are searchable on their websites. Both websites have basically the same search criteria, so choose the website that suits you best. To get the most out of the sites, you will need to speak Japanese, have a translator, or a friend.

The obvious advantage of using the site is that you can look at all the cars available and narrow down your search to find exactly what you are looking for. Trying out the various search features would be very helpful in determining what kind of car you can buy within your budget, how much money you can save by giving up certain features, or how much money you need to spend to get a good Bluetooth system. 

Another option is to find a local dealer and go in person.

It is easy to imagine how convenient it would be to go directly to the dealer. Especially when you were first considering whether or not to buy a car, it's obvious that things would be easier if you were able to talk directly with a sales associate to go through the process.

I hope these five points will at least give you something to consider when you are considering buying a car. As mentioned above, they are usually unnecessary, but if you can afford them and the purchase is reasonable under the circumstances, they can significantly improve your life. We hope you find this information helpful.

How was your experience?

We will continue next week.

Please look forward to it!

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