Cars in Japan?

Question

I am moving to Japan, and I want to export my 2006 Honda Odessey there. I heard changes need to be made to the car in order to meet Japan's standards. Does anyone know what kind of standards need to be met? And is Japan an "unleaded" fuel country? For some reason, everything I have read so far says cars after 1976 from the USA need changed done to them. Does anyone have a website or information about exporting cars to Japan. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I'm in Japan now, and i own a 1996 odyssey. if you wan to see pictures of it email me at [e-mail]. i paid $2100 it doesn't have more then 50000 miles on it. your best bet is to sell the car you have now and but one here. their used car market is so huge that you can get cars so cheap. it will be sooooooooooo much easier if you just sell your car now, and buy one when you get here. then there is shipping, and unless your in the military its going to cost a pretty penny. if you are in the military they should be able to help you out with the specs required. if you do end up exporting it here, be prepared to pay for the following: road tax, Japanese car insurance, and recycling tax. all together that is about $2000 if your not going through a military base. if your are the its about half that. if you want more info about the cars here email me. it would just be a hell of a lot easier if you bought a car here.

the link is to a 2005 odyssey, it has 14000km (8700miles), cd player, abs, aero kit, 3 rows of seating, all the paperwork, cost less then $22k depending on the yen rate, and some other stuff i forgot how to recognize.

http://autos.yahoo.co.jp/ucar/search/detail.html?arid=E0609211000E245O00910&car_cd=01031041&clid=029A204

but my point is that your would have a easier life if you bought a car here. there are thousands more cars just like this one, some are A LOT cheaper, i.e. mine.

Answer 2

You need to change exhaust system basically.
But I recommend you to sell it and buy new or sec-hand car in Japan.
You can purchase sec-hand Odessay with around US$22,000-25,000.

And driving a car for left-hand steering is very difficult sometime.
The roads are narrow. Once you stopped right behind large truck, you can't see what's going on in the opposite lane.

Since 1975, all regular fuel is unleaded. Probably the persons in the gas station don't know the word "unleaded". Because unleaded is the today's Japan standard.

Answer 3

Listen to Joriental - he's Japanese after all! I don't HAVE a car - or need one - but he normally gives good advice from his own personal experience!

I must add though that NO-ONE here in Japan drives a lot - unless you count the bus drivers perhaps...!!
; )

Most people leave their cars in their personal parking space while they go to work by bus / train. The only members of the public who regularly use their cars are women with little kids, and a few die-hard workers. Frankly, parking here is a nightmare - around your home you are only allowed to park in your own designated space, which you pay a small fee for. You are not even allowed to OWN a car until you HAVE your own personal parking space!!! I don't know how you were intending to bring your car here, but you might have big problems actually getting it out of the port and onto the roads...!

Parking in busy shopping areas and city centres is, of course, charged. Often by the hour, other places by the day. Basically, there are very few temporary stopping spaces around, and you're only permitted to stop there for a short time - like loading and unloading for example.

Obviously some residential areas don't enforce the laws very well, but it won't do your status of residence much good if you saunter into Japan and proceed to wilfully break the rules...!!

Answer 4

Another aspect to consider is what would happen if you had a car accident. If your steering is on the US side then you will have a hard time adapting, seeing, etc as someone mentioned. It is not illegal to have a car w steering on the left side, but those cars are extremely rare! Some "roads" are VERY narrow (aside from an actual accident, you will probably scrape the side of your car on a wall or sign sooner or later. . .!). And if you are involved in an accident w another driver you must visit their house, give them a gift, and ask their forgiveness!! I am not kidding bc it happened to me! That's just for a fender bender. If you injure someone, then God help you! You will be in deep ****.
What about your driver's license? Will you have an international license, which is only good for one year, or will you try to get a Japanese license? US residents have to take a Japanese driving exam after their int'l license expires. That too is a can of worms.

Before you shell out big bucks to import your car I'd come over and check out the situation. Then decide.

Answer 5

Forget it, exporting a Honda to Japan is definitely a case of sending coal to Newcastle. It's easy to find a good used car in Japan. If you are with the US military you get a special deal on insurance/registration.

Answer 6

like everyone else has said. I ended up just buying a car when I arrived. All the other expat families also did the same. The hassle and costs to do these things on our own is too much. Most expats just buy and sell their cars from each other as we come and go. I of course speak from the coporate side of things. It is a different story I hear for US MIlitary and Gov related people.

Answer 7

in Japan, you need to show "proof of parking", meaning you have to have a proven place to park it. the older a car is in Japan, the more you pay in registration fees, a sort of planned obsolesence which keeps older clunkers off the road, Do not spend the money to ship your car there, sell it here, use the shipping costs for a down payment on a newer car and parking space!

Answer 8

I believe they drive on the correct (left) side of the road there so you will find it difficult w. your steering wheel on the wrong side ie. the side that gives right handed people less control over the steering and more over the less important gear stick.

Answer 9

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