[ Alto Works ] Christmas Shaken

Christmas brings presents, cheer, Starbucks Pistachio Christmas Tree lattes, and, for my precious little Alto Works, dreaded shaken. As mentioned previously, shaken needs to be done on all actively operating cars in Japan. As with most cars and my little Alto, it needs to be performed every two years to ensure proper operation. My shaken was due on December 25th, Christmas Day. I wonder if one of the previous owners, years ago, bought himself this car as a present?

Part of the shaken process involves going to the local city hall and paying a “recycling fee” for the car. This is a huge chunk of the shaken cost and rises with the car’s age. For me, it came out to around 25,000￥ ($230 USD).

The next thing I had to do was bring the car to as stock as possible. Surprisingly, according to my mechanic, the engine bay with my HKS Filter, heat shields, and oil catch can would be acceptable to leave as-is. My Nardi steering wheel, rear pillar bar are acceptable, as well. However, the East Bear Sports bucket seat and wheel spacers would all have to be brought back to stock and removed because they violate the rather strict shaken rules for one reason or another: The stock seat needs to be used for safety and the wheels must be within the fender width. (With the spacers, the spokes on my Volk wheels were just past the fender by a few millimeters.)

After putting the two parts back to stock, I took some time off on a Friday to head up to Sabae City with my friend Matsuda-san from Rodeo Cars. The first stop was Autobacs. (Autobacs is the Japanese equivalent to Pep Boys or Autozone in the states, but way better.) There, I needed to perform two labor jobs: an alignment and a headlight level adjustment. The alignment would be to ensure the wheels don’t have too much of a negative camber and the headlight check is to ensure the beams are pointed in the right direction; not too high, not too low, not off to the side.

Autobacs
The alignment was 3000￥ and 1000￥ for the headlights. Once paid, the mechanic drove it on the rollers and began to mess with the headlights. A few minutes later, he started work on the alignment… and that’s when we ran into serious problems. He drove it off the rollers on to a lift and tried to adjust my suspension as much as possible. Alas, after 20 minutes, he came up to talk with us and tell us the bad news that the car would not pass shaken because there was too much negative camber. He said the headlights would probably pass, but offered no vote of confidence either way.

Sadly, this means I had to bring my Sport-Service front suspension back to stock, as well. Turns out my 1.5 hour drive to Fukui City would bear no shaken fruit this day. That following weekend, I replaced my front suspension back to stock and had it re-realigned at a (pricier) place in my town.

Driving up again on the following Friday, I once again had to stop by Autobacs for another adjustment of my headlights since the ride height of the car changed since last time. Once again, the mechanic suggested that it may pass. My friend suggested we give it a shot anyway.

Arriving at the Kei Car Automotive Association Center a few kilometers away, we first had to pay for a tax fee based on the car class, for me totalling around 8800￥. Then the wait in a short procession of cars for the inspection. A nervousness came over me, as there are a few modifications to the car I felt would not pass muster. Rolled fenders, hood vents, oil catch can, cut rear bumper, front intake snorkel… I heard about how strict shaken was and that brought dread. Would this end up another wasted weekday?

The first stage was visual inspection. Ride height, general body condition, engine bay, wiper function, and paperwork were checked here. As expected, I was questioned about the front intake snorkel. My mechanic insisted it was for looks only and that it did not directly connect with the air intake. (Which is true… it merely leads to the intake.) Surprisingly, the hood vents, the heat shields, HKS filter, and oil catch can did not bother them in the slightest. No other comments were made about my bumper or fenders, thankfully.

In the next stage, the car is driven onto rollers. Here, the car is checked for alignment, acceleration, brakes, and parking brakes. My car passed with flying colors, but then came the headlight machine which checks the brightness, spread, and aim of the headlights. Almost immediately, the screen above spat out an “X.” Universal, really, for fail.

A “mini boss” showed up here at this point, confronting me about my exhaust sound. I’d like to say the overeager young lad here annoyed me greatly. (Having already been disheartened by the failed headlight check.) The decibel sound, to me, is very obviously within the sound tolerance limits; I’d argue that some stock exhausts sound louder than this does. But it was his prerogative to challenge it and so he called on his manager to double check the sound just by listening to it. One sharp rev and the manager didn’t even blink and passed me. Thank you, good sir, for being reasonable.

The final stage of this shaken process involves a lift and visual inspection. My car is in overall great condition, with little rust, so this stage was a breeze. No issues were detected and I breathed a sigh of relief… the front suspension is riding on partially cut springs, afterall.

The time was now 3:30PM and the facility closes at 4:00. This gave us a few minutes to attempt another run through. Luckily, I brought a set of stockish, blue-tinted halogen H4 bulbs that were on my car initially. We rushed to replace the HIDs with these bulbs, reaching behind the small space behind the headlights. No time for cleaning up wires and putting the rubber gaskets back on, we tried again.

The staff once again questioned the front intake snorkel. (They literally saw us not 15 minutes ago!) They weren’t sure the bulbs would pass, but allowed us to check the headlights anyway...

And it was so close. The last boss was proving difficult to defeat, as the right headlight failed by a few degrees. Apparently, according to the aforementioned young lad, it needs to be pointing up just a bit. He said if we were quick, we could do one final run-through. It was past 3:50 at this point...

For the final check, the staff let us pass through visual and roller check. Once I heard the ding and saw the “O” “O” for the headlight check, I nearly cheered out loud. That was, as the Japanese say, “girigiri,” as in “just barely.”

I received the victory medal, a slip of paper and a freshly minted shaken decal. This would proudly go on my car the next day. Other than you readers, probably few others know of the struggle I had to obtain it. First world problems, I know.

To my recollection, this is the breakdown of all the costs associated with my shaken on my 1998 Alto Works. Your prefecture and car will vary.
Car weight tax stamp fee 8800￥
Examination fee 1400￥
Recycle fee 25000￥
Headlight adjustment fee 1080￥
Alignment adjustment fee 3000￥ to 4000￥
Delivering to Fukui ~4000￥ > 8000￥
Fluids change 5000￥ (This will vary greatly, since I am more or less “sponsored” by my mechanic.)

As for the parts I pulled off it, did I end up putting them all back on?

Bi-Annual Mandatory Shaken Car Inspection

I often get asked why Japanese cars are generally in such great shape and why used cars, especially small kei cars, are so cheap. In short, it’s due to shaken, a mandatory vehicle inspection that is required every year or every two years. This short guide will go through the five W’s (and one H) of car inspection questions that are often asked.

Disclaimer: As always, all information herein is current according to my knowledge, but it may not be applicable in your area or situation. I assume no responsibility resulting from the use or misuse of the below. As in, don’t blame me if you can’t pass shaken.

What is shaken and why is it performed?
Shaken (車検) means car examination in Japanese. This consists of a multi-point, comprehensive check of a vehicle’s operating condition. It includes, but is not limited to, function checks of lights, brakes, suspension, alignment, and fluids.

The car will be visually inspected to ensure nothing is out of the ordinary and far beyond the manufacturer’s set condition. Fluids must be in good condition, belts must be changed in set intervals, and car body dimensions must be within reason to the as-manufactured stock size. Rust, a huge issue in Japan, will be checked so that nothing structurally will be dangerous or compromised. (Light surface rust is fairly normal otherwise.) The car will typically be put under a series of tests, checking such things as headlight brightness and alignment, brakes, parking brakes, and wheel alignment tests.

Simply put, this shaken inspection ensures all vehicles are roadworthy and in safe operating condition.

When?
Every two years for most cars. Some cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles have to be checked every year at a slightly lower cost per year. If no issues occur and there isn’t a huge line waiting, this whole inspection and paperwork process at the facility should take no more than an hour.

You can only do the shaken within a month prior to the shaken expiration date, so timing for the inspection is pretty important. More specifically, you should have the car repaired and maintained by a mechanic prior to the actual inspection date. So this means any upcoming wear items need to replaced, old fluid needs to be changed, any issues (leaky seals, rusted exhaust, etc.) need to be fixed.

So this means if you have any inspection failures or issues, they need to be repaired or remediated immediately if you have any hope of keeping the car on the road. My recommendation would be to ask your local car shop at least a few weeks prior to the actual month prior to your expiration date to ensure that you don’t need a mess of parts or repairs. That would also give you a small window to consider replacing the car if need be.

Who performs the inspection and where can I do it?
Your local automotive dealer or mechanic can check your car or have it checked by someone else. Virtually all car shops can perform the inspection, so ask around for recommendations.

At smaller shops, they will take the cars to be inspected at the local Automobile Association. For kei cars, usually there is a separate kei automobile association. There may be one or more of these locations in your prefecture.

Larger car shops may be cheaper because they deal with a sheer volume of cars and they might cut expenses. Also, some are certified to perform shaken inspections in-house. This saves on some cost, but you may be getting a cut-rate shaken inspection, as in they will not perform certain replacements or recommended changes in order to get you a great price and not go to another dealer.

Speaking of cost, how much is it?
Shaken can vary greatly depending on the prefecture you reside in and who does your shaken for you. On average, the very minimal cost of shaken runs around 50,000￥ for a kei car, and this is not including fluid changes or maintenance. For white plate cars, this will run significantly more, starting at around 70,000￥. However, expect to spend at least 70,000￥ for kei cars and 90,000￥ for white plate cars and those are for cars in great condition with little maintenance. If you need belt changes or other maintenance parts replaced in order to pass the inspection, the sky’s the limit. In fact, older kei cars (around 15+ years old) more often get junked than fixed / maintained, simply due to the parts and labor exceeding the overall value of simply buying a new or newer used replacement car.

Seriously, though, why? (Part 2)
Further analyzing shaken, we can come to a few more issues and conclusions. For us “car tuners,” much of what we enjoy in car modifications is actually illegal per the letter of the law. The car must  be no wider than approximately 10mm of the manufacturer’s dimensions and wheels and tires must be within the width of a stock fender. The entire car, wheels exempted, must be at least 10cm from the ground, so low exhausts, slammed suspension, etc. are unacceptable. There also must not be any extensive overhang from the front or the rear bodywork, so huge lips and long exhausts must be within reason to the external dimensions. Speaking of exhausts, the sound must be under 96 decibels and a reasonably stock size. Height is a consideration, so wings or spoilers can not go far above the roofline. Even the number of seats and seatbelts must be kept to the original specifications. This goes especially for kei class cars, which are strictly regulated to be under set guidelines.

Viewing this cynically, as with any form of bureaucracy, shaken makes money for the whole system. The government gets more money to do whatever it does and the cost of maintenance and repair encourages new car buyers. Many people choose to essentially junk their 10-year-old car for little money to obtain something newer, fancier, and less troublesome to deal with. (As an aside, I find that hilarious given that Japanese cars are arguably the most reliable.) In most areas in Japan, there are better condition cars on the road than most places in America. There are virtually no smoggers, clunkers, or jalopies as I often see driving around the streets of Los Angeles.

This is why there are plenty of those 10-year-old (or older) cars for sale at the plethora of used car shops around the country and why they are sold for significantly less than an equivalent used car elsewhere.

Sadly, this also means that many cool cars get scrapped or exported to third-world countries when the cost of maintaining it exceeds the value to the owner. For example, it is getting increasingly hard to find excellent condition 1990s MX-5 NAs or RX7s for sale. Car lovers will keep those sporty cars in mint operating condition, others will simply drive the wheels off and scrap them when they are no longer valuable. (Yup, I’m taking a pot-shot at those who can’t keep their cars properly maintained.)

For the curious, I’ll have a more in-depth look at the car inspection process next time. Look forward to a future post regarding a recent shaken done to my little Alto.

[ Newbie Guide ] to Driving in Winter

Now that you’ve decided on picking up a car and shopped around for one, this guide is dedicated to information about preparing yourself for winter driving in Japan. (Insert obligatory Game of Thrones “Winter is Coming” meme here.) For many of those who come from snowy regions, much of this will come as second nature. (Especially Nordic folk… you guys birth all the great rally drivers, after all.)

Winter Preparations

Winter wheels / tires
When temperatures drop, many areas in Japan require the use of winter tires instead of the so-called all-season tires. “All-season” sadly doesn’t actually mean for all seasons, as the name might imply, as they lose their effectiveness when temperatures drop below 7°C (45°F). Colder temperatures harden the rubber compound, thereby increasing braking distances and losing traction, obviously making driving significantly more dangerous. Beyond having a softer compound in the cold, winter tires also have sipes, channels, and grooves which push away water, increase tire temperatures, and (surprisingly!) hold snow.

It is best to buy a set of winter tires with wheels (the metal round inner part) installed on them, as it makes much more economical sense to buy them together when you have to switch back and forth through the year. Buying the winter tires only and putting them on the wheels the car has now might be marginally cheaper the first year, but will soon add up after. For example, you can find a basic set for kei cars for less than 40,000￥. Swapping them on the car costs usually only about 2000￥ at your local gas station. Compare this to the 20,000￥ for the winter tires alone, which will cost 8000￥ every time to swap them on your existing wheels, plus the 2000￥ for installation. So at 16,000￥ in wasted labor costs the first year alone, it makes sense to pay that little bit more to get them as a set.

Common winter tires are often also called “studless” because most winter tires do not have metal studs in the rubber compound, which are rarely used for heavy snow traction, since they destroy pavement. Winter tires should also be purchased at the same or smaller size than the car is driving on at the moment. For example, my white plate car can drive on 205 width tires, but it is recommended to use 195 due to the thinner profile. This helps it “dig” and cut into the snow better with the smaller surface area.

If you don’t know what all this means, don’t worry. Ask your local car guy or tire shop. They probably won’t steer you wrong.

This is the coolant reservoir tank… you can see it’s a bit low here.

Engine
Of course, you should check your car often to ensure fluids and engine operation are good. This goes doubly in adverse weather, summer and winter. In winter, the two most important things to check are the radiator coolant / antifreeze and wiper fluid. While the balance of coolant to antifreeze are balanced when filled by mechanics, it is a good idea to check the fluid level as low levels of fluid could lead to frozen engine blocks. Some people only use water for wiper fluid and while this is fine for most of the year, frozen water in the wiper fluid pipes could lead to busted old hoses that feed it to the nozzles. So be sure to top off with proper wiper fluid, which are mixed to resist freezing.

Not related to the engine, but still important, is the condition of the wipers. Make sure your wiper blades are functioning well and not falling apart. Old blades tend to get brittle and fall apart faster in the dry cold and the last thing you want is to drive blindly in a snow drift with the metal wiper arm dragging against your windshield.

Items to Have
Personally, I like to keep my interior and trunk pretty clean with only the necessities I might need while travelling, such as a small umbrella for the freak rainstorms, a small medical kit, hand wipes or disinfectant, and a folding eco shopping bag. I don’t try to keep too much else in the car, but during winter I will add a few more items.

Squeegee: The extendable squeegee I use has a soft foam head, a rubber wiper blade, and a plastic flat end. Each end serves a different purpose, as I’ll describe down in Driving, below.

Gloves: While it’s probable that you’ll already be wearing gloves in the winter, it doesn’t hurt to have an extra pair in the car, since after all that shoveling and squeegeeing your windows, it might have gotten a bit cold and wet.

Shovel: This might be obvious, but it’s good to have a shovel in your car when a random snowdrift hits you when you aren’t at home (where your shovel usually is). A few hours of snow really piles on quick and will be quite troublesome to move without a handy shovel.

Insurance
Lastly, check your insurance to see if you have roadside assistance coverage. Some insurance plans do have it as part of your package. If you don’t, I highly recommend you sign up for JAF, Japan’s automobile association. For only around 4000￥ a year, you can have roadside assistance if you lock yourself out, run out of gas or battery, or need emergency towing. (This is an unpaid advert for them.)

It’s better to have it than be without it on a cold, snowy night stranded in a ditch somewhere. Take it from me, if you don’t have the coverage, be prepared to pay a significant amount for a small tow.

Driving

Starting off, if you have some snow buildup, wipe and scrape off the snow with your squeegee. Do not use the rubber or plastic ends on your car body, as any rocks or debris will scratch your paint. I use the softer sponge end and only apply light pressure, if I touch the body at all. The rubber end is best for your windshield to remove water streaks and the plastic end is for scraping stubborn ice. To further rid yourself of icy windshields, contrary to some idiotic bits of advice online, do not pour boiling hot water directly on your windshield. Have you ever seen what happens when hot water hits an extremely cold object? It may be extremely unlikely on tempered glass, but any pre-existing cracks may widen with the sudden thermal change. I personally use warm water so the temperature differential is not as great, but will still work wonderfully to melt the hard ice. Wipe and scrape off the remainder of your ice with your squeegee.

While it might take a bit of extra time, push off as much of the snow off your roof and hood as you reasonably can. If you brake hard, that snow can fall back on your windshield at an inopportune moment, temporarily blinding you. Also annoying is that snow buildup may freeze overnight and make it difficult for you to open your doors the next morning.

They’re hard to see, but there are actually open water drainage ditches in this photograph.

Watch for ditches, tiny roads, rough snow plowing, obstacles, black ice, and heavy snow piles. Especially in rural areas, “gaijin trap” water ditches are common. (Actually, they are called ryuusetsukou or snow drainage ditches.) You may forget about them on your regular route, but when it snows, the points of reference change greatly so where you think the edges of the road are may not be so. Drive with care and moderate all your driving inputs: accelerate slowly, brake gently (if possible), turn in gradually. Sudden dramatic directional changes will upset the car and make it more likely the car will break traction.

While soft snow is little more than a nuisance, icy roads can be dangerous. Melted and refrozen snow might look safe to drive on, especially if the road is heavily trafficked, in actuality it is extremely slippery. Keep your following distance from other cars much farther than you might typically, as braking distances will increase significantly. If possible, take larger roads because they often have road sprinkler systems (shousetsu pipe) installed. Essentially, water is pumped up from warmer underground sources and sprayed seemingly haphazardly all over the road and your car’s windows are inopportune times. You might think watery roads are less safe than a seemingly clear road, but those sprinkler systems melt snow and remove ice, thereby making driving much safer. Just keep your wipers on and don’t be surprised at the sprays hitting your car when you drive on them.

Another form of icy roads comes as “black ice.” It is a generally rare road hazard, but more common in the dead of night in the middle of the rice fields. Essentially, black ice appears on asphalt that appears to not have any snow or ice on it, hence the term. In actuality, there is a fine layer of water that has frozen over the pavement, so it might not be perceivable. I have personally seen two cars fallen and stuck in the rice fields late at night due to the surprisingly slippery road conditions that look otherwise clear. As with the advice above, drive slowly and carefully, though even more so if you see the shine of a wet-looking surface: it just might be dreaded ice.

Lift your windshield wipers when you stop for any extended period of time overnight. This might look silly, but there’s a reason everyone does it: it prevents the wiper blade from freezing to the windshield and at the very least makes it easier to remove ice and snow in the morning.

One last thing to note, make sure you do several underbody car washes when the snow starts to melt and dissipate. (Most gas station car washes have the option.) In some parts of the country, they salt the roads here with calcium chloride or sodium chloride to reduce freezing. (In my part of the country, you can find green metal boxes along the side of the road with bags of white stuff for this expressed purpose.)

As a result, some of this stuff gets under your car and around your wheel wells. The salt buildup underneath your car will start to eat away at the minimal (if any) paint and protective coatings, accelerating the rust process. Most of these kei cars do not use galvanized steel, so they are quite rust-prone. Washing any loose salt, rocks, debris, etc from your undertray (and the rest of your car, for that matter) will go a long way into preventing this.

Winter sure is beautiful.

Enjoy the gorgeous winter wonderland in the snow and drive carefully, folks! As always, drop me a line if you have any suggestions or questions.

Edit: Thanks to Megan for some additional information!
Edit 21/01/20: Added information about salted roads

[ Newbie Guide ] to Car Buying in Japan, Part 2

Now that you have solidified your decision on buying a personal car, the sheer variety of cars and prices ranges out there may seem overwhelming. First thing to acknowledge: you will probably need to front the whole amount of the purchase price (and any associated fees) up front or in some cases, upon pickup, unless you can negotiate with a private party seller.

Below is a bit of my personal advice and recommendations. For those that would like a more applicable answer to your specific situation, simply ask around. You can get most questions answered directly if you talk to your supervisor, your co-workers, or your contracting company. With internet access, you can reach the large, easy-to-access network of ex-pats and foreigners in all regions of the country, online via local Facebook pages or forums like Gaijin-Pot. Read on for some hopefully useful general info on the car buying process!

Contents

1. Where can I find a car?

2. Should I buy a kei or regular car?

3. What am I looking for when buying a car?

4. What’s the difference between cars and makes?

5. How can I identify the condition of the car?

6. Who can help me buy a car that I want?

7. What is needed when buying a car?

8. How can I get insurance?

9. Can I buy a car on credit?

10. What about leasing or rental options?

Sometimes you can find smaller used car lots all around with some decent prices. But beware the condition.

1. Where can I find a car?
There are many places to find a car. If you want to avoid the legwork of finding a car online yourself, then the best way would be through your supervisor, your co-workers, or your contracting company. They may be able to find you a hand-me-down car at a lower price and with less hassle than it would be out of your own accord. I’ve known a few instances where this case was the best, easiest, and smoothest option.

The other option would be to inquire with other foreign residents of Japan. ALTs that turn over every year can possibly be the cheapest place to find a used car, as they are in a hurry to dump their possessions, though some may come in questionable condition (see #5). Other foreign residents can also be helpful because they can point you to legacy knowledge about where they have purchased cars. Some purchase cars through the help of local Japanese who can do some legwork to find you something suitable.

The most difficult option and only if you know what you’re looking for or have specific needs (see #4), is finding a car yourself or with the help of a local to translate. You can look for used lots that often line the roads just outside most major cities or inquire at local car dealerships. The last and hardest option is to find a car in your price range online at Goo-Net or Car Sensor or even Yahoo! Auctions. This will require some Japanese ability or careful use of Google Translate.

A kei car used dealer lot in Aichi Prefecture.

2. Should I buy a yellow plate kei car or regular car? What are the differences?
A kei car (けいじどうしゃ / 軽自動車) is usually denoted by a yellow license plate with dark green or black numbers (or more rarely, black license plates with yellow numbering, though they are commercial use). They are a class of super / sub-compact cars designed for and by the Japanese market. They are cheaper in nearly every aspect in terms of cost, construction, and maintenance when compared to their regular counterparts. You will likely be able to find kei cars ranging from 100,000￥ to 250,000￥ without much difficulty. This will generally be the class of cars that I recommend for most people.

However, on the negative side, they are much smaller as they are regulated under a set of dimensions, seat a maximum of four, and are limited to 660cc engines with 63 horsepower or less. That means the cars can be fairly small and cramped, have limited cargo volume, and are relatively slow, especially going uphill with a full car. There is also a safety aspect that is difficult for me to touch upon, as this can be a personal risk scenario. Speed limits in Japan are lower than many other countries, so the likelihood of a life-threatening accident may be smaller, however, kei cars are very light, small, and have thin bodies and frames. This means an accident at 80km/hr in a kei car will be much more severe than a similar-year regular car.

A regular futsuu car (ふつうじどうしゃ / 普通自動車) is something you can typically see throughout the world. It ranges from rather small compact cars like Honda Civics to huge, boat-like SUVs. You can spot them easily as they usually have a white license plate with green or black numbers. They have a much higher operating costs, particularly annual taxes and maintenance. They are generally more comfortable, can go higher speeds without taxing the engine, and they are arguably safer. Unless you travel long distances or use highways frequently, you will probably be fine without one.

In case you were interested in the price breakdown (Part 1 has more detail about these costs), here is an extremely rough estimation of what you might typically pay. Keep in mind that additional maintenance costs are not listed below:
Kei vs. Regular car
Cost of car: 120,000￥ vs. 180,000￥
Gas: 17km/L vs. 14 km/L
Insurance: 8000￥ vs. 10,000￥ /month
Tax: 13,000￥ vs. 40,000￥ /year
Shaken: 50,000￥ vs. 70,000￥ /2 years

So, as you can see, the higher costs add up fairly quickly annually. It is up to you to decide if it is worth it for you.

The color may not be the best looking, but the price seems right. Does it have good shaken?

3. What am I looking for when buying a car?
The generally first thing I recommend looking for is to find a car with as much shaken left as possible. Some dealers will start the shaken fresh when you buy the car and some are included in the asking price. Used cars from private sellers usually just have some shaken left or almost none at all. So keep this in mind, whatever car you’re looking for. The less shaken it has currently, the sooner you’ll have to pay that 70,000￥ (or greater) shaken renewal cost.

If you live in a heavily snowy climate, then consider an all-wheel drive car for driving around in winter. Most cars are two-wheel drive, which means two of the four wheels (usually the front two wheels) are responsible for actually moving the car forward; the other two are simply rolling along. AWD cars actually have all four wheels moving and trying to push the car forward. This means those cars usually have better traction in the snow and rain. However, AWD cars are usually more expensive in terms of cost of the car and gas consumption. If you are not moving to a very snowy region, a standard 2WD car will be more than adequate with winter tires.

In terms of other aspects in finding a car, the rest is personal preference. Look for cars with nicer aftermarket radios that have USB connector inputs or ETC card readers, though these are not deal-breakers. A used aftermarket car radio and mounting hardware will only be a little more than 10,000￥ or so, if you feel the need to hook up your iPhone. ETC card readers are only convenient if you plan on frequently taking toll roads.

You might think kei cars look all the same. And you'd be mostly right.

4. What’s the difference between cars and makes?
Cars come in many shapes and sizes. The most typical kei cars are the taller, wagon style cars which essentially look like a tall box with wheels. They are the standard because they offer the most room within the kei car size limits so they are quite practical. The Suzuki Wagon R, Daihatsu Move, and Honda Life are common models of this style. The most typical regular cars are a 3 or 5-door “hatchback” design because they also offer a lot of practicality. The Nissan March, Suzuki Swift, Honda Fit, and Mazda Axela are good examples of this style.

As this is Japan, you will mostly find domestically-produced Japanese cars on the streets. If you are looking at kei cars, Daihatsu, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Suzuki are the only manufacturers of them. (Nissan technically has kei cars, but they are just rebranded Mitsubishi and Suzuki models.) Regular cars are the same as you may see in your home country. As for reliability and maintenance, all kei cars are generally fairly reliable and use very similar parts between models. Some cars use timing belts instead of timing chains which may cost more in maintenance in the long term, though this largely depends on a variety of other factors. The biggest indicator for reliability is to identify any potential problems before you buy. (See #5)

It's underneath what (also) counts.

5. How can I identify the condition of the car?
General car inspection rules apply to buying any used car. Try to find a newer year, lower mileage, less rusty, better physical and operating condition car. If you have little car knowledge yourself, seek the assistance of someone who has some experience with cars and know the major points to look for, such as signs of accidents, seal leakage, or potentially strange noises.

Especially for kei cars, I generally recommend finding the lowest possible mileage car you can find and afford. For a 3-cylinder tiny engine, they often work harder and have a more limited lifespan compared to a regular, full-sized 4+ cylinder engine. Aim for finding a kei car lower than 120,000km, if possible, though this is not a strict number. (I personally owned a 160,000km kei car that was mistreated and it still ran very well.) Regular cars are usually fine to drive 200,000km+ on the original engine and transmission, but lower is almost always better.

Rust is especially harsh on kei cars, as they often do not have the underbody rust prevention coatings that some regular cars have, but do not be turned off by minor surface rust, as this is common in any coastal country. It’s more than acceptable to have a few body dings and scrapes, but be aware of any cracked lights, bumpers or any major dents. If they are present, you may need to replace or fix them when the shaken inspection time comes.

While I don’t mind normal interior wear, be aware that Japan has a high smoker base, so some used cars will have remnant cigarette smells especially notable on hot days, even after cleaning. If you can’t tell immediately upon checking out the interior, look for signs of cigarette burns on the headliner and driver seat or used ashtrays. If you’re a smoker yourself... well, don’t mind this bit of advice.

One last minor thing to note, but this usually doesn’t pertain to 99% of the cars on the road: As much as I personally love car modifying as a hobby, generally avoid any cars that have major modifications other than the radio.

6. Who can help me buy a car that I want?
Assuming you are searching for a car outside the more direct network of people that you know or work with, you will probably need help actually getting the car. In this case, you will definitely need to seek the assistance of a local Japanese individual. If you haven't seen it yet, Japan is unfortunately not yet a very bilingual friendly country when it comes to red tape and official paperwork.

7. What is needed when buying a car?
You will need a juminhyo (住民票) within the last three months from your local city hall (市役所), proving that you live in Japan. For kei cars in most areas of the country, this will likely be all the paperwork that you need.

(These additional steps are for reference only. Your prefecture, area, and situation may vary.)
If you are planning on purchasing a white plate regular car or live in a heavily populated city, you’re going to need to fork over more money and jump through a few more hoops to prove that you actually have the space for a car. With the juminhyo and paperwork from the car dealer in hand, seek your parking property manager for a literal stamp on the paperwork, costing you a fee. Take this paperwork to your local automobile association (自家用自動車協会) to have the parking verified that it will fit the dimensions of the car. Pay another fee. Pick up all your papers at the police office the association will direct you to around one week later. Submit all these forms you probably can’t read or understand and deliver them to the car dealer, who will need to process the paperwork before you can take home your car. With private party sales, the parking will still need to be verified before the name title change can be processed.

Basically, if you’re buying a regular car, be ready to do work.

8. How can I get insurance?
As with the previous recommendations, always start by first inquiring with your supervisor, co-workers, or private company. There may be an insurance association or agent they use which will make things a lot easier and possibly cheaper. Other local foreigners may have existing connections, so ask around.

If you want to seek out your own services, there are a growing number of bilingual insurance companies that serve the ex-pat and foreigner community. I know a few who have done so through online companies and are satisfied with their service, though I pay slightly more to have an agent who I directly work with to have the convenience of someone I can reach.

9. Can I buy a car on credit?
The shortest answer to this is a resounding “no.” Unfortunately, as a foreigner, we are much more heavily scrutinized and we can be viewed in this country as being “temporary.” This means they are unlikely to lend us any significant amounts of money. Obtaining a credit card can also prove difficult for these same reasons.

You will, in nearly all cases, need to have the money in-hand before you can drive off your car. There are some exceptions. The one I am most familiar with is when you buy a car from a dealership, many will allow you to put an initial down payment to start the paperwork, which can take 1-2 weeks. You can often just pay the remainder upon pickup.

Of course, none of that applies to private party sales and transfers.

A rental car that is also available for a long-term lease, though not cheaply.

10. What about leasing or rental options?
If your private organization offers rental options, it might be a good to consider it as the pricing to my knowledge is very reasonable. However, generally speaking, it is always better to buy than to rent or lease a car as the long term cost will often exceed the purchase price over a year. If you plan on staying for a few years, definitely consider buying. The quote I have through a local rental company is around $250 USD per month. Sure, you’ll probably get something nice and much newer, but if that is representative of prices with other companies, you can easily buy a great condition kei car for much less over the year. Especially considering that you can resell a car to recoup some of your purchase price (particularly if there is shaken left).

The two exceptions to this recommendation are if you are going to be short on cash for the first few months or are planning on leaving after the first contract year. In these cases, it might be smarter to just rent and not deal with the hassle of purchasing and reselling the car later.

Hopefully, this little guide will lead you to actual car ownership. In the next [ Newbie Guide ] post next week, I will discuss basic maintenance, driving in Japan, and what to do after an accident. (Yes, I’ve had that experience, too...)

Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message on Facebook or Instagram if you have any specific questions!

Update: The next in my Newbie Guide series is Driving in Winter, now posted up!

[ Newbie Guide ] to Car Buying in Japan, Part 1

This first post will be an overview of the basics you need to know before buying a car, so I am writing in very general terms for the purposes of this guide. I wrote this guide on the basis that you have little to no Japanese language ability and are probably pretty new to Japan, otherwise, you could probably do just fine without me. I am also under the assumption you are an ALT, JET or private company hire, although much of this information is applicable for any foreigner in Japan. If you also don’t have very specific car desires and you just want reasonable, reliable transportation, definitely read on. (If you’re a car guy, message me and we can talk shop.)

Since I have a few years and over a half dozen car purchase transactions under my belt, hopefully I can use my personal experience to help a few folks every year buy their first (or second…) car in Japan! Of course, my advice is a mix from my own and others' experiences, so take it with a grain of delicious sea salt, as your situation may vary.

Contents

1. Do I need a car?

2. How much is a car? Insurance?

3. What is the shaken vehicle inspection?

4. What are the long-term associated costs?

1. Do I need a car?
The easiest answer would be to ask your predecessor or your company for more information. It generally depends on your employment needs and your personal needs. Assuming that it is not absolutely crucial to buy a car, as in you have other reasonable means to and from your place of work, then buying a car will be up to personal preferences.

The benefits of having a car, as you might imagine, is freedom and convenience. Having a car allows you to travel freely without relying on public transportation (and occasionally the kindness of others when you go furniture shopping). Public transit, especially in more rural areas, is limited to certain schedules. While most places are accessible by the massive train and bus network, a car can take you to places when and where it would otherwise be inconvenient to go… and there are countless places in Japan to explore, assuming that is your thing. Even if you don’t care to wonder out of your local municipality, having a car makes grocery shopping, going to places of entertainment, and commuting to work more convenient, especially when the weather gets sour. It rains quite often throughout the year in Japan and many regions receive snowfall in the winter.

My recommendation to most newcomers to Japan who are unsure of their situation is to wait-and-see. Unless you get an offer on a car from your predecessor you can't possibly refuse, you can probably hold out and get a feel of your own situation before deciding. (But be aware of potential hand-me-down issues and shaken! See below and an upcoming post next week.)

The main problem with car ownership is the monetary costs of owning a car.

A kei car is on the left, the right a regular compact car. Note the size differences.

2. How much is a car? How much is insurance?
The price of a car can start from literally 30,000￥ ($270 USD) and up. You can likely find many reasonable-condition smaller yellow plate kei cars for around 100,000￥. White plate regular futsuu cars, as typically found in foreign countries, are usually a bit more, some around 180,000￥.

While this might sound extremely reasonable, there is a major, hidden cost to car ownership in Japan and that comes through shaken, the mandatory maintenance and inspection that is required every two years. When you buy a second-hand car, the amount of shaken left on the car can greatly affect the price, as shaken costs, at the bare minimum, 50,000￥ for kei cars and 70,000￥ for regular cars when those two years expire. (See #3 below.)

Insurance costs, as with other countries, vary with age, location, and the type of car you choose. Expect to pay around 8000￥ a month for fairly comprehensive insurance if you are in your early 20s for a kei car, possibly around 10,000￥ for a regular car. The longer you stay in Japan without incident, the lower it drops annually.

The first part of a shaken vehicle inspection being performed.

3. What is the shaken vehicle inspection?
Shaken (しゃけん / 車検) is a government-mandated program that requires the car owner(s) to have a check performed every two years (for most cars). This check is to ascertain the operating condition of the car and ensure that there are no major issues that could pose a potential risk or hazard. Any cracked headlamps, major rust, major leaks, etc. are quickly rejected. As a result of this rather strict inspection, maintenance and some pre-maintenance work is performed by a mechanic. This is the reason cars on the road in Japan are in fairly excellent condition and why you rarely see polluting, rotting clunkers driving around.

However, all this comes at a cost. Shaken needs to be renewed at participating dealers and mechanics, starting at around 50,000￥ for a kei car and 70,000￥ for a regular car. This fee does not include the actual maintenance that needs to be performed. Expect well-running, fairly new kei cars that need minimal maintenance to cost around 70,000￥ - 80,000￥, but if the mechanic or the mileage on the odometer deem it necessary, expensive things such as timing belt changes, brake changes, etc. may exponentially increase that cost.

It is possible to find used cars with a sizable portion of the two year shaken left before you have to renew, so definitely keep that in mind if you start your search for a car.

4. What are the other long-term associated costs?

Maintenance
Beyond the mandatory maintenance performed every two years, there are the usual other maintenance costs associated with operating any motor vehicle. Oil changes are around 3000-5000￥, filters are typically replaced every other oil change at around 2000￥. I typically recommend oil changes at 3000-4000km for kei cars, 5000-7000km for regular cars, depending on the car and condition. Batteries, fluids, air conditioner gas, wipers, bulbs, etc. are fairly in line with most modern countries in terms of costs.

Gas
As of mid-2018, gas is around 145￥/liter for regular, 160￥/liter for premium gas. Most cars use regular gas. Kei cars are rather fuel efficient, netting around 17km/L (40 MPG) on the highway. Regular cars may fetch 14km/L (33 MPG) or less, depending on the car. Of course, traffic and frequent, slow, short city trips will drop that dramatically.

A typical toll road I/C entrance and exit.

Tolls
Virtually every “highway” in Japan has a toll cost. Unfortunately, they are often the fastest way around the country, particularly if you plan on travelling significant distances. For example, the relatively short distance between Kyoto and Osaka has several toll points, adding up the cost quickly to over 3000￥, though long distances can be fairly reasonable, for example the toll between Nagoya and Tokyo is around 10,000￥.

You can use the following toll calculator to get an idea of the cost of tolls: Nexco Toll Road Search (in Japanese)

Monthly Parking
This hugely depends on your housing. My apartment situation includes a designated parking space in front. Some places require an additional monthly fee for limited apartment parking and some places have no parking on-site. In those cases, rental parking lots can usually be found nearby. In congested cities, expect upwards of 10,000￥ per month or more for the privilege of a parking space. Land is at a premium in Japan, after all.

A set of winter studless tires on steel wheels.

Winter Wheels
Winter tires (ふゆタイヤ / 冬タイヤ), sometimes called studless tires (スタッドレスタイヤ) , are not necessary for all prefectures. However, in most areas, you will need to change to them from the usual all-season tires when the temperature drops below 10°C or at a certain time of the year, whichever comes first. This is to ensure safety, as typical all-season tires do not function as well as winter tires when the temperature drops and vice versa.

Expect 2000-4000￥ to remove summer wheels and mount winter wheels and 30,000￥ for a new set of kei car winter tires and wheels, more for regular cars. Used sets are cheaper and some used cars may even come with them. Financially, it makes the most sense to have actual wheels with the winter tires attached on them, as swapping just tires on one set of wheels on the car costs more in the long term.

Tax
Taxes are mailed out around April every year and vary by region, type of car, and age of car. The denser the city, the bigger the car, and the older the car, the higher it may cost. Unfortunately, I don’t have personal information regarding taxes in other areas, but in my prefecture of Fukui, it is 13,000￥ for my old kei car and around 40,000￥ for my regular car. (Please drop me a line if this is not in line with your bill in Japan and I’ll update this information.)

Still with me and still interested in taking that literal drive into car ownership? Great! Next time I’ll detail how to find and buy your new-to-you car! Update: Part 2 is up!

Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message on Facebook or Instagram if you have any specific questions!