Short term (less than a year) Car owner ship in Japan questions...

[Onizuka]

This may sound ridiculous or stupid, but I'm going to be in Japan for 11 months starting in September and want to buy a car so I can go to some track days at famous race courses like Tsukuba Circuit. I'm getting my International driver's permit from AAA next month and I've found plenty of "cheap" lightly tuned R32 GTR's at dealers I could swing (for example: http://cartown.jp/shop/stock_d...29506), but I don't know much about the extra costs about owning a car in Japan (specifically Chiba prefecture). I hear alot about shakken: how its really expensive and is needed every 2 years. Do cars at used car lots typically come with shakken? I also understand that a minimal mandatory insurance is purchased with the car, but since I would be selling the car back at the end of my stay, I'd probably want to cover myself in excess of that. Now about financing, I'd imagine I'll have trouble getting a small auto lone, any tips? I could pay cash for the whole thing, but I'd rather not.

Again, I know this sounds like a crazy plan, but I'm a crazy dude and this is probably going to be my only chance to own a skyline GTR and experience the car scene in Japan. So if you have any tips, or knows of problems I will run into, or just to tell me I'm stupid, please do write

[Gold Digger]

Well, for one, not trying to rain on your parade, but be prepared for a huge hassle.

With a AAA permit, you will not be allowed to buy a car. You have to have an actual Japanese drivers license, or an internation drivers license...NOT A PERMIT.

Also, you will have to have a parking space pre-approved before you can buy a car.

Unless you speak Japanese, you won't get a loan at any Japanese bank. And I am not sure about paying cash for a car. So, your best bet is to have someone that you can trust, and can trust you, to get you a loan and you make the payments for it.

Some cars have sha-ken still on them, but usually not much. You might find a car that is dirt cheap, but it has no sha-ken left, so before you get the car, it will get the inspection done.

Also, plates can be expensive.

It will take a minimum of 2 weeks before you can even take the car home, that's just the way it is. My wife waited a month before her brand new car could be driven off the dealer lot. I waited 3 weeks for my Laurel.

Also, do you have a place to live lined up? Work? It's not as easy as everyone seems to think it is.

What part of Japan will you be living in?

[Onizuka]

Trust me, I want the harsh reality, and thank you for giving it.

I've been learning Japanese for the last 2 years at the college level, so I'm getting pretty proficient. I do have a place to live lined up but weather I'll be able to keep a car there is another question. I've found a few cars with a lot of shakken time left on them and I hope to avoid the plate issue by buying the car in-prefecture (unless I'm mis-informed about keeping old plates in this situation).

It looks like my two biggest problems are going to be only having a permit and as of yet no parking space. I'm also acutely aware of the dangers of buying a used car, and a 15-18 year old GTR costing only about $7500 or less (which is about the most I can afford with other ownership costs like gas, etc...) does scare me a little bit. I might be better off going with a much newer 180sx or something (if i do end up doing this at all).

Can I even apply for a drivers license as a non-permanent resident? Even if i can, I hear its a little more involved than the US process, true?

I'm going to be in Chiba prefecture, in the tokyo metro area, which I know compounds the stupidity of me trying to buy a car there :
Modified by Onizuka at 3:54 AM 6/22/2007

[Gold Digger]

Hey, if you can, log into AIM. I am on.

[Onizuka]

I missed you, my user name is YakisobaSensei next time you're on.

[S13Teddy]

Lemme know how that works out because I plan on going to Japan for a little while to live and also want to buy a Silvia to go drifting at Mobara.

I wanna know if this can work.

[Onizuka]

I talked to Neal about it online and it seems that its not really possible unless you have a drivers license and proof of a parking spot. I only have a international drivers permit and a alien registration card, so it would probably be very hard for me to get a car unless I found someone I trust a whole lot willing to put it all under their name. But if that could be done, you can drive it as much as you want on the driving permit up to one year.

[S13Teddy]

So how do Mike and Ranzo do it? Is that because they're in the military or what? How does Grant do it?

[Gold Digger]

Grant is military. If you are military, you can get a DOT license to drive. If you are civilian, you have to do everything I have mentioned before.

Just so you all know, living over here isn't all peaches and cream like everyone thinks it is. You just can't decide to just pack up and move over here. It doesn't work like that. You can enter the country for 90 days on a tourist visa, and that's it. There are ways around this, but it's illegal, and can get you deported and you aren't allowed back for a minimum of 5 years.

Your only options are; Military, Work Sponsorship (Have to have at least a BA for that) Transfer to study over here at an accreditited university. Marry a Japanese woman.

[S13Teddy]

Shenanigans.... that ruins my plans...

[driftgodleo]

Now I don't know if this is related to a work sponsorship, but couldn't you also work at a civillian job on the base? Like at the Auto Repair shop or the Four Seasons? lolI know a lady who is in her 20's, her dad was military, and she currently works at that Travel Agency on Yokota. Well she is half japanese and is married to a Japaense guy with a Chaser, so that helps a lot.

[WhiteIvory]

so what happened finally?

I'm headed there myself in a few months... Chiba prefecture as well...

[Gold Digger]

Well, the OP spent a year over here as a student on a certian program whick I can name cause I don't remember.

Didn't have a car, but we hung out quite a bit.

Hit me up here or at my e-mail, [email protected] , when you get over here.

What part of Chiba will you be at?