1. Parking (Shako)
It is essential that one has a parking space. Those who do not have a space at home must rent one. This parking space must be located within a 2kilometre radius of your residence.
2. Inspection (Shaken)
Automobiles or motorcycles over 255cc must be inspected at regular intervals. The inspection certificate must be carried in the vehicle at all times.
3. Insurance (Hoken)
Basically there are two types of insurance to cover traffic accidents.
a) Compulsory Insurance (Kyosei Hoken)
When purchasing a new vehicle, owners must enroll in the compulsory insurance plan; and, when inspecting the vehicle, the insurance must be renewed. Enrollment is handled through the vehicle dealer or maintenance shop.
b) Optional Insurance (Nini Hoken)
As compulsory insurance has only limited coverage and does not cover a wide variety of accidents, it is common for people to enroll in optional insurance plans. Please be sure to check what areas your policy covers you for when you apply.
4. Vehicle Registration (Sharyo Toroku)
Automobiles and motorcycles must be registered in the owner's name. Usually, the dealer takes care of vehicle registration where the vehicle was purchased. Any changes regarding registration matters of the vehicle must also be reported (such as change of ownership or scrapping).
For more information about driving in Japan please contact
The Japan Automobile Federation.
Tel: (813) 3761 2761
“How do I get a car?"
Like everything in Japan, getting a car is never as simple as picking one out, putting your money down, and driving your new honey home. Many people go past some used car dealers, see some good looking cars, (some for just a few hundred bucks) and wonder if they're really that cheap! Well, they are. But there's more to what you see. The real costs come afterward. Before you can call that car yours, you'll have to get a parking space for it, pay the taxes on it, get insurance, and then there's the mandatory periodic maintenance check. Still gung-ho? Or is that adrenaline rush of roaring down the street waning a bit? First ask yourself WHY you want a car, and if you really need it. Where you live in Japan is a big factor -- if you live in the mountains or some small town, or if you'll be constantly needing to transport a lot of stuff, it might not be a bad idea. Plus, you won't be a slave to train and schedules, which stop before midnight. And the fact that Japan has some of the most beautiful mountains in the world! On the other hand, if you live in a big city, the costs can be very discouraging -- in fact, they're meant to be. Traffic jams 30 miles long aren't unusual, gasoline prices are triple that of the US, cities are clogged with cars, and the freeways are anything but free. Let's look at what's involved in that car purchase...
The parking space
You must have a registered parking space and submit certification of such (shako shomeishou) to the police. The rental of the space varies -- from a couple thousand yen/month in the sticks to up to $1000/month in the glitzy areas of Tokyo. To get a parking space, some are found thru real estate agents, others are rented directly from the owners. If it's from the fudosan, except for the guarantor most of the other terms for apartment-hunting apply. If you change your parking space contract you must also notify the police.
Paying taxes
When you buy a car, you'll have 3 main taxes to pay. One is an Acquisition Tax, another is a weight tax, and the 3rd is an annual tax every May. The first 2 you pay when you buy the car. Basically, the bigger the engine, the more you pay. The Acquisition Tax is around 5% of the price of the car. The weight tax for cars with engine sizes up to 2 liters are about 56,700 yen. Over that is 75,600. Passenger cars with a 300 something or 33 in the upper right corner of the license plate (including nearly all US cars) are the highest. A 50-something on the license plate indicates a medium-size car, and the "Kei" cars with an engine of 660cc have a yellow plate and are lowest. The May annual tax for Kei cars is the lowest as well at about 5000 yen, but for larger cars the tax quickly escalates to 34,500-39,500 yen for medium cars to 45,000 yen for 2.5 liter cars and 56,000 yen for 3 liter cars. You also need to pay consumption tax when you buy gasoline, and many gasoline stations don't post their prices. Prices can vary and may be up to 15 yen/ltr. cheaper at some stations -- a big difference.
Vehicular Insurance
There are 2 insurance programs -- one is the mandatory insurance (kyosei hoken) which just covers the car, and the optional insurance (jibaiseki hoken) covers collateral injuries/damages you may get/cause. You can decide the extras -- theft, vandalism, disaster damage, lost wages, etc. Getting it would be a good idea -- if the guy driving that Mercedes you just broadsided decides to have a heart-attack, you'd be in trouble. The costs vary according to your age, if your family also drives it, how many citations you may have had, if the car has an airbag, etc. Since the customer is King in Japan, by all means find a company that has a 24 hour toll-free hotline in English you can call in case of trouble. If you can't find one, try the British Insurance Group at (813) 3214 6921 in Tokyo, and (816) 6252 7251 in Osaka. Ask about a good driver's discount, in which you might get a 10% discount. Make very sure though that you know all the details of the insurance forms you are signing, wherever you go.
Shaken -- The Mandatory Vehicle Inspection
Many people come to Japan and are very surprised that all the cars are clean, well-maintained, and always running well. The sensitive Japan "experts" will tell you that it's because Japanese take such pride in their work, have such dignity to drive cars that only look like new, etc. All of which are true. But the real reason is different -- and you'll pay dearly for it. Cars more than 3 years old have to have a mandatory maintenance check (shaken) every other year, broken or not. The costs again vary according to the size of the car and area, but you may be paying 120,000-160,000 yen or so for a smaller car, and more for a larger one or if there is anything the grease-monkeys can possibly fix. Also, when the car is very old, it has an official value of ZERO and you may actually have to PAY someone to take it off your hands! After that it'll be either scrapped or sold to dealers in Asia.
To buy a car, you can always check the local dealers,or buy it from another individual (a little more complicated -- either you or the other person will have to go to the Kensa Toroku Jimusho, or Inspection Registration Office to submit the Re-registration (meigi henkou) and Massho toroku (owners cancellation registration) papers). A change in registration fee also exists and may be around 25,000 yen. You can also find several magazines on people selling cars in your area.
"What's that red light in my mirror? UH-OH".
There are some differences in Japan on driving that you should know. The pedestrian always has the right of way, and you can NOT turn on a red light. Also, they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right (like in most parts of Asia and the UK) here. Also, in areas where the cops are few, people routinely speed 30km over the speed limit (50kph), and taxi drivers are notorious for their aggressive, some would say suicidal driving. If you get a car be SURE to go to a bookstore and get the most detailed street map of your area. City layout in Japan is a DISASTER -- they couldn't screw things up more here if they tried. Large streets will have names in English, but smaller streets will not. Wearing a seatbelt is mandatory. It's now also illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone, and a kid under 6, with a few exceptions, must be in a child seat.
So let's say the cops decide to pull you over. Maybe if you start babbling in English they'll let you off with a warning, but not always. A driver here is given 15 points per year. One citation is worth one point, including a parking ticket. Bigger infractions mean more points, and a DUI is 15 points, or instant license revocation. The infraction depends also on the size of the car/bike. Every year, if you're not over 15 points you'll be cleared, but your insurance may go up/down accordingly.
On driving a car/motorbike, some other important facts to remember are that you must stop at a railroad crossing before crossing it.
So if you decide a car isn't for you, there's always the trains, buses, subways, and the old bicycle. Public transportation here isn't cheap either, though, and if you ride a lot, the kaisuken or teikiken is a good idea. With the kaisuken, e.g. if you buy say 10 tickets at once, you'll get one free. The teikiken allows you to go back and forth all day for a period of time, e.g. one month. In many cases a full-time employer will pay transportation costs for you, in others it's negotiable. Another option when you first come to Japan is a JR Rail pass, which allows you to go anywhere in the country on JR trains, but you need to be a tourist and get it BEFORE you come to Japan.
Bicycles
Bicycles are registered in order to prevent theft and aid in retrieving them when they are lost or stolen. Please consult with a bicycle dealer or the police about registering. When purchasing a used bicycle, which you need to have transferred the registration into your name, or updating information about a bicycle's registration, (change of address etc.,) please contact the Takasaki Police Department.
