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Buy A Car Or Not!

Expired Beef!

Expired Beef!

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Since I am threw with mongering, I have been thinking of buying a car. Could someone who has a car give me the run down on the pros and cons?
 
If you are buying an older car, even if it is low milage, it can be surprisingly inexpensive. But, part of the reason for this is the inspection, shaken, cost. Older cars have to be inspected every 2 years and 200000 yen is not unreasonable for a larger car ( my last shaken cost was 140000 yen for a 2 liter nissan). Then there's parking cost as well. And gas at 150 yen per liter.
 
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Assuming that you are living here for over a year, do you already have a Japan driver license? If not, obtaining it can either be really easy (if your license is from countries like Canada, New Zealand, or Australia), or a time consuming, stress inducing nightmare (if it's from USA).
 
Cornelius said:
If you are buying an older car, even if it is low milage, it can be surprisingly inexpensive. But, part of the reason for this is the inspection, shaken, cost. Older cars have to be inspected every 2 years and 200000 yen is not unreasonable for a larger car ( my last shaken cost was 140000 yen for a 2 liter nissan). Then there's parking cost as well. And gas at 150 yen per liter.
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Never do your shaken through a dealer - they screw you every time. My last shaken cost my 60,000 yen for a 2 liter Toyota - get on your local Autobacs or Yellow Hat mailing list, when your shaken is coming due, they'll start sending you discount postcards.

If I'm getting screwed out of 80,000 yen, it better be in Yoshiwara.
 
Thanks for the info. I don't have a license. But I am planning to take it in the near future.
 
For me, depends if you are living in a big city like Tokyo, or further out. In Tokyo, definitely see a car as an unneeded luxury item. The traffic, looking for parking, and then the expense of having a car round is brutal. Car is more about making a lifestyle statement. Now living out in Kawasaki or Yokohama, having a car is definitely more useful.
 
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There are some very positive factors-

1. If you are commuting to work, proper Japanese companies will give you an allowance for tolls and fuel. You can actually end up MAKING money if you are driving a Prius or other hybrid, because many companies calculate your allowance based on a fuel guzzling non hybrid car.

2. If you are on vacation with a friend or two and sharing the costs of fuel and tolls, it is much cheaper to travel by car than by JR.

3. You would be surprised at the Japan that exists outside of train station range. There are some amazing roads and views you will never see unless you've got a car.

(you will also see some crazy shit- like people driving in reverse on the highway because they missed their exit, or ridiculously narrow roads that are not one way, etc, but that's a different story)
 
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Solong: the comment about the crazy stuff on the highways brought back memories of Youtube crashes.

Anyways, I am going to get a license then a car. I figure like you said, there is more to Japan.
 
I live in central Tokyo - within 30min to Tokyo station. I have a car and drive on the weekends mostly with they occasional dinner out by car on the weekday plus maybe for business when I have to go way out to some plant/factory in Saitama....

It's a lot of fun to not use a train to go somewhere. A lot of places I go have plenty of parking or the parking is free if you spend 2,000 yen or more at a shop. I've driven up and down the pacific side, hoping to get over to the. Japan Sea side soon.

Granted, traffic can be a pain sometimes but the reward of going to a new spot or just havig that freedom of a car, makes it worth it.

My biggest pet peeve is the Tomei expressway coming back to Tokyo. For whatever reason, drivers here fear the Yamato tunnel.... It's not even really a tunnel, yet, people slow down in that tunnel every single time and it creates a huge backup down the Tomei. Even with clear weather and no accidents, still gets backed up all the time....

Sorry - Just a short rant.
 
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Well rants are useful. I ride in a car every now and then. So what's it like to get pulled over? I've read that people get cited for violations that they did not commit.
 
I've driven in and around Tokyo for over 15 years. Never been pulled over once.

I did pass by a handful of sobriety checkpoints, though. It's weird- you are expected to roll down your window and breathe on the cop as he sniffs the air! No joke.
 
Does anyone have any advice on actually getting a japanese driver license, for those who don't have their home country licenses?
 
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If you don't have a license from back home, Japanese driving school is your only option. You are required to have class instruction, practical instruction, and pass several tests, both written and behind the wheel, to get your license.

It can be done in as short as a month (I believe). And that is if you are taking the maximum allowable class room + practical instruction every day. You have to budget around 270,000 yen to get it all done (if you are fluent in Japanese).

Fortunately, you can actually take both the classroom and driving classes in ENGLISH in Japan, which is amazingly convenient, but you have to pay about 390,000 yen for the English version of everything.

check out http://www.koyama.co.jp/english.htm

(I don't work for them, but I did take their outstanding English driving course, and successfully got my license on the first try)
 
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Angus Beef said:
Well rants are useful. I ride in a car every now and then. So what's it like to get pulled over? I've read that people get cited for violations that they did not commit.
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I've been pull 'aside' one time and argued my way out of it. Don't cross or even look like you might be crossing a yellow line, especially coming into an intersection.

At least where I live, they pick off red light runners very frequently.
 
Now on the subject of red lights, I see cars roll through them all the time. I started to think that to be legal until you said that.
 
Angus Beef said:
Now on the subject of red lights, I see cars roll through them all the time. I started to think that to be legal until you said that.
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Yeah - the police camp out at intersections either standing around a corner waiting to for someone to turn on red or on a white motorbike waiting for someone to run a light... I'd say that it's more prevelant on the weekends.
 
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TAG Manager said:
Yeah - the police camp out at intersections either standing around a corner waiting to for someone to turn on red or on a white motorbike waiting for someone to run a light... I'd say that it's more prevelant on the weekends.
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It seems more, just my opinion and experience, that the J cops camp out at particular favorite spots or are out only on particular ticket giving campaigns. It's often more a problem when you don't know an area or haven't been paying attention that it's ticket giving season.

Anyway, the Japanese form of policing bothers me a whole lot less than the American system.
 
Solong is right. I walk this path everyday and see two or three hidden behind this building. Anyways, I just more or less worry having to speak in Japanese if I get stopped. In the US, I never had a problem like others. But the thing is I saw a white man getting it took to him by 12 police on a traffic stop. Suddenly, he slapped a cop knocking his hat off. Then, let's just say that the man was saved by the crowd. I was already to film this on my camera. But nothing happened. I was shocked. Eventually after one cop pulled another to the side and chatted, the man was free to go. So I guess you are right, it is better.
 
k1234k said:
I've driven in and around Tokyo for over 15 years. Never been pulled over once.

I did pass by a handful of sobriety checkpoints, though. It's weird- you are expected to roll down your window and breathe on the cop as he sniffs the air! No joke.
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You may have mistaken a device in his hand for a walkie microphone - it's actually a broad spectrum breathalyser that they use to determine if they need to use the more accurate one.
 
Sudsy said:
You may have mistaken a device in his hand for a walkie microphone - it's actually a broad spectrum breathalyser that they use to determine if they need to use the more accurate one.
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Been there, done that. :giggle:

If you've not been drinking (and driving) you've got nothing to worry about.
 
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