Military in Japan
 

This thread is mostly directed towards anyone stationed on the mainland.

In about a year, I'll be going to Misawa AB. Very far north in the, what I assume, is the coldest area of the country for those of you who aren't familiar with this base or military installations of Japan. I'm trying to calculate the amount of money it would cost to buy a car, insure it, pay taxes and any other expenses needed to own/drive a car. I've read some sites saying it's cheaper to own a car if you live in the countryside compared to the city. Is this true? Will I have to show certificate of ownership of a parking space if the car will be parked on base? What type of cars have what type of license plates? Is the convenience/fun of having a car even worth the cost?

If you could, please write prices in US dollars (if that's not too much to ask). I understand everything will be paid for in Yen, however.

Thanks in advanced for checking the thread and replying ;)

Youp it gets really fucking cold up here, and ALOT OF SNOW so a 4wd vehicle is recommended.

Price for a car depends on what kinda car you want and how nice of one you want.

average price for say a Subaru Legacy B4 4WD EJ20 TT from a dealership is around 5K-6.5K (comes with 2 year JCI and maybe snow tires) insurance depends on rank and marital status, probably $190 for 3 months.

You will WANT a car around here go get around and visit the cities. Def wroth it

All vehicle registration, road tax and Parking stuff will be taken care of when you buy the car.

If you're married or an E3 or below you WILL be living on base no exceptions. If your a single E4 over 3 years you MIGHT be able to live off base.

I was definitely hoping to get a Subie since it's AWD and I know it snows a lot. I am an E3 1 year TiS right now so I'll put on E4 sometime early 2014. If living on base will save me money, then I'm doing that. Is it better to buy from private seller or dealer?

Opps meant single E4 with 3 years you might be able to live off base.

Living off base is way better though. but more than likely you will be in the dorms.

Only pro of living on base is they plow the roads fast and keep them clear during the winter.

lived off base in misawa for a few years.
you dont NEED 4wd, just be smart with your driving and youll be fine

^yes, off base is WAAAY better, move off if you can.

and remember you wont be the first one to buy a car and live off base. Pass & ID and the housing office can answer all your questions. $5K should be plenty to get you something decent when its all said and done.

Rob at EAW can get you anything you want, including stuff off YAJ.

local misawa car forum:
GaijinDrift

most of us have moved away but theres decades of misawa related car knowledge there, just ask

Is it tough making the switch to RHD?

probably take about a month before you get the hang of turning into the correct lane and not driving to close to the inside lane

Yeah I've heard some stories about american's driving into oncoming traffic haha. That would scare the shit out of me.
If, for instance, I wanted to buy a new(er) and take it back to the states after a few years is that possible? What kind modifications do you need to make?

Regarding the fees, etc... I don't know if there are any special exemptions for military, as I am not in the armed forces...However, this is what you're looking at...

If you have a white (license) plate car (anything from 660cc's and up)
You'll have to pay taxes on your car every year. the bill will come in May and you'll probably have to pay it by June. You're are taxed on your engine size; if you have an economic car or not; and if your car is old there is an increase in taxes after (15 maybe?) years. So, I pay 42,000 yen ($523) a year in taxes alone, just because I own a car.

Then you have shaken which is your compulsory car inspection that your car must have every 2 years. The shaken certificate they issue serves as your registration, ownership, etc. If you do the shaken process yourself, like I do, it can save you a lot of money. I paid 53,000 yen ($662) for my girlfriend's Nissan Bluebird. If you have a company or dealer do this for you, then I've seen prices start at around 90,000 yen ($1,124) and up. I've never heard of shaken costing more than 200,000 yen ($2,494,) cause at that point, people just buy a new car. The expensive costs associated with shaken come from dealerships charging you for a bunch of servicing on your car which you may or may not need. However, this is why many people's cars are in very good condition...cause they blow a ton of money in their cars for maintenance.

As for insurance, I use the JA (Japan Agriculture) or also said "nougyou" and pay 4,600 yen ($57) a month for liability insurance. You technically don't need this, because basic insurance is included in your shaken costs, but if you hit or kill someone, they usually don't pay shit. So you'll definitely want this secondary insurance!!! I was paying full coverage for my Toyota Altezza I had a few years back, and it was 20,000 ($249) a month!!! Way too much...

I'm not sure of all the fees/costs for a yellow (license) plate car (under 660cc's,) but the yearly tax on them is only 8,400 yen ($104) a year! Cheap as chips! shaken costs on them are significantly lowered as well.

So, in summary, costs:
1. A car/acquisition tax ...(your budget is the limit)
2. Pay yearly tax on your car (8,400 yen and up)
3. shaken car inspection (40,000 and up)

man i miss japan, fully build 98 FDs going for 7 grand everywhere on and off base. have fun out there man!

Buy a Delica for the snow. Bad ass vans. I was in Okinawa and the first time I saw onw I was pretty suprised seeing a van on 32 inch tires and a lift. It never snowed in Oki obviously, but bad ass vans none the less.

What the F*** would I want a van for? That's just stupid. FD's I've been told are pretty costly because insurance is so high. I'm not looking for anything too crazy. I'm looking at like a 10k limit(unless I get rich somehow), which I assume will get me something pretty nice. But what I've concluded from all this is, just like in America, your cost to own a car depends on what car is it. Sports car, "expensive." Tin can, "cheap." Am I right?

you gonna crash some osprees into the mountains?

I'm not a cv-22 pilot, so no hahaha. I'm comm and I hate it

Cause they are bad ass. B4's are pretty lame. They arent bad cars, but every american in Japan has one. Its kinda lame. But to each his own. Since your looking for something nice look into the Toyota Chaser Tourer V. One of my personal favorites from Japan and not too many americans drive them.

I see the Tourer V here on base at Osan every now and then. I guess what I'll have to do is just see what's around base and pick from there. Can't plan on buying a car and then turns out there's no one selling that kind. Either way, I'd like to get something that is turbocharged. I'll just see what I have to choose from.

One word of advice, if you can, buy the car yourself from a site like this one: Japanese used cars. | tradecarview.com Then JCI (shakken) it yourself and you'll save about 2K+. I've bought several cars through here and haven't had a problem. If not, at least you can see what kind of cars are out here in Japan. GL!

Thanks. I've been looking at the exchange.goo-net website a lot. Just seems like anything for sale is near the south side of the island.

there are a good bit of used car lots around the base. just depends on what you want

Eh, still cheaper than in the states. The only catch with an FD is stupid ass gas mileage (14 mpg city) and for your age, insurance is kinda pricey. Not pricey like $300 a month you'd pay for being under 25 in the states but pricier than what you'd pay for an S-chassis. I think my troop was paying $160 a month. Doesnt sound much but I was paying $650 a year for an S14 and an R33.

Anyways, what AFSC are you and which sq are you going to? You're either going to base comm or to the secret squirrel shit out there if they're telling you to get a TS right now.

I'm doing the secret squirrel stuff. Not sure what I can and can't talk about but I know for sure where I'm going. I'm a 3D1x2. Cyber transport. And I hate it. I already have a TS but I gotta get my SCI to go there.

As long as it's not like paying for insurance in the states then I think I'll be okay. Not gonna get anything too crazy just so I have money to do stuff lol

Thats the same sq I was in

Im a 3d1x3, RF Trans.

id love to get stationed there. i bet its beautiful. totally jelly.

Yah, I knew a couple people out there working 3D1X3. One of my co-worker's in Kadena is up there working secret squirrel. And a buddy of mine (Luvs2Slide) is up there too, working at the PMEL shop.

What's needed for registration? I'm currently stationed in Korea, but would like to bring a vehicle over here.

I'm interested in purchasing and registering a vehicle in Japan then bringing it over to Korea via Ferry and registering it like I brought a vehicle from a previous duty station in order to avoid paying the 50% import tax that Korea has on Japanese vehicles.

What do you guys know about this?

miss that place

but to answer your question (kind of)...99% of the people you ask are gonna tell you its not worth it. Why? because they've already tried and realized its a huge pain in the ass. And in the long run, you are not really saving any money unless you have some importer hook up smowhere.

Its not impossible but trust us when 9 out of 10 people say its not worth it

Gotcha, thanks Russ. I was just trying to take advantage of being able to drive the vehicle for a year then chopping it up and sending the half cut home in a container.

It's pretty silly to think you can bring it home to the US easily.

I wish I knew how anyone gets RHD cars back to the states. Everyone I have ever asked is an asshole and tells me to figure it out myself.

Fries, there's a guy in Osan that bought a white 180sx from Japan and had it shipped to Korea. Not that it can't be done, but takes some leg work. But granted its a remote, you may or may not have a DL.