Shiotsu Autotrade - President’s Blog

We receive many enquiries from our customers from various countries if we can ship used trucks in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) or SKD (Semi Knocked Down) form from Japan. 

Yes, we are happy to announce that we can undertake any jobs of delivering vehicles whether they are mini-trucks or 10-ton heavy trucks.  In our workshop, our skilled mechanics can dissemble trucks and other vehicles, and we can pack the parts in a way desired by the customer.  So what are the advantages of sending used Japanese trucks and other vehicles in CKD or SKD form?

One clear benefit is tremendous savings in the freight.  We can even fit a 10-ton truck in a 40 ft container by dissembling some of its parts.  Many of our customers in African countries and the Caribbeans can benefit from this service. 

In many countries such as Philippines and Russia, customs tariffs are very high for fully assembled vehicles, whereas the customs duties for parts are relatively low.  Many countries do not allow import of fully assembled trucks and cars, so the only option is to import the vehicle dissembled in parts and shipped in different containers.  We also offer such service to our customers in these countries.   We can also deliver the vehicles in “half cut” (also known as a “front clip”) form, where the used vehicle is cut in half, through the cab, just rear of the dash board. This is the best option where whole vehicles cannot be legally imported unless they meet EPA and DOT specifications. 

We can assure you that it would be much easier to assemble the used trucks and other vehicles shipped by us in CKD or SKD form. in the pictures below, you can see an example of how we dismantle the trucks in our workshop to fit it in a 40 ft container.

Technorati Tags: CKD, SKD, Japan, mini-trucks, heavy trucks, used Japanese trucks

We had a long holiday in Japan this week because of the Obon festival. Most Japanese people go to their ancestral places to pay respects to their ancestors during this period. All the used car and truck auctions in Japan were closed this week. I took this opportunity to visit Thailand and India on a business cum pleasure trip.

India is a colorful country and trucks are no exception.  During my visit to Mumbai, I could see many typical Indian truck designs - often decorated in a colorful way.  The body of the trucks is often built in private workshops, and it is constructed specifically to be decorated.  The workshops employ skilled craftsmen who specialise in truck design and decoration. I personally feel that the decoration is a way to show respect for the vehicle.  In Japan too, we have decorated trucks commonly known as ‘dekotora‘. I will introduce ‘dekotora’ in my next post.

I could also see many old designs of  trucks in India - still in running condition.  It may not be possible for us to see such trucks in Japan, except in a museum.   I have nothing but the greatest admiration for the people around the world who can keep old cars and trucks running forever.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Japanese, used car, truck, auction, India, decoration, dekotora

We now live in a generation where even entry-level cars and subcompacts are surprisingly well made. It was possible because of a revolution started mainly by Japanese Car makers like Toyota and Honda.  Many of the mainstream French, British,  and Italian car makers are no more favored by car owners because they neglected issues of quality, engineering and design.  Today’s cars have become more complex, and the owners prefer them to be cost-competitive. Mediocre cars are going out of business. 

In a recent survey conducted by iMotormag, nearly 25%  Brits picked the Allegro as the worst car, even though production of it ended 25 years ago. The Austin Allegro has been described by most Brits as the world’s ‘worst car ever’.  Made by British Automaker Leyland between 1973 and 1983, the car was plagued with so many design problems, it was dubbed the “All-aggro”.

According to a survey, the world’s ten worst cars are as follows:

1. Austin Allegro

2. Morris Ital

3. Talbot Sunbeam

4. Austin Princess

5. Hillman Imp

6. Rover 200

7. Triumph Acclaim

8. Rover 800

9. Morris 1800

10. Triumph TR7

You can note that not a single Japanese car features in the world’s ten worst cars!

Technorati Tags: Japanese, Car, Toyota, Honda, Allegro, worst car

As per recent news article by BBC, Cars made by Japanese Car manufacturers are the most reliable, according to a survey by Which? Car magazine in UK.  Japanese car manufacturers have once again strengthened their already formidable reputation for first class engineering by leading a reliability testing done by one of the UK’s most detailed motoring surveys.

Cars manufactured by Japanese Auto makers comfortably outperformed British models when it came to dependability and reliability, as per the survey carried out by Which? Car magazine.  Japanese Car makers took the top seven places for reliability in a table compiled after a study of 89,768 cars of 38 brands.  Honda was the winning car manufacturer from Japan, followed by Toyota, Daihatsu, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki.

Statistical analysis based on readers’ reports of total breakdowns, faults that required a vehicle to be taken to a garage and minor niggles - was used to calculate a Brand Reliability Index used in scoring. 

Eight of the top ten most reliable brands were from Japan. The seven manufacturers in the “very good” category were all Japanese.  Only Hyundai and Porsche from Germany were the only non-Japanese car makers which made it into the “good” category.

Technorati Tags: Japanese Car, Japanese, car, Auto, British, Honda, Japan, Toyota

If your first priority is getting a good price on your Japanese used car or used truck, buying it from the Japanese auto auctions is the right choice for you. Some of the starting bids are as low as 10,000 Yen!  Japanese used car auctions is the right place for finding high quality Japanese used vehicles for low prices.  At these auctions, you would often find high quality used cars such as Toyota Corolla, Landcruiser, Nissan Skyline or Honda accord in mint condition at very low prices.

We receive many queries from our customers if they could buy used cars and trucks directly from the Japanese used car auctions.  I would try to clarify the facts related to buying cars from these auctions, in this post.

Japanese used car auctions are not like Ebay auctions where anybody can become a member and bid for the vehicles displayed on auction.  Japanese used car auctions, which are managed by the major auction houses in Japan are not available to the general public.  These Used Car Auctions in Japan allow only dealers who have used car dealer licenses authorized by the Government of Japan.  Further, only auto dealers who pass the stringent quality check performed by an auction house to become a member of that auction.  A company’s business history, property and bank statements are checked and the company is required to provide sureties and security funds.

We, as an authorized member of these auction houses, can act as your agent to bid on cars on your behalf, examine the vehicles for you and execute a fair and transparent trade at the car auction market.  When you buy used Japanese cars from online auction houses, you would neither have the privilege to test drive the used car before you buy  it, now you would get a chance to inspect the car closely. Hence, to know more about the condition or grade of the car, you would have to depend solely upon the ‘Auction-Sheet’, which is nothing, but a car evaluation sheet prepared by the auction house. Although all auction houses have different criteria for measuring the condition of the Japanese used cars, some parameters are the same. For instance, they allocate grades 2 to 5 or 6 to S for the condition of car exteriors, and grades A to C for the state of car interiors. Details about mileage and accident records if any are also noted in the auction sheet.

Before bidding for any used vehicle on the auctions, you have to make sure that you make your requirements clear to us, and communicate with us frequently and regularly. Once we receive your requirements, we will send you pictures and other relevant information about the car or truck you are interested in.  You can also search through the auctions and we can supply you with the password for that.  You can also request for an inspection to be done at the auction premises at an additional cost.  Once you are ready for bidding, you just have to get in touch with us and let us place your bids at the used car auctions. When you win, we will then fax the necessary documents for registering and importing the car or truck. We can also arrange for the shipment of the vehicle to your country.

The majority of used car buyers do not even consider purchasing from a Japanese car auction, because they believe that the process is very difficult. However if you understand the correct process, you will find it is not that hard at all.  We, however suggest that you check the rules and regulations of your country for importing the cars before you start bidding at these auctions.

For more details, please check our Japanese Used Car Auctions page

Technorati Tags: Japanese, used car, used truck, auto auction, Ebay, Japan, Japanese car auction

Sega Toys, a Japanese firm has created a 15 inch tall  girlfriend robot that will go on sale in September for around $170 (18,000 yen), and will target a market of lonely adult men in Japan.  

The robot girlfriend may not be tall and blonde, but she doesn’t complain about dirty socks ! She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries. She can sing, dance and - should the occasion require it - hand out business cards. She could prove to be a good companion for lonely-hearted men everywhere; she can even kiss on command. The friendly robot is named “Ema”  standing for Eternal Maiden Actualization.

Sega Toys says they want to break the stereotyoe image of robots where the robots are associated with strong, tough and battle-ready, and want to provide a robot which is friendly and interactive.

There will be a big demand for this friendly robot when it will be released.  If any of you would like to own this robot, I can arrange to get one for you.

Technorati Tags: Japanese, girlfriend, robot, Japan

Kinokawa is a small town in Wakayama prefecture of western Japan. There is nothing special about this town, but a cat named Tama has made the town very famous in Japan.  

Tama, a 9 year old calico cat is appointed as stationmaster of Kishi Station in Kinokawa. She has been officially working for last two years. Two other cats were named deputy stationmasters at the same Kishi Station. Stationmaster Tama, wearing a formal railway uniform cap, and two other cats often welcome passengers at the unmanned Kishi Station. The railway company feeds her in lieu of salary.

In Japan, you will often see small sculptures of lucky cat called Maneki Neko. These cats are supposed to bring luck.  Tama is also bringing luck to Kinokawa town. The station went unmanned in April 2006 as the railway line was losing money. But since Tama was appointed as the stationmaster, number of passengers using the line increased dramatically. The Wakayama railway company  expressed its appreciation of the cat’s role in boosting business by promoting her to super stationmaster and also by giving her a spacious stationmaster’s office equipped with a ventilation fan and a toilet.

The operator of the grocery shop at the station has been keeping the three cats. Tama became a national star when she appeared in books and documentaries.  She is also set to appear in a French documentary film about wonder cats around the world.

Technorati Tags: Kinokawa, Japan, Tama, cat, Station, stationmasters, Maneki Neko

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan, recently said in a statement that Nissan is aiming to launch an electric car in the Japanese and US market by 2010. Nissan aims to offer their electric cars globally by 2012, in their long term plan.

In this world of rising gas prices and pollution, Nissan Electric Cars would also be able to meet the stricter fuel-economy standards in developed nations through this initiative.

Nissan has plans to develop subcompact electric cars powered by self-developed lithium-ion batteries. With this Nissan has now become the first Japanese automaker to announce their plans to develop and sell mass market, all-electric vehicles globally.  This would put them in direct competition with domestic rivals Honda and Toyota both of which are already selling hybrid cars in Japan and USA.

Technorati Tags: Nissan, electric car, Japanese, cars, pollution, Honda, Toyota, hybrid, Japan