Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

In my previous visit to Tokyo, I had the opportunity to visit Toyota Mega Web in Odaiba, – a Look, Ride, Feel Car Theme Park – where I could see all of the new car models that Toyota makes, and also some other attractions like E-com rides and history museum.  Last weekend,  I went to Yokohama near Tokyo, and this time I had the chance to visit the new Tressa Indoor Shopping mall opened by Toyota. You may have heard of car showrooms, auto malls, car museums and theme parks built around automobiles – but this concept of car showroom mall is completely new.  Toyota has opened this new shopping mall with the objective of selling and promoting its cars especially to young Japanese.

Young people in the United States want to have computers in their cars, but the Japanese young people want just computers instead of cars.  As per a recent study undertaken by The Nikkei, most Japanese people in their 20’s did not want a car, even if it were given to them free.  Many young Japanese even did not find the idea of riding a fancy sports car or going for a drive on a date very appealing.  Rising gas prices, parking fees of around to $400 per month for city dwellers, and frequent traffic jams in big cities – all discourage car ownership.   In addition, Japan’s public transportation system including subways and bullet trains are so economical and efficient that a large percentage of city dwellers hardly use a car.  As a result, new car sales in Japan have dropped to 5.3 million vehicles – the lowest in last 27 years.

Japanese car makers like Toyota are finding that selling cars through showrooms and regular TV commercials have virtually no effect on the young people.  So, Toyota has taken this move to open an auto mall in an area which is frequented mostly by young people – to capture the attention of Japanese young buyers, and boost car sales.  Toyota’s new car mall in Yokohama has about 220 specialty stores, arcade game center, gym, nail salon, and restaurants as you would see in any other mall.   However, one major difference is that one can find many Toyota vehicles and dealerships littering in the corridors and walkways.  The shopping carts in this mall are also designed to look like cars.  Toyota is also showing off its high-tech MOBIRO robots, which play musical instruments, apart from showcasing its latest new cars.

A car used to symbolize a dream for the Japanese.  At one time, Japanese people used to work hard to buy a car.  These days, however, nobody is thinking that buying a new car is cool anymore.  With this new venture of opening a car shopping mall, Toyota may be onto a good thing . Usually shopping malls are a haven for young people, and Toyota is hoping to influence young buyers by setting up malls in locations popular with young people.

Technorati Tags: Toyota, Japanese, Japanese car, Yokohama, car shopping mall

In these days when the gas prices are going up day by day, if you need a vehicle which is tough enough to accomplish your challenging transportation needs and minimize your fuel expenses at the same time, you should think of  Mini Trucks from Japan.  Mini Trucks also called Kei trucks – are compact trucks powered by a 550cc or 660 cc engine. Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, and Honda are the main mini-truck makers from Japan.

In Japan, you can find mini trucks plying on roads for transporting goods, in big cities like Tokyo, as well as in remote villages up in the mountains. These compact mini-trucks could be used for a great number of purposes such as farm vehicles, maintenance vehicles on school grounds, golf courses, ship yards, factory warehouses, camping grounds, flower nurseries, ranches and amusement parks.

There are numerous advantages of using these Japanese Kei trucks.

• Because of their compact size, they can travel to locations which can not be accessed by larger vehicles.
• They are fuel efficient, economical, and easy to maintain.
• They have a high degree of maneuverability, so can be effectively used to navigate narrow streets in crowded cities as well as in the countryside.

Typically a mini truck from Japan would have specifications as follows

• Weight: 0.75 ton (1600 lb)
• Dimensions: Width 1.4 m (4² 6³), Height 1.7 m (5² 8³) and Length 3.2 m (10² 6³)
• Payload capacity: 0.55 ton (1200 lb)
• Engine: 3 cylinder 660 cc (45HP) or 550 cc (40HP), Gasoline engine liquid cooled
• Drive: Four Wheel (4WD)
• Transmission: 4 or 5 speed
• Speed: Up to 80 Km/hr (50 MPH)
• Average: 17 km/liter (40 miles per gallon)

Mini Trucks from Japan have become very popular imports in the United States and Canada as a solution for off-road transportation needs. Import rules are relaxed for these vehicles because of their versatility. In these countries, these compact trucks are typically used on farms, ranches and hunting grounds.

The most popular Kei truck models from Japan are Subaru Sambar, Honda Acty, Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu Hijet and Mitsubishi Minicab. I f you are interested in importing these Japanese mini trucks, we can find suitable vehicles to match your requirements. If you have a large requirement, we can ship these trucks in containers  offering you the benefit of savings in cost and freight.

Technorati Tags: Mini Trucks, Kei trucks, Mini Trucks from Japan

We ship top quality used Japanese cars and trucks at reasonable prices to our customers in Tanzania, on a regular basis.  We, therefore,  have many loyal customers from Tanzania. And, we regularly receive many inquiries and queries from our prospective buyers in Tanzania for importing used vehicles from Japan.  This post addresses answers to some of these queries.

How old car can I import to Tanzania?
For importing used cars into Tanzania, age of the car does not matter.

What is JAAI Inspection?
The Tanzanian government requires all used vehicles to undergo inspection for road worthiness before the vehicles are shipped to Tanzania. JAAI Inspection certificate must accompany the vehicle. Please note, without JAAI certificate, you will have to pay 30% of the CIF value of the vehicle as penalty.

For all used vehicles exported from Japan, this inspection is conducted by JAAI (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute). JAAI is a no-profit organization formed under the countenance of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of International Industry & Trade in Japan.

What is Cotecna Inspection?
If the Freight-on-Board price (FOB price) of the imported vehicle is US$5000 or more, the vehicle also has to undergo an inspection prior to shipment, carried out by Cotecna Inspections,  Japan – a company appointed by the Tanzanian Government.

Does Shiotsu Autotrade arrange JAAI and Cotecna Inspections?
Yes, we will arrange the JAAI Inspection for all Tanzania bound vehicles before they are shipped. It takes up to two weeks depending the availability of quality control inspectors at JAAi.  Once we receive the JAAI inspection certificate, we will arrange for the shipment of your vehicle. We can also arrange for Cotecna inspection if necessary.

How much are the JAAI inspection fees?
We will quote the price of your vehicle which will include the JAAI inspection and our handling fees. The cost is around 30,000 JPY (US$300).

How much import duty I have to pay in Tanzania?
IDF (Import Declaration Form) is required for all vehicles imports to Tanzania irrespective of their value.  Please refer to the Tanzania Revenue Authority website for more details.

Import Declaration Fees for Tanzania are US$ 10 per unit  + 1.2 % of Freight-on-Board value. Import duties on vehicles imported into Tanzania are dependent on the size of the vehicle.

All vehicles up to 2000 cc: 20 % VAT, 25 % Import duty.
All vehicles above 2000 cc: 20 % VAT, 25 % Import duty, 10 % Excise duty
Commercial units Trucks, Buses, passenger vans : 15% Import duty, 20 % VAT

Technorati Tags: used Japanese cars, Japan, used cars, JAAI Inspection

It is well known fact that Japanese car makers such as Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Honda are world famous for producing high quality cars. You can easily buy these cars from various car auctions held in Japan.

Along with Japanese brands you can also get to see other foreign brands of cars such as Volkswagon, Bentley, Mercedez Benz, Land Rover, Porsche, BMW, Volvo and Audi in Japan. These cars are used by Japanese people in the upper echelons of society as status symbols. Now the good news for those who are interested in buying used models of these top foreign brands, is that you can buy them at  used car auctions held in Japan. This can not only give you the pride of driving the luxurious non Japanese cars but also make you happy by not emptying your pocket.

Cars from Japan are famous because they are well maintained. There are various reasons for this well maintained status of Japanese cars. First of all Japanese drivers are good and they take special care of their vehicles.  Japanese road regulations are strict, so every vehicle goes through rigorous checking. So maintenance cost of old cars in Japan is very high. To avoid this, Japanese people usually put up their used car for auction and buy a new car. This applies to the luxury car foreign brands too.

If you are interested in buying used Right Hand Drive (RHD) or Left Hand Drive (LHD) luxury cars of foreign makers such as Volkswagon, Bentley, Mercedez Benz, Land Rover, Porsche, BMW, Volvo and Audi  with Japanese owners,  please let us know your requirements and we will find a car matching your request.

Technorati Tags: Mercedez Benz, Land Rover, Porsche, BMW, non Japanese cars

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

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

We constanly hear all the talk about the rising gas prices, importance of fuel economy,innovations of Hybrid Cars and how they are sweeping the whole world.  Honda and Toyota  can not build them fast enough to meet the rising demand for hybrids. One of our customers recently inquired if there are any hybrid trucks made in Japan. And my answer was Yes.

Hino Motors, the heavy-truck division of Toyota, already offers the Hino 165 Hybrid in Japan since 2003.  Hino 165 Hybrid is powered by a diesel/electric hybrid system.  However, this truck currently sells for more than $100,000, so not affordable by many people. The fuel saving is a solid 14 to 27% over the conventional models like the Isuzu and other competing trucks.

Canter Eco Hybrid from Mitsubishi Fuso is another energy-efficient medium-duty truck in the world.  With its diesel-electric drivetrain, the Canter offers the best of both worlds: a Li-ion-powered electric motor that kicks into action during stop-and-go driving (ideal for city-bound, delivery-type trucks like this), and a high-efficiency, cleaner-burning diesel engine for highway cruising.  The result is a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over similar trucks, and the first commercial truck to meet Japan’s new long-term emissions regulations, which came into effect August 2007.

Because of the relative efficiency of modern (bio) diesel engines compared with petrol engines, diesel hybrids are becoming a popular, if still more costly twist on typical hybrid cars.

Technorati Tags: Hybrid, Cars, Honda, Toyota, Japan, Hino, Isuzu, Canter, diesel

With the cost of oil continuing to climb past $100 a barrel, many say $4.00+ a gallon will soon be a reality. Many researchers are working on alternative fuels and improving car engine efficiency to take control of this fuel crisis.

Recently, one of my friends showed me his old used car which he has modified to run on water and gas. Does it not sound unbelievable?

Well, his modified car works on a principle called Hydrogen On Demand System which uses  a little electricity out of your car/truck battery, to separate water into a gas called HHO (2 parts Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen).  The HHO gas is 3 times more potent than gasoline, so when the HHO gas is mixed with gasoline, the results are claimed to be simply amazing – leading to increased fuel efficiency by over 100%.

I won’t recommend you to convert your new car to run on water. However, if you have a spare old car or truck, and you are a DIY fan, you can definitely try to run it on water.  You can find more information about this system on  Water4Gas Cars website. You can also order all the necessary parts from Water4Gas Cars site.  Please let me know your experience if you try this modification on your car or truck.

Technorati Tags: used car, water, HHO, gasoline, fuel efficiency, car, truck, Water4Gas