Japanese car-buying suffers ‘minor hiccup’

Press, 26 June 1987, Page 3

Japanese car-buying suffers ‘minor hiccup’

By

BRONWEN JONES

in Tokyo

Car-buying by New Zealanders in Tokyo has suffered only a minor hiccup with the announcement of tighter regulations on “baggage car” importing. Japanese dealers and exporters as well as New Zealand tour companies are quickly adjusting to the new requirements, and it seems business will continue with just a few minor changes and minimal extra cost. Almost all members of three tours of 20 to 30 people that flew in last week-end had bought cars by Wednesday. Tokyo areas known for their abundance of second-hand car dealers have this week been swamped with New Zealanders as usual.

Some buyers have conformed to the new rule that cars must be registered in the new owner’s name and some have not.

The leader of a group from Wanganui, who declined to be named, said his tour had been given a verbal dispensation by a Trade and Industry Ministry official because the new regulations were announced just 24 hours before his group was to leave for Tokyo. The official had asked for his party’s name list and flight details, and said

that people leaving before midnight on Sunday, June 21, would be exempt from import charges, he said.

His members were not going through the process of ownership change. Prices paid by his group had ranged from $l2OO to $12,500 for cars dating from 1978 to 1984. Two men had bought American Ford Mustangs, he said.

Other car-buyers from New Zealand say they have not heard of. any “dispensation” and are going through the paperwork for-ownership registration.

So far it seems this process, for about Y 20.000, is the only great cost addition for secondhand cars resulting from the new regulations. A requirement for the process, however, is causing a delay and a minor rush on the New Zealand embassy, which is raking in Y3OOO a head for verification of signatures.

Because visitors to Japan do not have Japari-ese-style registered signature stamps known as “inkan,” car registration authorities require a signature endorsement certificate from a buyer’s embassy.

Car dealers have now begun handling change of ownership procedures for the New Zealand buyer with signature certificates

to save them a timeconsuming trip to a vehicle registration office, which is further evidence of the quick adjustment in Tokyo to the new rules. Another potential complication has also already been removed. To register ownership of a car' in Tokyo a buyer must jiroduce police evidence of a parking space off the street. But this has been quickly side-stepped by the Japanese exporters, who are offering parking facilities.

As it is understood by buyers here, the new regulations also require that cars themselves being brought in as “baggage” be registered. , In Japan, if a car is registered it means it has a warrant of fitness and number plates. Obtaining these can cost about $2OOO and much time, and so buyers are seeking cars already registered. Many of the cars in dealers’ yards are unregistered and therefore cheaper, but according to reports there is no dearth of registered second-hand cars in Tokyo. The paradox is,' however, that according to Japanese regulations, exported cars must be deregistered and their number plates handed in before shipping. But this also can be taken care of by dealers and exporters.