If you are looking to buy a Camper in Japan, here are all the steps you need to watch for. I'll document
Can you buy a camper van as a foreigner in Japan?
You can buy a vehicle in Japan if you hold a residency card (work visa, working holiday visa, spouse visa, student visa, long-term resident visa).
What document do I need to buy a vehicle in Japan?
The documents needed are:
- Valid residency card (在留カード, Zairyū Card): shows your legal status and registered address.
- Registered address in Japan (住民票, Jūminhyō): needed for registration documents
- Parking Certificate (車庫証明, Shako Shōmeisho): proof that you have a legal parking space for the car (usually within ~2 km of your address). This is one of the biggest hurdles.
- Valid driver’s license: Japanese license is best; an International Driving Permit (IDP) is allowed only for up to 1 year.
- Car insurance: compulsory automobile liability insurance (自賠責保険, Jibaiseki Hoken) is required before registration.
- Personal seal (inkan/hanko): often used instead of a signature in Japan, and some dealers require one.
- Japanese bank account: needed to pay for the car, parking, insurance, and other fees.
NOTE: The Parking Certificate implies that you do rent a parking or own a home that has parking space.
What are the costs of owning a vehicle in Japan?
Besides the maintenance, gas, owning a car in Japan comes with several costs:
- Vehicle Tax (自動車税): a yearly tax ranging from ¥100,000 to ¥500,000 depending on the size of your vehicle
- Mandatory Inspection (Shaken – every 2 years): This is a visit to the mechanic that will make sure your car complies with minimum safety requirements (used tires, braking, lights..). The price range is from ¥100,000 to ¥900,000 dependings on the size of the vehicle, the gas type used and its age.
- Compulsory automobile liability insurance (Jibaiseki): ranges from ~¥20,000–¥35,000/year.
To this you can also add optional insurance to better cover damage that you could cause or having roadside assistance.
NOTE: Shaken is a big two-year bill and should be taken into account when buying a used car depending on if it's due in long time or not.
Where to buy a camper van in Japan?
Getting your hands on your new home will require a lot of research. You'll first need to know exactly what you want (a kei car, normal car, van, RV, bus..): used or new? And how do you want it: already converted or convert yourself.
NOTE: Compared to other countries, the prefered way to buy used vehicle in Japan is through dealerships. They are really few transactions from people to people like in Europe or the USA.