JDM Notes part 2

The other half of what I posted:

Happy to see that my previous post went over well with people. I figured that some who were curious would like some information on that sort of stuff. It's funny, because the curiosity (and fascination) with the USDM system is much like we have with theirs (the whole JDM craze) -- they are curious what the regulations and whatnot are like. I was explaining differences with some friends over there....very interesting reactions!

So, here are some more things I thought of:

1.) You occasionally see the American car (Ford Taurus, Corvette, Buick Stationwagon)...It is becoming more popular as well for Japanese youngpeople to modify Chevy Astro vans. They have the coolness value of being big, American, and a van...and they put rims, ground effects...all sorts of stuff on them. American cars are seen as a sign of wealth...especially Cadillacs and Buicks. They cost LOTS for gas, are expensive to fix over there, and are difficult to find parking spaces large enough for. And yes, you do occasionally see someone who has taken a Japanese car and tattooed it with random American logos, English words, and paraphernalia (the best that I saw was a Toyota Hilux Surf with TONS of AQHA - American Quaterhorse Association - stickers and other logos on it...even had an New Mexico license plate in front and a North Carolina one on the back with the Japanese ones in the window!

2.) The equivalent of AAA in Japan is called JAF (Japan Automobile Federation). While they do not provide travel services and the like, they do act as the largest 24h motorist assistance provider in the country. Unlike AAA, they offer 'non member' rates -- so if you are stranded and need to be towed, you can call JAF and be charged a non-member rate. Instead of stickers to put on your car (like AAA here), people often have metal emblems to put on the car's grill. It is not necessary to do so, but some people put the "JAF" emblem on their car. JAF provides certified translation services for obtaining license in Japan, as well as providing foreigners with a handy 'rules of the road' book in their native language, so they will work with you on getting set up with driving in Japan.

3. ) When looking for a new car, one finds that the car dealer structure is a bit different than here. For example, if you are looking for a Nissan Cefiro (Infiniti I30) and want to see a Nissan Cima (Infiniti Q45), you would not look at the same dealer. All of the major companies (Honda, Toyota, Nissan) have their new car operations set up in different branches depending on the car you want. I can't really tell why they split them up in the way they did, but it's almost as each division is independent of the other, sometimes sharing the same car. Occasionally you will see two or more divisions merged into one HUGE dealer. The branches are called:
Nissan
Red Stage, Blue Stage, Red and Blue Stage (for both)
Honda
Clio, Verno, Primo, Auto Terrace (for all of them)
Toyota
Netz, Corolla, Toyopet, Vista
Subaru, Daihatsu, Suzuki, and others usually just have one dealer for all of their cars. For some reason, I want to say Mitsubishi was set up with multiple dealer divisions, but I can't think of what they are (maybe Galant and others?)

4.) Renting a car in Japan is somewhat interesting. If you are from the states and want a 'rentaka-' (rental car), you need to have an international driving permit (IDP) as well as your valid license from the states. Car rental companies such as Hertz and Budget exist, but it is more common to find a Nippon Renta Car or Toyota Rental Car. Cars are rented by the hour, and you can pay per 6 hour, 12 hour, 24 hour, etc.... block of time. The cars available range from small 1 litre cars (Honda Logo and Toyota Vitz), to larger more sporty cars (Subaru Brighton Wagon or Accord Euro R Wagon). The cheapest price for 6 hours or 12 hours is about $50 (for a 1 litre Honda Logo!), and something like an Accord would be $120 for 12 hours. You are charged per hour of overtime that the car is not back. Especially if you are 'gaijin', the people actually direct you out of the garage, and will stop traffic for you to pull out safely.

5.) The Japanese license has a section that mentions if you can drive manual transmission or only automatic. Only those with this mark are legally allowed to drive a manual transmission. The setup on a manual transmission RHD car is the same as it is for a LHD car, with 1st gear to the farthest left and proceed right to shift up. The clutch pedal is in the same spot as it is here, with the only differences being that of the turn signal wand and the windshield washer wand (they are switched).

Hmmm....can't think of anything more, but will be happy to post if anything else comes to mind. Hope this proves interesting!

--Adam

Wow that is, indeed, very very interesting... THANKS ADAM!

-Mike

[Red SVX 92]

Very interesting! Thanks for the info, and keep em coming if you can!

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by Ranmatchi
Hope this proves interesting!

--Adam

That it did, Adam!

Thanks!