JDM - Japanese Domestic Market Imports
Clockwise From Top Left: 2000 Toyota Will Vi w/47k, 2009 Toyota Prius 10th Anniversary w/52k, 2009 Honda Insight w/16k 2002 Toyota Century w/180k, 2006 Honda Mobilio Spike w/42k,
Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles are legal in Canada as long as they are 15 years old according to the build date and pass a Provincial Out Of Province Insepction. They can be bought at auction or through Japanese dealers. There is an efficient logistics network which sees the cars loaded on Roll On Roll Off (ROLO) shipping vessels from shipping yards in Japan and unloaded at the Port of New Westminter, BC.
Just about any type of car is available in Japan from quirky 660cc 'Kei' cars to top-of-the-line European Sedans, Coupes and Sports Cars. There are a great many interesting vehicles for sale in Japan that were never sold in North America. Most are RHD, but there are many LHD European luxury cars as well.
Apart from variety, the main benefit of purchasing a JDM car is that, generally speaking, they are in much better condition with much lower mileage than the North American equivalent. The Japanese mostly commute to work using the extremely efficient train system and save driving for errands and recreation. The climate is also much more benign than in Canada, and in all but the most northerly areas, no road salt.
In Japan, the vehicle inspection registration system, known as "Shaken" (車検), is a mandatory biennial inspection for all vehicles, ensuring road safety and environmental compliance, and includes checks for safety, emissions, and vehicle condition.
From Left: Undercarriage of the 2009 Toyota Prius 10th Anniversary, 2009 Honda Insight and 2006 Honda Mobilio Spike
Detail shots of the above...
The underside of a 15 year old Japanese vehicle will look the same as a 2 year old vehicle driven in Alberta winters. It is not unusual to find a 15 year old Japanese car without a single rock chip, scratch or paint imperfection. Road salt in Alberta is extremely corrosive, and after as little as 3 years can corrode fasteners enough that they are difficult or impossible to remove. The gravel peppers the underside and takes the coating off of the steel components which are then particularly vulnerable to corrosion. JDM cars don't have any of this.
The selection of clean, low mileage vehicles is outstanding: A search for 2005-2010 Toyotas with less than 50,000km turns up over 1,000 vehicles to choose from... The same search on Auto Trader revealed 7 Toyotas that fit that description and all by 2 were JDM!
Most of the cars that come from Japan into North America tend to be sporty cars like the Nissan Skyline or Subaru WRX series. Also, SUVs like the Toyota Land Cruiser or Mitsubishi Pajero are popular. Mini trucks (Kei cars with 660cc) have also been brought over in large numbers as they are often cheaper than Quads or Side-by-Side all terrain vehicles, but have cabins with heaters!
There are some barriers: It can take 2-4 months to bring the car to Canada; insurance can be a problem with many companies only offering the minimum liability coverage; the Out Of Province Inspection can turn up some complications; and of course there are pitfalls buying any vehicle sight-unseen. Also, the infotainment systems are in Japanese, and certain features like radio won't work in North America. Surprisingly for most people, driving on the right isn't a problem as one quickly gets used to it.
With the inherent build quality and reliability of Japanese cars, the 'Shaken' mandatory bi-annual vehicle inspection requirement, mild climate, and typical low km, Japanese used cars are perhaps the nicest in the world. With the volume of vehicles available, buyers can be extremely picky and get exactly what they want.
For our own inventory we have stuck to ultra low km Toyotas and Hondas as they offer the best-of-the-best reliability, and excellent parts availability. Even if buying a model that was not sold in North America, chances are that the underpinnings are identical to a model that was. For instance the Honda Mobilio Spike that we brought in is a Honda Fit underneath the body. The Toyota Will Vi has a Yaris platform etc. That said, we are of course happy to bring any Japanese vehicle as long as we have a buyer.
We can handle everything for our clients from selecting the car, logistics, Out Of Province Inspection, Registration, servicing, retrofitting North American Infotainment, etc.
Whether you are looking for a new driving experience, or just want the low cost reliable transportation, JDM vehicles deserve a serious look.
