-"JDM" stands for Japanese Domestic Motors. It basically means any vehicle designed to conform to the Japanese domestic car market.

-If you are going to buy a used car, and your country allows JDM imports, you would be best served to go with a JDM vehicle. JDM vehicles are the most reliable used vehicles in the world bar-none. First of all, Japanese domestic law mandates a very strict 2-year licensing program know as "shaken." Shaken consists of a 60 point checklist to ensure the safety and mechanical soundness of a car. The second reason JDM vehicles are so reliable is because Japanese people are notoriously meticulous about taking care of their cars. Of course, as with any group of people, this varies from individual to individual, but in general, the average Japanese person is very conscientious about the condition of their vehicle. Thirdly, Japan is a small country and going from point A to point B is usually a shorter distance than in other countries, which tends to keep the number of kilometers very low. It is not uncommon to find a 10 or 15-year-old car with no more than 30 or 40 thousand kilometers on it.

-Private individuals as well as commercial used whole car and parts dealers choose JDM whenever they get the chance. Currently, the used car market in New Zealand is flooded with JDM cars and the number of imports has gone down drastically in the last 18 months as these cars are beginning to cycle through the market to second owners, but you can bet when they wear out over the next few years, there will be a new round of imports going into the only major English speaking market without it's own domestic market to protect.

Even in the U.S., where import laws are strict, JDM engines and parts are a prized commodity for those willing to risk the time and money it can take to import them. The specs on many of the Japanese domestically made sports cars quite often outperform their foreign counterparts. This has created a unique community of car fanatics throughout the world who refer to their creations as a "tuners"-that is a domestic car that has been modified through after market parts and/or by swapping engines, manifolds, suspension, etc. out of JDM vehicles to make a "super" car that would make any local police cringe.

Some models aren't even made for certain individual markets. The Nissan Skyline for example, does not have a North American counterpart even with a different name. It simply doesn't exist in Canada or America. This has created a huge demand for the off-road version in the U.S. and the 15 year and older variety in Canada. Some importers are being so bold as to completely strip a car in Japan down to the paint, box it up, and send it as a kit car. The legality of this has some questionable points, but tuners are glad to leave this up to the authorities to deal with. Dismantling and re-assembly costs can run into the 10s of thousands of dollars, but people love their Skyline's and, in the tuner market, there are few cooler cars to own than an RB 34 Skyline Turbo.

JDM vehicles are used for whole car imports and parts as well as the coined term "half-cut" which refers to cutting a car in half from the dash to the front bumper (where the majority of the value of the car is found) and scrapping the rest. An exporter can fit 12-16 half cuts in a 40-foot container depending on the size of the cars and the talent of the person doing the packing. This dwarfs the number of 3-4 whole cars that will fit in the same container, so the advantages of half cuts to a parts dealer are obvious.

-First you must check on the restrictions that your particular country has for importing cars from other countries. Many countries have strict importing laws that are designed to protect their own used and new car markets. Often they are hidden behind the guise of safety and environmental protection. The USA and Canada are good examples of this. All cars made for the domestic car markets there must conform to DOT (Department of Transportation) safety standards and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) emissions standards. Of course the governments care about the safety and emissions standards of their cars, but the main use of this law in importation is to protect their own domestic car market.

The next thing you must do is make a list of all the costs and licensing laws that will apply to your imported vehicle. This way you will know how much time and money it is going to cost you in order to import your vehicle. Contacting your local customs office can be a good start for this. Now you are ready to make an informed decision about whether or not importing a JDM vehicle from Japan is right for you.

Choosing a reliable import partner on the other side is also an important aspect. This can help you get an idea of your costs and of course you must have someone to actually buy the car for you in Japan. Choose someone with experience and if possible, try to check to make sure that there is a good customer satisfaction rate. If they are buying the car at auction, try to make sure that they are actually going out to the car to inspect it in person and at least start it up-making sure that everything appears sound. Some auction members will simply look at a car's auction sheet and place their bid. Auction sheets in Japan tend to be fairly thorough, but there is no substitute for actually going to the car, starting it up, and checking everything in person. Without doing this, an exporter is virtually guaranteeing that a higher percentage of purchases will be sub-par. Don't let this exporter be your partner. The lack of thoroughness could become your problem.

Now you are ready to start on you quest to find that diamond in the rough out of the used car market in Japan. Happy Hunting!!

-In the past it was such a great deal for exporters. The turn over of cars past 8-10 years old is high　in Japan, and the older a car gets, the more expensive it is to put it through "shaken" (車検), the two year licensing required to keep a car on the road. Before the popularity of JDMs were realized, Japanese people would actually PAY someone to take their old car that had run out on its shaken. The exporter could then turn around and sell this car that he or she had been PAID to take, for big profit. This still happens with the less expensive kei cars and old family cars and such, but now it is a much less common occurrence.

Exporters have now turned their eyes to the used car auctions in Japan. The experience of going to one of these big car auctions is unique to say the least. In USS Tokyo, the largest car auction in Japan, about 15,000 cars run through every Thursday. The immensity of this number is hard to fathom without actually going to one in person. Electronic bidding both on-site and by Internet has made the process very streamlined. Up to 8 cars can be up for auction at one time. All of the major auctions require that their customers become members. Along with a membership fee, the purchasing of a certain number of cars is a prerequisite to becoming an auction member. It creates a slight catch 22, since how can one buy cars without becoming a member first, but members invite other business associates and people can buy cars from dealers and private sales (usually at much higher prices) prior to becoming a member. Membership is the big time for a car exporter. Once a company has achieved this level it is considered to have "made it" in the business.

What exactly is "shaken"?

Every two years a vehicle in Japan must be inspected to make sure it passes shaken. Shaken consists of a 60 point checklist (tenkenseibi kirokubo 点検整備記録簿) of safety and mechanical points that must be met at one of the many Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's (MLIT) inspection centers.

Car repair shops can charge anywhere from 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of yen just to pass a car that needs no maintenance. Engine size and the age of the car are directly proportionate to how much is charged. Add on top of that, any repair costs and you have the makings of a very profitable and happy car repair industry within the country.

It is not necessary to have a car repair shop do all of this, but most Japanese chose to have it done rather than go through the hassle of filling out the eight, yes count them EIGHT, documents that must be filled out, plus making or scheduling any required maintenance, and taking the time to go down to the local (or not so local) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's (MLIT) inspection centers.

One of the eight documents that must be filled out of course is the 60-point checklist that checks for various safety and mechanical related issues. For example, one of the 60 points is the remaining thickness of the brake linings-which means taking off the wheel and checking to make sure that there is enough left on the brake pads to keep the car safe and on the road.

For those interested in finding out more about this process you can check out

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~EP7Y-TMT

It runs you through the whole process complete with photos, prices, and a step-by-step click and point description-sorry all in Japanese.

forums.expatjapan.net has a good post titled "User Shaken" that gives a short overview of shaken and the eight documents that need to be filled out before taking it to the inspection center: