Vol.37 - Welcome to Japan!

Welcome to Japan!
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By Jesse Chadwick, Gaijin Inc. | December 9, 2005 | Comment on this article

Unpack your bags, examine your new office, and realize how snug yet expensive your new accommodations will be now that you're living in Tokyo. You have arrived safe and ready to ignite in a whole new culture. The next course of action would be to search out a mode of transportation. The train is cumbersome due to the lack of freedom and inability to transport your groceries home and your mother from the airport. So you search for the right automobile to fit your needs. That is when you realize the problematic system involved in achieving one. Some of us have been left in astonishment with headaches after contemplating 'Why is getting a car here such a difficult process?"

I am not exactly certain but I am aware that there is a lot of discrimination towards people who are not Japanese Nationals for many things. Above all in the financial assistance field possibly due to a fear that we are more apt to skip on a payment and pose a communication problem. For nine out of ten loan companies in Japan a contract has to be submitted in Japanese and that it must be understood and established that the signer can comprehend it perfectly. If this is not possible without a translator then you are not applicable.

Fortunately there are some other options. There are a few companies that offer financing but these businesses demand an absurd amount of irrelevant information about your life for even a minimal loan. This list will usually require a company profile that must all be written in English and Japanese, company financial statements, often a letter signed by their employer here in Japan and the main branch in their home country, 3 month deposit and a larger residual balance payment at the end of the lease term, a signature certificate from your embassy following a definite 3 year contract. This posses a problem because most people can not guarantee they will be staying here that long. So while you are flailing about trying to acquire your grade six report card you might want to get your parent or guardians signature as well for I am positive someone will require it.

The other option is not so strenuous. Gaijin Inc offers internal financing through our parent company VIP Auto General Motors and we can provide a simple non-bias vehicle loan system. Virtually any vehicle can be purchased, financed and maintained during your stay through us. Anyone can be approved up to 5 million yen with little more than a business card. This allows you to purchase a car without pleading profusely to the office or someone holding your hand. As well almost anyone who is a employee of a 'Fortune 500 Company" possesses a huge advantage and the possibility by being granted up to 10 million yen. Driving the car of your dreams is not far off. We do all the paper work to get it done in both English and Japanese and our loan system can be extended from one year or eight years according to your budget and planned time in Japan. First-class rates are available starting from 1.9 – 2.8% for new cars and as low as 3.8% for used. This is excellent considering a Japanese person who goes to their local Toyota will be paying rates of over 5%.

Why would anyone want to purchase a car in cash? It's a difficult when you are fresh off of a plane and have already spent a hefty sum of money on your lodging. It is also a lost investment given that although Japan has the worlds largest second hand car market the car is still going to drop in value. When you pay your finance plan over two or three years you can then at the three year mark turn it back in and refinance it for a new car. Or we also offer buybacks for a cash buyout. This is an advantage if a contract is changed and the planned stay in Japan is shortened.

So if you are interested in purchasing a car for weekend getaways or commuting to work and back financing may be your best option. Feel free to contact us and we will help to make your stay in Japan a pleasurable one.

Jesse Chadwick
Gaijin Inc.
www.gaijininc.com
jchadwick@gaijininc.com

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