Time to moan and groan about owning a car in Japan...

Well, it's that time of year. Time to pay your road tax. Road tax is something everyone who owns a car pays once a year. It's supposed to help pay for road infrastructure, but with the outrageous amounts you pay in tolls, you'd think Japan would have the best highway system in all the world. On top of that, my yearly insurance is due and my two year insurance is due. Not everyone has this hit all at once, but I'm one of the lucky few who do....yay me, right? Let's break it down:

((Please note, I am not talking about buying a new car. These are the steps needed when you own a car and everything is up for renewal. For buying a new car, the steps are slightly different.))

Road Tax - Due every year in April/May and required by June 1st. If you don't pay your road tax, you don't get the sticker that allows you access to the American base. This can be troublesome because most people need access to the American base. The base access is just way to ensure all Americans are complying with Japanese law. If they didn't tie base access in with road tax, many people would opt not to pay it (because then there would be no consequences unless you're pulled over).

I think I mentioned this last year in my blog, but every year tax officials from the Yokosuka city tax office come on base for four days to collect road tax money. Those four days are like standing in line waiting for the stores to open the day after Thanksgiving. Get there early, wear comfortable clothes, and prepare to be there all day. Why only four days? Well, those tax collectors do have other jobs than collecting money on the American base. It's really just a courtesy to help out people who may not want to drive off base or have the time.

I choose to do it the easy way, I go straight to the Yokosuka tax office (which is only three minutes from base) where it's usually empty, instructions are offered in English and it takes maybe five minutes tops. I then take my forms to the American base to prove I paid (last year I watched the movie Shrek TWICE...entire movie..waiting for them to review my road tax receipts) and get my base sticker. HA! I will never complain about the American DMV wait times again.

Total cost for two cars (can't pay one at a time, we tried last year): $370.00

Liability insurance - This is your basic insurance, like you would have in the States. I hear you can pay three months, six months, or a year at a time. I always pay a year at a time so I can get it over with and don't have to worry about it until next year. This can be done off base, but people warn that some Japanese insurance agents may be confused about the specific coverage required on base. I renew my insurance on base to avoid any issues and make sure I'm not missing anything. Again, this is due yearly.

Total cost for one car for one year: $400.00

Base inspection - Required before you can move to the next step. Base inspection is required once every two years. There is only one place to do base inspections (on base, duh!) although some people do get them done out in town, but usually they can communicate well in Japanese. These inspections are THROUGH and many people leave angry at the sheer volume of things that need repaired. The checklist sheet itself lists easily over 100 items needing inspection. This is actually the part I dread the most. I've set a budget for repairs. If repairs are scheduled to go over budget, then I junk the car and buy a new one. I think my car is pretty sound (no issues so far) but the checklist is overwhelming, so who knows what they may find.

Total cost: $95 for inspection + any repairs

JCI insurance - I really don't know the difference between this insurance and the above insurance. I just know it's a requirement to own a car here in Japan. JCI is due once every two years. Most people will only pay it once during their stay in Japan. I think it can be paid on base at the same place you pay liability insurance, but I'm going to have to research that further.

Total cost: $300

Japanese inspection/registration - This is done at the LTO office in Yokohama (think Japanese DMV). I fully understand you can do it yourself, but after spending a harrowing amount of time and money on my car in this whole process, I will gladly pay the $60 to have someone do it for me. LTO runners are people who will make the hour drive to Yokohama for you, take care of your registration, and have your paperwork in your hands at the end of the day. The Japanese inspection is more of a formality as they accept the base inspection as being through.

Total cost: unknown

So, as you can see, I have a very exciting April and May ahead of me. I hope all of this goes smoothly and without a hitch. Let's hope any repairs are minor and I don't lose a lot of money in the process. Then, in a delightful turn of events, John's car renewals are due this fall. We get to do things twice.

I know some people choose to have one car or no car at all (very few SOFA sponsored people have motorcycles or mopeds due to the base's restrictive rules on having a valid license for them), but it really is a personal choice. We don't live near a train station, we both have activities at all times of the day,  we live on a steep hill, we're a little too far to walk, I crashed and ripped my pants when I was gung-ho about biking......cars seemed to be the choice for us.

I'm not complaining (well, maybe a little), but I think my point is, "owning a car in Japan is expensive!"