Purchasing a Car

Table of Contents

IMPORTANT

If you are purchasing a new car (including cars sold or purchased on TIDA),　please remember to apply for an OIST parking tag or change your registration details with the Facility Management Section.
Parking an unregistered vehicle in the campus parking lots is considered a violation of the regulations and may result in the locking of tires.

新規で車を購入される場合（TIDA上で車の売買される場合も含む）、忘れずOIST駐車場タグのお申込みもしくは登録内容の変更手続きを施設管理セクションにて行って頂くようお願いします。
学内駐車場において登録のない車両の駐車は違反と見なされ、タイヤロックされる場合があります。

Links to the contents of the page

Overview

Cars in Japan are mainly classified into two categories depending on the weight and power of the vehicle. The procedures and requirements for purchasing a car vary depending on the classification of the car you are buying.

The smallest highway-legal passenger cars. Kei-cars feature yellow license plates. A yellow-plate car is a vehicle with an engine displacement of no more than 660cc. The road tax and the weight tax will be much lower for yellow-plate cars than white-plate cars. The number of passengers that a yellow-plate car can accommodate is up to 4 people, including the driver. Since yellow-plate cars are small and lightweight, they are not as safe compared to white-plate cars.

  • White-plate cars (aka regular-sized vehicles)

A white-plate car has a more powerful and larger engine displacement ranging from 661cc and up. The road tax and the weight tax will be much more expensive in comparison to yellow-plate cars. The number of passengers that a white-plate car can accommodate is 5 people or more.

Required documents upon purchase　必要書類

Yellow-plate car　軽自動車

  • Residence certificate (Juminhyo) 住民票
  • Inkan 印鑑 (if available)

White-plate car (Regular-sized vehicle)　普通乗用車

  • Residence certificate (Juminhyo）住民票
  • Inkan 印鑑
  • Inkan registration certificate 印鑑証明書 obtained from the municipal office
  • Parking certificate 車庫証明書 (Not required for residents of Onna and Yomitan village)

How to get a parking certificate 車庫証明書の発行

A parking certificate is a certificate issued by the local police station to confirm that the buyer of the car has enough space to store the car. Some villages in Okinawa exempt their residents from obtaining a parking certificate upon a car purchase. Please check the list of the villages in Okinawa which exempt their residents from obtaining a parking certificate.

If you are required to obtain a parking certificate upon the purchase of a car, you will need to

  • Get a document from your landlord which certifies that they have permitted you to park your car on their property.
  • Visit a bank to purchase revenue stamps which will be used to make the payment for the certificate. To purchase the revenue stamps, please show the below line to indicate what you want from them.

沖縄県収入証紙を2,750円分購入したいです。

  • Visit the local police station with the following:
  1. document from the landlord
  2. scan of the car registration certificate, which has all the information on the car
  3. revenue stamps purchased at the bank
  • Show the line below to indicate them that you are there to apply for a parking certificate:

車庫証明の申請に来ました。

  • You will be asked to fill in the required forms. You will need to draw two maps illustrating where the parking space is located - one map should illustrate how to get to the parking from the main road, the other map should illustrate which specific point in the parking you are supposed to park.
  • Wait until the police call you telling you the certificate is ready.
  • Revisit the police station to collect the certificate.

The certificate will be issued approximately a week later as the police will have to visit the parking in person to confirm the parking space before issuing the certificate.

1. On OIST TIDA "Market place

TIDA Marketplace is a webpage where OIST people advertise things they want to sell or buy. If you arrive in Okinawa at the right time, you may be able to find cars sold by other OISTers for a reasonable price. If you are interested in buying a car you have found on TIDA Marketplace; please contact the seller directly.

2. Cross Road(クロスロード)

Cross Road is an online platform that advertises the cars sold by car dealerships on the island. Please use google translate and see the instruction below to find the cars you like. In case you want to inquire about the dealerships about the cars you are interested in, visit the Resource Center with a list of the cars you are interested in so we can help you to make inquiries to the dealerships over the phone.

RC-crossroad1

3. Goo-net

Goo-net is an online platform that advertises the cars sold by dealerships across Japan. You can also filter your search by the prefecture, mileage, manufacture year, budget, etc. If you have found cars you like and want to make inquiries to the dealerships, please contact OIST Resource Center so we will help you to make inquiries about the cars.

Average prices for second-hand cars

The price may vary depending on which year the car was made, the condition, and the mileage.

Kei car (660 cc engine) Yellow license plate

  • Suzuki Wagon R: ¥200,000 to ¥700,000
  • Daihatsu Move: ¥200,000 to ¥700,000

Small car (around 1.3 to 1.8 Liters)

  • Toyota Vitz: ¥300,000 to ¥800,000
  • Toyota Corolla: ¥300,000 to ¥800,000

Regular (around 2 Liters)

  • Nissan Skyline ¥500,000 to ¥800,000
  • Honda Step Wagon ¥400,000 to ¥1,000,000