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John Lindsey
13th April 2002, 14:00
'Shaken' is a strict car registration scheme which operates in Japan. It consists of a series of safety inspections combined with compulsory insurance, weight and vehicle tax. New cars come with 3 years' 'Shaken'. After this has expired the 'Shaken' must be renewed every 2 years throughout the ownership of the vehicle. Therefore the Japanese generally sell or part-exchange their car as a period of 'Shaken' expires. The cost of renewing the 'Shaken' is relatively high as the Japanese Government's policy is to reduce car ownership due to the limited space available. Also sounds like a good scam to keep car sales high! Anyone ever have to go through a shaken?

P Goldsbury
13th April 2002, 15:00
Originally posted by John Lindsey
'Shaken' is a strict car registration scheme which operates in Japan. It consists of a series of safety inspections combined with compulsory insurance, weight and vehicle tax. New cars come with 3 years' 'Shaken'. After this has expired the 'Shaken' must be renewed every 2 years throughout the ownership of the vehicle. Therefore the Japanese generally sell or part-exchange their car as a period of 'Shaken' expires. The cost of renewing the 'Shaken' is relatively high as the Japanese Government's policy is to reduce car ownership due to the limited space available. Also sounds like a good scam to keep car sales high! Anyone ever have to go through a shaken?

You are largely correct. After the first 3-year period, 'shaken' occurs every two years till the car is 10 years old, after which it has to be done every year. It is quite separate from insurance, of which there are two types: compulsory and optional. 'Optional' is just what it means, but woe betide you if you have an accident and do not have it.

I bought my car in 1996, which means that it had its first shaken in 1999 and the second in 2001. Each time it cost about 170,000 - 200,000 yen ,(120 yen = 1 dollar) since the car has a 3-litre engine and is turbo-charged, the rule here being the bigger and more powerful the vehicle, the more expensive things are, in every respect. I have it done through the Toyota dealership, where I bought the car.

I think the Japanese government's policy is not to reduce car ownership, since Japan is the only country with a separate category, and special rates, for "k" cars (with 600cc engine capacity). The policy is rather one of paying for the privilege of car ownership, the paymentsdepending on location, car size and engine power. This policy is pursued and clearly accepted here. Thus, in April I will have to pay 51,000 yen in annual car tax (based on engine size). This is different fromn shaken.

I do not know the situation in the US, but in Europe most filling stations are self-service. But when I go to my local filling station here, three or four young guys rush out to greet me, guide me to the parking place and wash the car's windows as the tank is being filled ('hi-oku-man-tan' = high octane full (= 'man') tank). Some of the men are my own students working part time to pay their college tuition fees. The effect is to keep the official umeployment figures low and the cost of fuel and servicing high. Things are changing but at glacial rate. If they changed too quickly, Japan's fragile social fabric might well not survive the change.

Best regards,
______________
P A Goldsbury,
Graduate School of Social Sciences,
Hiroshima University

hyaku
13th April 2002, 17:28
Yes, I paid mine in February.

Cost me 130.000 Yen for the next two years

I drive A Mitsubishi Pajero which works out cheaper as its a turbo diesel. Came back imaculate. The chassis looked cleaner than the bodywork.

As I understood it they never let you fill up as it had something to do with insurance (the lack of it) and dispensing inflammable liquids.

But I went to a filling station a few weeks ago to find out I had to fill it up myself for the first time here

Didn't like the system though You push buttons to put in the amount you want to buy eg 2000 yen's worth. If you didnt know your tanks capacity it could be dangerous if the pump failed to cut off when you were full.

Hyakutake Colin

http://www.bunbun.ne.jp/~sword

Jeff Hamacher
17th April 2002, 04:02
from my observations, shaken isn't such a big deal but for the ridiculous cost and inconvenience of losing your car for a day or two to a dealership or garage. shaken is simply another example of how the sheep mentality allows the japanese economy to continue to survive against all predictions: more people buying more cars which require ongoing inspections and produce ever-expanding heaps of illegally-dumped trash. (and nobody even stops to make it an election issue? must seem strange to all the US E-Budo members!)

now, i understand on reasonably good authority that the artificial inflation built into the cost of these "safety inspections" is beatable; you can apparently conduct shaken on your own, filling out all the appropriate paperwork, and present your car to a government inspector for a much lower cost. the trouble is that, in most cases, the government inspector will reject your application and demand that you take your car to a recognized facility whereupon you have to pay the vehicular highwaymen after all. anybody else heard of this "self-inspection" option?

i also understand that the safety laws have been changed to allow self-service gas stations (at long last, the government has recognized that the intelligence of the average japanese person is equal to the task). perhaps their lack of popularity is due to lack familiarity? long live that glorious tradition of institutionalized overemployment!

i hope that i don't seem to "down on japan" here, but i can't help but laugh sometimes.

hyaku
18th April 2002, 02:27
Originally posted by Jeff Hamacher

Anybody else heard of this "self-inspection" option?.........

Yes, we did it a few times. My wife ended up going to lots of offices. You can do it in a tiring half day. I just don't have the time to do it myself nowadays.

I noticed this time that you can get it done on Saturdays but they cant issue the actual shaken until Monday. So you just stick a karishaken label in the window
.......

I hope that i don't seem to "down on japan" here, but i can't help but laugh sometimes.

Its a laugh a minute Jeff. Its ok filling up your own car. But I wonder what would happen if they scrapped most of the traffic lights.

More sheep in Japan than New Zealand and Australia would make a nice T shirt.

Hyakutake Colin