FAQ

Your total is the vehicle price in Japan, plus export handling and ocean freight, plus entry costs and registration fees at your end. As a rough guide, a clean low-mileage Kei truck or van typically lands at a U.S. port in the region of $8,000 to $14,000 all in, and a Suzuki Jimny higher because demand is strong. Freight varies with the sailing and the destination port. We quote the lines we control before you commit.

Around 8 to 14 weeks from starting a search to collecting at the pier: 1 to 3 weeks sourcing, 2 to 3 weeks Japan-side export processing, and 3 to 5 weeks at sea to Honolulu or the West Coast. Gulf and East Coast sailings take longer, and rare vehicles can take months to find.

Yes. You get the auction sheet with the grade and noted defects translated, a photo set, and a walkaround video where the vehicle is accessible to us. Nothing is bought until you approve it. If you are in Japan you are welcome to see it in person.

Where the vehicle is physically accessible to us, yes: cold start, undercarriage, panels, interior and an honest condition note. Some auction vehicles can only be assessed from the sheet before bidding, and we tell you when that is the case rather than implying we have stood next to it.

That is the main service. Give us the model, year range, budget, transmission, drivetrain and colour and we search the auctions and dealer stock. For unusual specs we run a longer flat-fee Rare Hunt and monitor the market until yours appears.

You are the importer of record, so the entry is filed in your name. We prepare and supply the Japan-side documents, including the export certificate and its translation, and give you the checklist for your port. Many buyers use a customs broker at the destination, and we can explain what they will need.

We book into Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, Houston, Honolulu, Jacksonville and the Baltimore/New York area, and we also export to Canada, the UK and Ireland. If your port destination is not listed, please feel free to reach out!

These are 25 year old used vehicles, so most have something. Our job is to find it before you pay: we translate the auction sheet's defect map, photograph what we see, and disclose it. If something material turns up after purchase that we should have caught, we tell you and work out how to sort it with you rather than pretending it is not there.

Yes. Send the chassis code and frame number and we identify the correct Japanese part number, then price options across auction, dismantler and Japanese domestic retail. Parts can sometimes be consolidated into one shipment.

Complete your customs entry, pay any duties and fees, schedule the release window with the terminal, and collect the vehicle with your ID and release documents. Watch the terminal's free days so you avoid storage charges. Inland transport and registration are arranged by you, and we will research your state's registration rules with you before you buy.

Kei trucks 25 years or older can be titled and registered in most states, but several, Hawaiʻi included, classify them as low-speed vehicles, which limits them to roads posted 35 mph or lower. Kei vans and the Suzuki Jimny register as regular passenger vehicles with full highway access. Rules differ in every state.

Bank wire. For a sourcing search, a deposit secures your spot and lets us bid on your behalf. Terms are agreed in writing before anything is bought.

Circle Kei Motors is the international sales and export division of THREE JAM, our registered business in Japan. Because THREE JAM is the registered business entity used for Japan-side transactions, some invoices, Wise payment details, and related documents may display the THREE JAM name.