What are the Best Japanese Used Car Auctions?

If you've ever looked into importing a JDM from Japan, you've likely come across Japanese car auctions. Japanese car auctions are now an important global source of high-quality used automobiles. These JDM auctions feature a wide variety of both Japanese and foreign-made automobiles, including new vehicles or rare vintage models, high-performance sports cars, and regular sedans.

Japanese auto auctions are renowned for their transparency with the Japanese Grading System and access to a massive quantity of vehicles. ZervTek gives you access to over 100 auctions. Unlike traditional car dealerships, these auctions provide a platform where thousands of vehicles are listed and sold daily, ensuring a constant supply of new cheap JDM cars. About 100,000 plus cars pass through the auctions weekly, and the Japanese auction access is restricted to local dealers and exporters only. This means you get to purchase cars at wholesale prices that dealers buy before selling to you for a hefty profit. Keep reading to find out the best auctions in Japan and how to start importing the best JDM car from Japan!

Auction Calendar

Getting started with the Japanese Car Auctions

To start the JDM import process, please get in touch with ZervTek either via email or WhatsApp. Then, register on our car auction website to browse and view upcoming cars and sold-out data for similar models to understand the current market trends for the JDM that you're looking to buy and import.

How do you find the Best JDM Cars?

Before being auctioned, each vehicle undergoes a thorough inspection by the auction house. The inspection report, called the auction sheet available to us (and you), includes details about the car’s condition, mileage, history, and any existing issues. This transparency helps buyers make informed decisions and reduces the risk of unexpected problems, but that's not all we do!

Translating the auction sheets is the first crucial step we take. With the large volume of cars coming through, we can simply sift out anything that isn't regarded as good enough and still have plenty of options. This is usually sufficient for newer cars because they tend to be in much better condition, and the auction sheets are accurate because of that. For older, classic JDMs, we can do an additional inspection to provide you with additional photos and videos of the cars to provide a clearer picture and overlook of each JDM.

Since each auction site opens on a particular day, we can only inspect vehicles on the auction day. Below is a list of auction houses we can perform inspections at;
 

Our goal is to establish a transparent and trustworthy environment where inspections are carried out with honesty and integrity. We give clients all the information they require to make wise decisions, and we ensure that all our clients receive honest, dependable service they can rely on.
 

So, what are the best Japanese auctions to source rare JDMs?

USS

With 19 locations nationwide, the USS Auctions is Japan's biggest Japanese auction chain. Their auction houses are situated all across Japan:

USS Sapporo, USS Tohoku, USS Niigata, USS Gunma, USS Tokyo, JAA, USS Saitama, USS Yokohama, USS Shizuoka, USS Hokuriku, USS Nagoya, USS-R Nagoya, USS Osaka, USS Kobe, Haa Kobe, USS Okayama, USS Shikoku, USS Fukuoka, USS Kyushu, and USS Kagoshima Site are the USS auction sites.

The best USS auction houses to source 90s JDMs are USS Tokyo, USS Nagoya, USS Osaka, and USS Kyushu. We can inspect all of these auction houses, which means we can inspect any issues found in the auction report.

The vehicle auction takes place Monday through Saturday at various USS locations. Members of this vast USS auction network are given advanced utilities. Only USS-registered members like ZervTek are eligible to bid on cars. Due to USS's enormous consignment of vehicles, which benefits buyers and sellers, many companies register yearly to participate in the auctions. USS's success is due to its extensive experience, familiarity with the on-site auction industry, and eagerness to adopt cutting-edge digital technologies.

Mirive

Mirive Auction House is known amongst all the local dealers and exporters. The Mirive Saitama and Mirive Osaka, staff, thoroughly examine and note every detail to offer top-notch used cars. Mirive has continued to provide high-quality cars, services, and auction sheets that are clear, transparent, and trustworthy. With more than ten years of experience in the Japanese car export industry, MIRIVE auction stands out in the vast auto auction market. Buyers who deal with Mirive believe this auction house will deliver an optimal result. 

JU Gifu

JU Gifu, the largest auction hall of the parent auction house JU, is JU Auto Auction (JAA) Gifu. Due to its central location in Japan's Gifu city, it is the most well-known auction house. Compared to other JU auction houses, JU Gifu has a greater selection of used JDM cars.

In addition to holding second-hand car jumbo marketplaces in every prefecture and offering customers high-quality cars, JU Gifu manages the confidently used second-hand cars and posts all vehicles with caution and confidence. Every Saturday, they hold their on-site auction.

Japanese Auctions to avoid

ZIP Auctions

ZIP Tokyo and ZIP Osaka are auctions that specialize in foreign-made imported vehicles. While they have a good selection of cars, their auction sheets are inconsistent and often hide issues with their vehicles. For this reason, we advise our customers to avoid the ZIP auctions.

Auctions in Northern Japan

We don't avoid auctions in Northern Japan, but we take great care to avoid cars with rust and corrosion in their auction sheets. The snow in Japan makes it a scary deal to buy from auctions, especially if it's from an auction that we cannot check and inspect. There are still customers who are okay with rust and corrosion that still buy from auctions like USS Sapporo, USS Niigata, and JU Hokkaido. 

JU Ibaraki

Their auction sheets are often dirty and brutal to read. Most importantly, they also tend to carry older, classic JDMs that are in terrible condition. This, combined with the fact that we cannot inspect JU Ibaraki, makes it a terrible auction house for us.