What does this Japanese sticker mean on my Eunos Roadster !

General Discussion Forums MX-5 Chat
2

On the windscreen, about an inch square. Car wasn’t imported until 2008. Maybe Tax or MOT or parking ?  Fed up with people asking and me not knowing ! 

 

3

Why not remove it?  Or email a copy to the Japanese embassy and ask them what it is?

4

Its a later style Shaken sticker; Japanese MOT. They’ve changed in style from ones ones issued in the 1990s.

5

Thanks saz.

Just been reading about Shaken. I knew it was much tougher than our MOT and every 2 years but didn’t realise the cost - typically about £500 but can be much more! I also didn’t realise the Japanese used a different calendar, the 20 refers to Heisei 20 (emperor years) which was 2008. Assume 3 is March.
It was exported shortly after that so all fits. Sticker is an interesting bit of the cars history, (along with the Yen coin I found fallen down behind the seatbelt stalk), it’ll certainly be staying on the windscreen.

DH

6

 

Thank you both the information!  I must say after reading the above that I’m so glad that I’m living in the UK!

 

 

7

Never mind the sticker. Don’t remove the coin. It’s put there for luck. It is still there isn’t it?

8

Shaken cost is distorted to an extent because it includes 3rd party insurance. As you found out; the Shaken had expired by the time the car was exported. The costs faced to get the car through the Shaken are too high, and the owner may be facing actual repairs, eg repairing ripped seats. Thinking about why owners (dealers) are keen to offload cars in auctions in Japan gives a different spin on the line coming from Importers on these cars.

9

Looking at the Shaken docs that came with the car, only bit I can read is the fax number. A Google and then street view shows a Mazda garage in an industrial town about 200 miles West of Tokyo. The other issue that was a surprise is the climate, quite humid, 30+ in summer but then significant snow in winter.
My car would have been 17 years old when exported which I guess is a good sign and I’ve been right through it now and am happy I’ve got a good one !

(Coin is still there - not sure if put there for lucky or it just fell out of someones pocket !)

DC