01
Stage one • Discovery
Find your car
Search GOONET Exchange yourself, start from one of our model guides, or ask us to search for you.
Buying a vehicle from Japan, made clearer.
From finding a car on GOONET Exchange to collecting it at your port, here is exactly what happens, who does what, and when your vehicle is actually secured.
Yamato × GOONET: who does what
1. 
— discovery
Independent marketplace where sellers across Japan list vehicles.
2. Yamato Cars, Kanagawa
Checks the car, quotes, invoices, buys and prepares it for export.
3. Shipping to your port
RoRo or container, with documents sent to you or your agent.
The process
The four stages of buying
Each stage below explains what you do, what we do, and what happens next.
02
Stage two • Request
Send it to Yamato
Paste the GOONET link or stock number, or tell us the vehicle you want, together with your destination and contact details.
Request a quoteAvailability
We contact the seller to confirm the vehicle is still for sale.
Listing details
We review the details the seller gives and ask questions where needed.
Your destination
We check the route and, where we can, whether the vehicle suits your import rules.
03
Stage three • Agreement
Quotation, agreement & payment
Yamato checks availability and sends the applicable quotation. When you agree, we issue an official Yamato proforma invoice.
A quotation may include, depending on terms
- Vehicle purchase price in Japan
- Transport within Japan to the port
- Export handling and paperwork
- Inspection, where required for your destination
- Ocean freight to your port, where agreed
Import duties and taxes in your country are normally separate. We tell you what is and is not included.
Important: when is a vehicle secured?
A quotation or proforma invoice alone does not mean the vehicle has been secured. Vehicles in Japan can still be sold to other buyers until the purchase is completed. Yamato Cars confirms in writing when the vehicle has actually been secured.
Official proforma invoice
The invoice comes from Yamato Cars and shows the beneficiary and bank account for your transaction. Pay only to that account.
Consignee details
Check the buyer and consignee names and delivery address on the invoice. These are used for the shipping documents.
04
Stage four • Export
Purchase, export & receipt
- 01
Payment confirmed
Your payment to the account on the official Yamato invoice is received.
- 02
Vehicle secured
We complete the purchase with the seller and confirm in writing that the vehicle is secured.
- 03
Export preparation
Transport within Japan, export deregistration and export paperwork.
- 04
Inspection & compliance
Any pre-shipment inspection required for your destination, where applicable.
- 05
Shipment
The vehicle is booked and loaded by RoRo or container, as agreed.
- 06
Documents
Shipping and export documents are sent to you or your clearing agent.
- 07
Arrival & collection
The vehicle arrives at the agreed port or depot for clearance and collection.
Timings depend on the seller, paperwork, any inspection and vessel schedules. We share an expected timeline and keep you updated, but we cannot guarantee shipping times.
Payment safety
Before you pay, check the account.
Please make payment only to the beneficiary and bank account shown on your official YAMATO proforma invoice. If you receive different bank details or a request to change the payment account, contact Yamato Cars through the official contact details on this website before transferring any money.
- 01Official invoice onlyTransfer money only to the beneficiary and account printed on your official Yamato proforma invoice.
- 02Check where emails come fromOur email addresses end in @yamatocars.jp. Treat bank details from any other address as suspicious.
- 03Verify changes by phoneIf bank details change, or someone asks you to pay a different account, call us on a number from this website before paying.
- 04Quotation is not a reservationA quotation or proforma invoice alone does not secure the vehicle. We confirm in writing when it has been secured.
We do not publish bank account numbers on this website. Account details for your transaction appear only on your official invoice.
Verify with us
Japan office
+81 80-7859-2366Kenya & international / Tanzania
+254 758 955 064 / +255 797 111 431
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Need a direct answer?
Our teams in Japan, Kenya and Tanzania can help with your specific vehicle and destination.
Contact usThe GOONET Exchange link or stock number of the vehicle, your full name, email, a telephone or WhatsApp number, your country and the destination port. If you have not found a vehicle yet, tell us the make, model, years and budget instead.
The quotation lists the costs that apply to your purchase on the agreed terms, for example the vehicle price, transport within Japan, export handling and, where agreed, shipping to your destination port. Import duties and taxes in your country are normally separate; we will tell you what is and is not included.
It depends on the seller, export paperwork, any inspection required for your destination, and vessel schedules. We share an expected timeline with your quotation and update you as the vehicle moves, but we do not guarantee shipping times.
No. GOONET Exchange is a separate online marketplace where many sellers in Japan list their vehicles. Yamato Cars does not own or operate GOONET Exchange, and its listings are not Yamato stock. You can find a vehicle there and send us the link, and we will check availability with the seller and prepare a quotation.
No. A quotation or proforma invoice alone does not mean the vehicle has been secured. Vehicles in Japan can be sold to other buyers until the purchase is completed. Yamato Cars confirms in writing when the vehicle has actually been secured.
Pay only to the beneficiary and bank account shown on your official Yamato proforma invoice. If you receive different bank details, or a request to change the payment account, contact Yamato Cars through the official contact details on this website before transferring any money.
Yes. Use the “Tell Yamato what you want” form with the make, model, preferred years, budget and destination. We will look for suitable vehicles and contact you.
No. Deliveries are records of vehicles Yamato Cars has previously sourced and delivered. They are shown as examples of our work and are not available to buy. We can look for a similar vehicle for you.