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Used Japanese Car Market Values

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I’m sure many of you are confused by the differences in market values of certain types of used Japanese vehicles, and their current upward fluctuations. It is true that some of the more reputable used car exporters have increased their prices whilst other relatively unknown exporters are still displaying prices that are very much cheaper than current market prices. This article will provide the facts to answer those questions; which prices are real, where is the current market value, do we wait or do we buy now, and why are some prices unbelievably cheaper than other exporters?

At present, most of the good quality used Japanese vehicles are being sold for at least 25% more than six months ago. The main reason for this is the increase in demand for good quality used Japanese vehicles to replace the damaged or lost vehicles in the earthquake devastated areas in the East of Japan. This demand is expected to stay high for a few more months, and maybe longer.

On top of this, the US$/Yen exchange rate has changed a lot recently also adding to the increase in the US$ price tag. The US$ has also weakened against many other currencies making the value of used vehicles more expensive in terms of local currencies. The biggest problem with foreign exchange rates is that nobody can predict the direction of the rates, so there is a risk of paying more if the exchange rates get worse. But then again, the exchange rates can move in your favour over time. As I mentioned before, no one can predict the direction of the rates.

So the question, do we wait or do we buy now is totally your choice. My suggestion, if you have the funds, and you need a car, then don’t wait and don’t worry what will happen to the values after you purchase. Many people keep thinking that if they wait a little longer they can save more. Many people who think like that are always waiting and never end up buying anything for fear of paying too much. Just be happy with the value you purchase and don’t worry about what happens afterwards. When you think of it, the cheapest used vehicle is “free”, but that is never going to happen.

So what about the difference in prices? Why is it that some exporters can advertise a Toyota Camry for US$1,055 and other exporters are advertising the same model for US$1,800 (or more). The so-called “exporters” on Tradecarview use a computer program for pricing vehicles that they are downloading from the used car auctions. The problem with the computer programs is that they calculates the average market price without taking into account the grade condition, the mileage, and the type of model of the vehicle. For example, a grade “0″ vehicle is usually for accident vehicles sold as is. The prices of these vehicles can be as low as US$200. These vehicles are usually purchased for parts only. Some vehicles that have done over 200,000km are in very poor condition and wouldn’t last more than 6 months overseas. These vehicles can sell up to 50% cheaper than genuine good quality used cars. Genuine exporters are not interested in these vehicles as it does nothing for our reputation. On top, some vehicles are manufactured to different grades, some being more luxurious and hence more expensive to purchase. For example, a 7 seater Toyota Prado sells for a lot more than a 5 seater Toyota Prado. Again, the computer pricing programs being used by these so called “exporters” on Tradecarview don’t take this information into calculation, and hence their prices are nowhere near the actual current market values. They don’t care either since most of these exporters don’t own the vehicles anyway. Once they receive your money they send you what they can afford within the budget received, or they send nothing at all. Their target is to get your money in first, and worry about the supply of a “vehicle” later. They have no desire to fine tune their pricing programs since it works for them to get as much money in as possible.

Unfortunately, many buyers see the “false market values” and even though they don’t trust these so called “exporters”, they can’t help but look for similar models at the same prices on genuine exporters’ sites. They then become confused when they can’t find similar models at these ridiculously cheap prices and start to wonder if they should take a risk with the unknown exporters. You’ll never find ridiculously cheap prices for genuine used vehicles on genuine exporters’ sites. Genuine exporters are in the business for long term, not for a get-quick-rich plan. We need to make profit in order to survive. That’s what business is all about.

Therefore the actual current market value of a genuine good quality used Japanese vehicle can be found by looking at the genuine exporters’ websites. I’m sure you know well who we are, if not, ask some local clearing agents, or your Embassies in Tokyo.

I recently met some people in Papua New Guinea who fell victim to this false market value scam. Most of them ordered a Toyota Camry or Vista from these relatively unknown “exporters” at US$1,055 FOB value and received a totally different vehicle. One person received a Nissan Presea in replacement for his order without his approval. Another person received a Toyota Starlet of much older year and higher mileage to what he ordered. The victims weren’t told what they were receiving until the vessel arrived in port, so they had no choice but to accept what they were given. And of course, some people didn’t even receive a vehicle. They were so disappointed to discover they fell victims to the “false market value” scam.

It’s easy to get caught up in greed looking for the cheapest vehicles available for re-sale to make a big profit. Greed is what makes the scams successful. Some people I know in Mozambique who got caught by the “false market value” scam told me they were going to re-sell the vehicle and double their money once the vehicle arrived. But no vehicles arrived and their money was lost, all of it.

To avoid the scam, do some research on prices with genuine used car exporters. Ask yourself, why would an “exporter” sell a similar model vehicle for almost half the price as the genuine exporters. As a business person, one doesn’t need to lose so much profit by selling a product for half the price as their competitors. It is just as good a sale if the price is a little bit cheaper than other exporters, meaning the extra margin earned is more profit for your business. As a business person, this is how one thinks. As a con artist, you work on peoples’ greed.

Also, as I have always suggested in previous articles, ask for a copy of the Export Certificate and more photos of the vehicles to prove it is genuine. The Export Certificate is going to show you the real year of the model and the last recorded mileage of the vehicle at its last inspection. The Export Certificate is also proof that the exporter actually owns the vehicle. If they don’t own the vehicle they won’t have a copy of the Export Certificate. Only the current owners of the vehicle have the Export Certificate.

My final recommendation to those who have fallen victim to the “false market value” scam, don’t give up and do nothing to retrieve your money. Keep a copy of all your communications with the “exporters” and photos, etc. send the whole files to your Embassy in Tokyo, and let them do whatever is possible to get a refund or compensation for you. Get back at these con-artists and show them they can’t get away with this scam so easily if you have already been caught. Put the pressure on so that your fellow country-man doesn’t get caught too.

A good quality used vehicle purchased direct from Japan is a very good purchase of very good value. Don’t let greed spoil what should be one of your most prudent purchases in life.

James Hanna,
Nichibocars,
Nagoya, Japan

New PM in PNG – Peter O’Neill Pulls Off Coup

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IALIBU-Pangia MP

Peter O’Neill, was yesterday elected the new and seventh Prime Minister of the country in a sudden and dramatic turn of events in Parliament.
This happened when the swelled ranks of the Opposition successfully moved a motion declaring the office of the Prime Minister vacant and then voted in Mr O’Neill.
He mustered 70 votes with 24 against under presiding Speaker, Jeffery Nape, who declared ‘you have the necessary support to be the next Prime Minister’ and then adjourned for his swearing in at the Government House.
Defectors from the Government totalled 48, which joined the Opposition’s 22.
It was virtually a chamber coup on recuperating Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, which caught his acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal and his Cabinet by surprise.
First to arrive in the chamber after 10.30am was Mr Abal and 22 of his Cabinet Ministers but in solemn fashion when they realised their missing backbenchers, committee chairmen and several Ministers.
Just shortly after that Opposition MPs marched in confidently with their expanded ranks comprising mainly Government MPs plus six Ministers. They included Mr O’Neill himself (Works), Mark Maipakai (Internal Security), Charles Abel (Minister assisting the Prime Minister), Moses Maladina (Public Service), Ano Pala (Foreign Affairs) and Job Pomat (Inter-Government Relations).
After recital of the Lord’s Prayer, Mr Nape directly and promptly entertained the Leader of the Opposition, Belden Namah, who moved for suspension of the Standing Orders to move a motion without notice.
Mr Nape’s attention and actions were focussed on the Opposition’s actions, cutting off all attempts by Leader of Government Business, Paul Tiensten to follow the normal business of the day.
Mr Nape’s deputy, Francis Marus was among the Government defectors.
Mr Namah’s move was unanimously supported by the larger support base and without hesitation, read out the motion to declare vacant the office of the Prime Minister.
‘Pursuant to Section 142 (2) of the Constitution and Schedule 1.10 (3) of the Constitution, and in the inherent powers of the Parliament that we declare the Office of the Prime Minister be vacant and consequently in accordance with the provisions of Section 142 (2), this Parliament proceeds forthwith to elect and appoint a new Prime Minister,’ the motion read. This brought the House into uproar when a vocal, Patrick Pruaitch (Aitape-Lumi, called for a point of order but was met with stiff raucous choruses of resistance from Opposition MPs.
Mr Pruaitch’s attempts were also ignored by Mr Nape who recognised Mr Namah, who rose to move for nominations.
And in a well rehearsed move, Mr Namah nominated Mr O’Neill as Prime Minister and was quickly seconded by, William Duma (Hagen), followed by Mr O’Neill’s ensuing acceptance.
On Mr O’Neill’s barely resuming his seat, Sam Basil (Bulolo), quickly moved for nominations to be closed and promptly seconded by, John Boito (Obura-Wonenara).
This completely shut out any attempts by the Government to prevent the election, resulting in the head count vote taken by Parliamentary staff.
On announcing the 70-24 victory by Mr Nape, the clapping victorious MPs were supported by visitors and onlookers right around the public gallery.
Parliament was adjourned until the ringing of the bells to allow Mr O’Neill’s swearing by the Governor-General.
It later resumed just before 5pm for his maiden speech and congratulatory ones from other MPs.
Only Sir Arnold Amet (Madang) and James Marape (Komo-Magarima) were present in the chamber on resumption and following a switch in sitting arrangements with the Opposition MPs now occupying all Government benches.
Parliament was later adjourned to August 9 at 2pm.

Reposted from Papua New Guinea Post Courier
JONATHAN TANNOS
Wednesday August 03, 2011

Vehicle population rises by 24,000

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*Toyota leads new registrations
The number of privately-owned and government vehicles rose by more than 24,000 in 2009 to 280,600, with Japanese giant, Toyota emerging the vehicle brand of choice among first-time registrations, it has been learnt.

According to a Transport Communications Unit’s estimates released this week, the number of passenger cars rose by 14,551, contributing the most to the overall increase in the vehicle population. Passenger cars continued their dominance in vehicle categories, accounting for nearly half of all vehicles on Botswana’s roads, followed in popularity by light duty vehicles.

The Report also indicates that 33,325 privately owned first registrations were recorded at various licensing centres countrywide in 2009, suggesting robust purchases of vehicles by Botswana . Together with the 33,413 first registrations recorded the previous year, the number of new vehicles in 2009 ranks among the highest of the decade. But Transport Unit officials were quick to explain the apparent anomaly between high first registrations of private vehicles in 2009 and the comparatively lower rise in the national vehicle population.

“The national vehicle population is calculated looking at both renewals and first registrations, while first registrations are for only the period under review. Therefore, while there were 33,000 or so first registrations of private vehicles, other vehicles in the national population were not renewed during the period for various reasons, including accidents,” explained an official. “As a result, some vehicles drop out of the national population and others join in as shown by the first registrations.”

The report also shows that Toyota was most popular with the new vehicle owners, accounting in 2009 for 40.1 percent of the 33,325 first registrations, followed by Nissan, Volkswagen and Mazda in that order. Mitsubishi and Ford anchor the top six most popular vehicle types.

“Toyota’s popularity is historical, from boasting the first dealerships and service centres, to the aggressive yesteryear marketing of their various brands. Today, besides the locally manufactured Toyotas, this brand’s popularity is anchored by the Asian imports which are overwhelmingly skewed in its favour,” said Tawanda Nyika, a sales agent with a local car dealership.

Other statistics indicate that while the number of private vehicles on the roads increased by 10.2 percent to 270,000 between 2008 and 2009, the government fleet declined by 981 vehicles to 9,779 over the same period. In the government fleet, data suggests the sharpest declines were witnessed in the number of light duty vehicles, which dropped by 1,195 to 4,595 between 2008 and 2009. The number of government trucks fell by 221, while buses also realised reductions.

The Transport Unit advised that reductions in the size of the government fleet could be related to increases in private-owned vehicles, as the former are sold off to members of the public at regular auctions.

“These include below carrying value, accident-damaged and other similarly affected vehicles, where it is in the public interest to auction off the vehicle,” the official said.

Reposted from Mmegi Online
MBONGENI MGUNI
Friday July 29, 2011

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Effect On Used Cars

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Many of you have asked if the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan has affected or will affect the supply and prices of used cars in the auctions. Most of us saw many vehicles being washed away by the tsunami or buried under rubble in the earthquake areas.

These vehicles affected in the recent devastation will most likely be scrapped, or sold for parts wherever possible. It won’t be in the interest of the insurance companies to inspect each and every damaged vehicle in the region. They will most likely pay out on all the insurance claims without negotation.

It is difficult to say if these damaged vehicles will make their way to the auction houses in Japan, however it will be easy to spot these vehicles if they do try to pass them off as ordinary vehicles. Firstly, the insurance companies would be taking a big risk doing quick repair jobs on these vehicles for re-sale in the auctions. The experts will know immediately and walk away from the vehicles without bidding. Flooded vehicles leave sediments that are easily detected, and the expert buyers can easily detect where a vehicle has been repaired. Therefore any costs spent on repairs will only add to the insurance companies’ losses. So we are not expecting insurance companies to flood the auction houses with such vehicles. The best solution for the insurance companies will be to sell the vehicles for scrap or parts. Besides, if any exporter tries to sell one of these vehicles then it surely will be stopped by JEVIC Inspection before shipment.

The loss of so many vehicles would normally have an effect in most markets, however there are over 70 million vehicles registered on the roads in Japan, so it is not expected that much of an effect will occur. In fact, the end of the Japanese financial year is March and this is the time of the year when many of the auctions are flooded with used vehicles from company fleets. The prices are usually a little cheaper as a result and we are seeing this effect in the last week or 10 days already. We can expect good market prices for the next few weeks until the volume of vehicles drop back to normal levels.

If there is to be an effect on the sale of used vehicles in Japan as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami, then we most likely won’t see it for at least another 12 months away. The demand for good quality used cars by the victims of the devastated area will be a long while by the time compensation payouts are received from the insurance companies. Roads, houses, and towns will take some time to be restored by the Japanese government due to the magnitude of the disaster, so transportation will not be on the minds of the people from up in the north region in the very near future.

It is our guess that there will probably be no influence on the vehicle prices at all, and there will definitely be no shortage of availability of used vehicles in Japan. It would be easy for us to create panic buying for our own profit, but that is not what it is all about. Our business must continue on in normal fashion, but we are also keeping the people up north in our thoughts and prayers. No-one wants to take advantage of such a situation.

James Hanna
Nichibocars.com,
Nagoya, Japan

Website Frauds on the Rise Again

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There has been another rise in frauds on car websites that use a particular well-know website portal (I won’t mention their name but it is well known for such trouble). This time, the gangs have stumbled onto a good ploy. It’s simple and easy…. we all want to buy the best condition vehicle for the cheapest price. So the fraudsters are displaying vehicles that they don’t own for prices that are far cheaper than the average market price. In fact, there is almost a competition amongst the fraudsters as to who can quote the most ridiculous cheapest price.

It is very sad the number of victims who never even thought twice about sending their hard-earned money to unknown exporters, for a non-existent vehicle that was displayed for less than half the price of the more genuine exporters’ prices. Some victims even had the grand idea of selling the vehicle for double the price and make a fortune when the vehicle arrived, only to find that no vehicle would be sent, and no refund would be received.

I was totally shocked when one particular client of mine asked me to source a 2002 model Hilux Surf for US$6,000 CIF price since they saw one on that website portal. I tried to explain that 2002 model Hilux Surfs usually sell for twice that amount, especially considering that the vehicle displayed on that portal site indicated the mileage at just under 60,000km. The client was keen to purchase that vehicle despite my warnings that it was very suspicious. Moreover, the bank account details were in an individual’s name, not the exporter name. The client called me some months later to ask my assistance to find the exporter and get his money back. The exporter never answered the phones and the address was false. The client admitted his intention to re-sell the vehicle in Africa and could only see the dollar signs in front of his eyes. That’s why he couldn’t see the warning signs that were so evident to most of us. He now realises that a 2002 model Hilux Surf is going to cost him at least US$18,000 when he takes into account the US$6,000 he has lost. Of course, he has giving up on the 2002 model because he can’t afford it now, and will settle on a 1997 model. He’s not very happy, and now walks with his tail between his legs. It’s become a bitter pill to swallow.

Last month, another client from Africa asked for my assistance to track down the same exporter for a vehicle he never received. He lost US$12,000 for a Mercedes Benz that should have cost US$22,000. My friends at the Embassies tell me they are receiving requests for assistance everyday in these matters recently.

My advice to you all is to put yourself in the seller’s position. If you are a genuine business person, then why would you sell a vehicle of value US$22,000 for only US$12,000. Why throw away US$10,000 in profit when you can sell the same vehicle for say US$21,000 and still be cheaper than most other exporters. You would then make an extra US$9,000 profit that rightly deserves to be your windfall as a shrewd business person. So why do you think these unknown exporters would give the car away then? What reason could you think of? There is no reason, it’s as simple as that. A fraudster is not going to lose US$9,000 or more in profit just because he is selling the vehicle so cheap. Of course not, he’s going to make US$12,000 (100% profit) because he has no intention of sending any vehicle to you. He’s going to run off with your money. It’s the same principle as the Nigerian scams. The victims fall for it because of their own greed.

I know we all want to buy the best vehicle for the cheapest price so we can roost about it amongst our friends, but the only ones roosting are the fraudsters. Those unbelievably priced vehicles are just not there. So don’t fall into the greed trap. Ask for more photos, ask for the Export Certificate, and ask someone locally or a clearing agent if the exporter is genuine. And ask yourself, why are you sending money to an unkown exporter for a vehicle that is half the price of genuine exporters’ prices.

By the way, once the money is paid to the exporter, pay trade won’t help you, and that well-known “infamous” portal website won’t help you either. They just tell you it is not their responsibility despite making their portal site available to these fraudsters. They are their for the exporter, not the importer. The portal website makes their money from the exporter, so they accept whoever is willing to pay their fee. Since the importer is not of importance to them, they can easily dismiss you and your claim. So don’t rely on the website portal or pay trade to assist you with a refund if you are scammed. It’s not going to happen.

James Hanna
Nichibocars.com
Japan

Zimbabwe Used Car Import Regulation – Deferred to Oct 31st

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Minister Nicholas Goche

Used car import deadline clarified

Used car import deadline clarified

By Tendai Mugabe

GOVERNMENT has cleared confusion over the deadline for importing second-hand vehicles aged five years and above, saying the cut-off date is October 31 as stated in the statutory instrument gazetted early last month, not June 30.
There had been confusion over the cut-off date with Tran-sport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Mr Partson Mbiriri insisting it was June 30 while the statutory instrument gazetted early last month indicated October 31.

Mr Mbiriri, on three occasions since last month, reiterated that the cut-off date remained June 30.
However, Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche yesterday clarified the deadline, in a statement, saying no one would be barred from importing vehicles, which were five-years-old or more until consultations with relevant stakeholders were completed.

“I want to advise all concerned that no one will be barred from importing vehicles which are more than five-years-old until the consultative process is completed.

“Therefore, the effective date restricting the importation of second-hand vehicles into the country remains 31st October by which date the consultative process would have been completed to which my office will give further direction,” he said.

The October 31 deadline was announced in the Govern-ment Gazette published on April 1 2011.

But Mr Mbiriri insisted the deadline was June 30.

Recently, Mr Mbiriri said the Government was only considering extending the age limit of vehicles to be imported and the October 31 deadline was only for registration of the vehicles.

After noting the confusion and panic by the public, Minister Goche said: “Let me assure the transport sector and the public in general that my ministry is seriously looking into your concerns particularly as they relate to Section 10 and 65, which dealt with the left-hand drive and importation of any vehicle that is five years and above.” As the June 30
deadline approached, panic and confusion gripped car dealers and individuals who were rushing to beat the deadline as asserted by Mr Mbiriri.

Over the past weeks congestion was common at the Beitbridge Border Post as Zimbabwe Revenue Authority workers struggled to clear the imports.

The banning of second-hand vehicles followed Statutory Instrument 154 on Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use) Regulations, issued in September last year.

The regulations among other measures sought to ban the importation of left-hand drive vehicles by 2015.
Section 65 of SI reads: “No person shall import any motor vehicle for registration and use on any road in Zimbabwe if the year of manufacture from the country of origin is more than five years.”

Minister Goche said the regulations were meant to consolidate various pieces of amendments that have been made to the regulations and to harmonise the road safety standards adopted by Sadc member states.

He said extension of the deadline from March 31 2011 to October 31 2011 was designed to afford Government enough time to consider appeals from the public.

“During the period before the publication of SI 154/2010 and the period after the publication, my office received numerous appeals from the transport sector players and the public in general in order to give adequate consideration to the appeals without compromising the integrity of our systems, through which these regulations had gone through and approved.

“I found it prudent to postpone the effective dates of the various sections cited above through the publication of Statutory Instrument 44 0f 2011 which Statutory Instrument was published in the Government Gazette of 1st April 2011,” he said.

On Thursday the Transport Operators’ Association of Zimbabwe challenged Government to reconsider the ban of left hand vehicles from the country’s roads by December 31 2015 in terms of the Sadc protocol on transport as agreed by member states.

The association said the early ban of October 31 2011 would result in the total collapse of the heavy transport sector in Zimbabwe.

Source:
The Zimbabwe Herald
Friday, 27 May 2011 22:36
(Link to Article)

Car Export Scam Unveiled

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The Aichi Prefectural Police and its International Investigation Department in Nagoya city, has arrested Mr. Inoue (age 32), and three others, on suspicion of fraud for false advertising of automobile sales via overseas websites. Others arrested were Yoshihisa Yamatani, Company Executive (47), Hidetoshi Yamashita, self employed (37) and Keiko Miyazaki, part timer (36).

It is alleged that in early October 2009, they conspired to advertise the sale of used cars on a website in English without actually owning the vehicles, nor the intention of purchasing such vehicles. A 40 year old male civil servant from Uganda was tricked into transferring the sum of 330,000 Japanese Yen into their bank account.

The four people posted a website under the name of Dream Stock Trade (DST) via the website portal Tradecarview in August, 2009. Over a 2 month period up to October, they displayed over 240 vehicles as DST stock, despite not owning more than 10 vehicles under their own name, and with no export trade experience. There were 70 complaints from 17 countries as a result of deals made through the DST website over non-receipt of vehicles delivered, totaling about 22,000,000 Japanese Yen.

Furthermore, the prefecture police believe these four people arrested are involved with another two companies using the same portal website, other than DST, which have received over 40 complaints totaling 20,000,000 Japanese yen.

The above article was posted in the Chunichi Newspaper in Japan on May 19th, 2011. The original article appeared in Japanese as follows:

海外向けの自動車販売サイトにうその広告を掲載し、海外の客から代金をだまし取ったとして、愛知県警国際捜査課と千種署などは１８日、詐欺の疑いで名古屋市中区千代田５、無職井上大之容疑者（３２）ら４人を逮捕した。ほかに逮捕されたのは、同市中区丸の内２、会社役員山谷良久（４７）、同県小牧市弥生町、自営業山下英利（３７）、名古屋市東区東桜２、アルバイト宮崎敬子（３６）の３容疑者。

逮捕容疑では昨年１０月初め、実際は所有せず、入手する予定もない中古車を売るとうその広告を英語でウェブサイトに掲載。東アフリカのウガンダの男性公務員（４０）に代金を銀行口座に送金させ、日本円で３３万円をだまし取ったとされる。

４人は昨年８月、ウェブサイト「トレードカービュー」に「ドリームストックトレード（ＤＳＴ）」の業者名で加盟。１０月までの２カ月間に中古車２４０台の広告を掲載したがどの車もＤＳＴ名義ではなく、輸出実績もなかった。ＤＳＴをめぐり、サイト運営会社に「購入した車が届かない」との苦情が１７カ国から七十数件寄せられ、金額は計２２００万円に上るという。

さらに、運営会社にはＤＳＴ以外の愛知県内２業者への苦情も四十数件寄せられ、金額は計２千万円に上る。県警は、この２業者にも４人が関与しているとみて調べている。

(Source: http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2011051990021009.html)

Nichibocars welcomes your comments herebelow. We want to hear from you if you have similar stories to relate.

 

Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

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To all our good friends of Nichibocars,

Many of you are aware of the earthquake and tsunami that occurred on the 11th of March in the north region of Japan. It was very devastating and the likes of a tsunami that we’ve never seen before was horrendous. We felt the earthquake in the Nagoya region but we were lucky enough to escape any damage to our area. The people of the north region in Japan were not so lucky and many lives were lost. Complete towns have been flattened and thousands are without home and the basic necessities of life for now.

We ask you to keep these people in your prayers and thoughts, and hope for a speedy recovery to normal life for those who survived.

In case you are worried about our stock, there was no damage to our area so all our vehicles are o.k. The tsunami didn’t come down as far as our area and the earthquake in the Nagoya area was not strong enough to cause any damage.

Also, we thank those who have sent messages of concern already. Our families and staff are safe and sound.

James Hanna
Nichibocars,
Nagoya, Japan

Zambian Independence Day Celebrations in Tokyo, Japan

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Celebrations of Zambia’s Independence Day in Japan was belated due to the COP10 meeting in Nagoya, Japan coinciding with the actual National Holiday in Zambia. The Honourable Ambassador Dr. Mbikusita Lewanika held celebrations at his residence in Tokyo on Saturday evening, Nov 13th and was attended by many dignatories, business people, and friends from Japan and other countries.

Nichibo Japan was invited to the celebrations and was attended by James Hanna. It was a gala night with all the Zambian Madames dressed in colourful Zambian outfits. They all looked gorgeous on the night and many of the foreigners attending were amazed at the beauty. The Ambassador was dressed in his regalia and looked ever so dashing as he greeted many diplomats from other African countries attending the celebrations.

All the guests enjoyed good food, good wine, good conversations, and good friends. It was a fantastic event that will be remembered by all.

Our warm and heartfelt congratulations from Nichibo Japan to the Ambassador and the people of Zambia on the occasion marking Zambia’s 46th Independence Anniversary.