Monica, originally from Namibia and now living in Japan, visited Autocom Japan’s head office in Yokohama to see how buying a car from Japan works. In this video she meets the sales team, bids at auction, and sees cars being prepared for shipment around the world.
Key takeaways
- Monica bid on five cars at Japanese auctions with Autocom’s auction team, including a Mazda Demio for Namibia.
- Compact cars such as the Honda Fit, Nissan Note, Mazda Demio and Suzuki Swift are popular choices for Namibia.
- Cars for Namibia in the video go by container, with several cars loaded together.
- Sales staff at head office speak many languages, including French, Russian, Spanish and Swahili.
Watch the video
A visit to Autocom Japan in Yokohama
Monica spent the day at Autocom Japan Inc.’s head office in Yokohama. Autocom has exported more than 900,000 cars to over 100 countries, and she wanted to see the process from the inside.
Here is what she found.
1. The most popular cars for Namibia
Mr. Tima, the sales manager for the Namibia and USA markets, told Monica that popular cars for Namibia include:
- Volkswagen Golf
- Honda Fit
- Nissan Note
- Mazda Demio
- Suzuki Swift
- BMW and Mercedes-Benz hatchbacks
These compact cars are practical, easy to park and economical to run, which makes them suitable for both personal and business use. You can browse similar cars in Autocom’s stock list, for example the Honda Fit.
2. How the shipping works
In the video, cars for Namibia are shipped in containers, with several cars loaded into one container depending on their size.
- Timing: the arrival date depends on the vessel schedule — ask our office for the current schedule for your port.
- Loading: cars are secured inside the container to protect them during the journey.
To compare the two main shipping methods, read Ro-Ro vs container shipping. Namibia has its own import requirements — confirm them with the Namibian authorities or your clearing agent before you buy, and see our Namibia import rules page.
3. An international team
One highlight of Monica’s visit was the multicultural atmosphere at head office. Sales staff help customers in many languages, including French, Russian, Spanish and Swahili, so buyers can talk through the process in a language they are comfortable with.
4. Bidding at Japan’s car auctions
Autocom gives customers access to Japan’s car auctions, where the auction team bids on their behalf.
Monica and her cousin bid successfully on five cars, including a Mazda Demio that was about to be shipped to Namibia. To learn how auction buying works, see how to buy a car from a Japanese auction and our guide to reading the auction sheet.
5. Stock cars ready to ship
Besides auction cars, Autocom keeps stock cars listed on its website in yards in Japan, ready for purchase and shipment.
During her visit, Monica saw cars on their way to:
- Namibia: Honda Fit, Mazda Demio
- Kenya: Nissan X-Trail
- Tanzania: Subaru Forester
- Zimbabwe: Toyota Premio
- Uganda: Toyota Harrier
- Mongolia: Lexus RX
Each car is prepared before shipping, and many countries also require a pre-shipment inspection in Japan.
Ready to buy your own car?
Monica’s visit shows that buying a car from Japan is straightforward when each step is clear: choose the car, check the auction sheet, pay, and ship.
When you pay, send money only to Autocom’s official bank accounts in Japan, where the beneficiary is always “Autocom Japan Inc”. Read how to avoid scams when buying cars from Japan before your first purchase.
