# Help of translating japan export certificate (dates)



## Tassu_Spirit (Jul 28, 2006)

I'm trying to register R32 in Finland, but before I can get the licence plates I need to find out the date of first registration in Japan. I think those dates are in export certification paper, but I don't understand the way those are printed.
Here is a picture of the dates section from the export certificate:








It's not so good quality picture, but in the middle it says "Registration date - 18 year 4 month 6 day"
And on the right "First reg. date - 4 year 8 month"
What does those mean? The car is manufactured 1992 by its VIN code.
Any help would be nice.


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## PS30-SB (Jun 13, 2003)

The column on the top RIGHT ( First Reg. Date ) is the relevant one. The year date code is written in the Japanese 'Gengo' system format, which links year date to the reign of the incumbent Emperor.

Yours is written as 'Heisei 4', and the reign of Emperor Heisei ( known outside Japan as Emperor Akihito ) began in 1988. So, to turn the Heisei 4 date into a Gregorian calendar format you simply add 1988 to 4 ( = 1992 ).

My own cars are older than yours, and all date from the era of Emperor 'Showa' ( known outside Japan as Hirohito ). So, for example, I have cars built / first registered in Showa 45 ( 1970 ), Showa 46 ( 1971 ), Showa 47 ( 1972 ) and Showa 48 ( 1973 ). To get my Gregorian year from a Showa date I just add 1925, which was the beginning of the Showa reign.

You will possibly need an officially endorsed translation for registration, which might be available at your Japanese embassy.


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## Tassu_Spirit (Jul 28, 2006)

Super super super. Thanks a lot!!! Lets see if this information is enough or if I need that officially endorsed translation as you said. But knowing the bureaucracy of Finland, even that might not be enough. I need to pay at least 200€ to get some official paper to confirm this date, eventhough no one wants to write that paper and it's december 2012 when I get every paper work done, and by then the limited time of registration process has expired and I need to start everything again. Hahhahaaa, but this is my hobby now.


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## Thrust (Jun 8, 2004)

Yes, I have lived in Japan for 35 years and confirm the top right to be "First Registration Date: August 1992" 

NB Japan dos not give a specific day in the month for first registration. You may have to put 1st August or 31st August for European paperwork.

The middle column tells you that the car was re-registered for some reason on 6th April 2006. The registration number says it was owned and driven in Nagoya. 
(Nagoya 339 Nu 6543)


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## Tassu_Spirit (Jul 28, 2006)

Huge thanks for You guys. Yeah, in new registration papers they will put the last day of the month if specific day is not known. Now I just need to get official translation of that and mot tests are passed. Shouldn't be too difficult to get.

It is interresting that this car was re-registered in 6th of April 2006. I bought it end of April 2006 from a dealer. This dealer said that every car is carefully checked and test driven. But I found out some time after I got the car that he knew in first place that this car had engine problems. He tried to hide that fact from me by letting me not see the car for a while after it was delivered to Finland. I assume he thought he will fix it first and then give it to me. Like he did, but there was signs of everything wasn't as he claimed.

Worst part of this is that I can't trust anything what he said. One main reasons why I bought this car was that he said that there is new bearings on the engine. Which I now think was a lie. I lost like 6k€ with this car at first hand and much more when I've been slowly building it for 5 years. But now finally it's working and ready for use. Have to be happy :clap:


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