Buying Kit in Japan (!)

[HakoFugu]

Hi, Morty

I paid the consumption tax to the delivery guy when my package arrived. Duty works the same way. You pay on delivery, in cash.

Joel

 

[jagfish]

Consumption tax

Must be a selective process...I've ordered in some scuba stuff and have not paid that tax to date...

JAG

 

[Mar Scuba]

Depends on how the customs officer is feeling that day.

FedEx, DHL, etc. almost always. Post office, maybe or maybe not.

Unless you get commercial packages like me, in which case you get dinged every time.

Cheers,

P.S. I talked to someone at XS Scuba and he said he would look into making a run of blue Power Fins.

 

[Dannyinjapan]

Hoo.. I live in Japan as well, Kyoto-shi, but ahve never dived here. It seems prohibitavely expensive, and I wonder about the wisdom of buying gear here with A) no dive partner or club and B) the chance that I will be going home in a year or so and have to ship it all..

What do you guys think? I am pretty new to diving, but if I got my own gear, how much would it cost per dive (air, boat, etc)?

I guess I am just wondering if it is cheaper for me to fly to somewhere tropical to dive than to get things going here..

Perhaps this belongs in a new thread, but.. here you are..

Anyhoo, thanks be, and if anyone is going diving in Kansai, let me know!

Danny (JET FLT, AOW)

 

[Kim]

I was under the impression that Scuba gear was tax exempt! I have never paid anything - I always make sure that it is clearly marked as Scuba equipment (NOT - Sporting Goods - there's duty on that!!)

 

[Mortlock]

If you look at the import codes, then most SCUBA gear falls into "watersport equipment" and is exempt. However, there appears to be a dutable section for "inflatables" so a particularly anal customs inspector might choose to impose duty on a BC.

I also understand that Neoprene products will usually attract some kind of duty (I'm just about to test this when I import a new wetsuit this week (I don't like the idea of paying 5 man for a 3mm wetsuit!)).

I was also under the impression that nothing imported is "tax exempt"; The 5% consumption tax must always be paid but there are "duty exempt" items.

In the end, it's Japan and who knows how this stuff gets worked out at the end of teh day. The customs inspectors probably don't have much idea either! Just got to hope for good luck I guess.

Morty

 

[Kim]

I must have been lucky - I've never paid the 5% consumption tax either!!

 

[jagfish]

Hoo.. I live in Japan as well, Kyoto-shi, but ahve never dived here. It seems prohibitavely expensive, and I wonder about the wisdom of buying gear here with A) no dive partner or club and B) the chance that I will be going home in a year or so and have to ship it all..

What do you guys think? I am pretty new to diving, but if I got my own gear, how much would it cost per dive (air, boat, etc)?

I guess I am just wondering if it is cheaper for me to fly to somewhere tropical to dive than to get things going here..

Perhaps this belongs in a new thread, but.. here you are..

Anyhoo, thanks be, and if anyone is going diving in Kansai, let me know!

Danny (JET FLT, AOW)

Hi Welcome aboard
Honestly, I'm not sure where the diving is in the Osaka/Kyoto area. You might start a thread to ask about that. I'd be curious to hear as well.

JAG

 

[Mortlock]

I must have been lucky - I've never paid the 5% consumption tax either!!

I'm hoping to be just as lucky next week with my new wetsuit!

 

[Mar Scuba]

Wetsuits, if classified as clothing, or neoprene will be 3-15%. Depends on the phase of the moon.

Good luck,