Buying a pre-owned car from a Japanese auction house is similar to many other online marketplaces. You can usually browse their inventory of cars for sale free of charge, but you’ll need to sign up for an account to bid on vehicles. The auction house might require you to pay a security deposit which will be applied to your purchase if you win the auction and refunded if you don’t. You’ll tell the auction house the car you’re interested in, and they will bid up to your preset price limit on your behalf. Once you win the auction, you’ll need to settle with the seller for the remaining balance. The auction house can also often help you locate a local company to inspect the vehicle independently to ensure it’s DOT and EPA-compliant.