Joint Motor Vehicle Registration and Inspection Office (Ginowan)
Japan /
Okinawa /
Chatan /
Ginowan
World
/ Japan
/ Okinawa
/ Chatan
World / Japan / Okinawa
office building, military, department of motor vehicles (DMV)
Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan
This Kafkaesque bureaucraic fifedom will send you on a paper chase around The Island unless you know what you're doing *before* you enter their reality distortion field. Like you thought, somehow, DMV run by the military would be different?
Some key things to help you out:
1 - find out their hours of operation (they keep strange hours because they hate customers)
2 - know the end dates for all your critical pieces of paperwork; you know, things like:
+ road tax
+ JCI
+ personal insurance
+ your driver license expiration date
+ any multiple vehicle ownership letters of authorization
They love to flag your vehicle as "undrivable" due to some regulatory catch 22 leaving you with your car stuck in their parking lot (but don't leave it there too long). Take a taxi, have typhoon motors toe it or just ask for temporary plates so you can get whatever paper that is grounding you fixed.
Knowing end date can be a little difficult since the Japanese use a different system, but whomever you purchased insurance from should be able to know all of these dates.
3 - if they flag something on your car that needs to be "fixed" before they'll give you that coveted JCI sticker, don't even think you'll just drive it down to Typhoon Motors... they've got a waiting list and a large number of ways to jack the bill up (just blow off any extra clap trap they try to sell you on, the JCI is the last word on the road worthiness of your vehicle). The garage by the gas station is equally useless. If you want your vehicle fixed the same day, in time for you to run it through the JCI line before the end of the day, go to one of the just in time shops off base (but not Pit Stop).
4 - don't go into Vehicle Reg. with blown paperwork (paperwork with expired end dates). Call them on the phone (good luck with that too) and ask them what the procedure is for handling the situation (and record the conversation). Then go in and attempt to handle it the way they recommend. If they pull a fast one (deviate from their instructions), ask to speak to a supervisor and whip out the recording.
5 - when they tell you that Road Tax *must* be paid at the LTO, they're full of it. If you're nice and you catch them at the right time, you can pay there, other wise, you can pay the fee at any one of a number of city offices (like the one closest to where you live would be nice, right?).
Generally speaking Road Tax is best paid in April/May when it comes due. Most section organize a Road Tax run and designate someone to collect money/paperwork and go get the Road Tax stickers for everyone. If you see one of these getting organized in your area, jump on it like it's hot, because it will save you an enormous amount of hassle. You'll need to know the two digit number on your license plate the designates the class of vehicle (based on curb weight), look at the chart for the year to find the fee and tip whoever is making the run $5 because the time/aggravation you will spared be worth twice that amount, minimum, no matter how unimportant your job might appear to be.
If you hate you're boss or your co-workers or just generally dislike what you do for a living, Road Tax duty is a good chance to get out of the work area, gain everyone's appreciation, make a little on the side and generally goof off (or read a book or whatever) while waiting in the stupendous line formed by all the people in organizations not smart enough to have a runner like you. It's a win-win situation!
6 - Always remember that the military members who work JVRO are MPs... that is law enforcement, i.e. cops: treat them with the respect and knowledge that they can make things hard or they can make them easy... as for the pants-suits and tie-wearing bureaucrats... well, you know... not everyone gets into heaven... they made their choice in life... don't stoop to their level.
This Kafkaesque bureaucraic fifedom will send you on a paper chase around The Island unless you know what you're doing *before* you enter their reality distortion field. Like you thought, somehow, DMV run by the military would be different?
Some key things to help you out:
1 - find out their hours of operation (they keep strange hours because they hate customers)
2 - know the end dates for all your critical pieces of paperwork; you know, things like:
+ road tax
+ JCI
+ personal insurance
+ your driver license expiration date
+ any multiple vehicle ownership letters of authorization
They love to flag your vehicle as "undrivable" due to some regulatory catch 22 leaving you with your car stuck in their parking lot (but don't leave it there too long). Take a taxi, have typhoon motors toe it or just ask for temporary plates so you can get whatever paper that is grounding you fixed.
Knowing end date can be a little difficult since the Japanese use a different system, but whomever you purchased insurance from should be able to know all of these dates.
3 - if they flag something on your car that needs to be "fixed" before they'll give you that coveted JCI sticker, don't even think you'll just drive it down to Typhoon Motors... they've got a waiting list and a large number of ways to jack the bill up (just blow off any extra clap trap they try to sell you on, the JCI is the last word on the road worthiness of your vehicle). The garage by the gas station is equally useless. If you want your vehicle fixed the same day, in time for you to run it through the JCI line before the end of the day, go to one of the just in time shops off base (but not Pit Stop).
4 - don't go into Vehicle Reg. with blown paperwork (paperwork with expired end dates). Call them on the phone (good luck with that too) and ask them what the procedure is for handling the situation (and record the conversation). Then go in and attempt to handle it the way they recommend. If they pull a fast one (deviate from their instructions), ask to speak to a supervisor and whip out the recording.
5 - when they tell you that Road Tax *must* be paid at the LTO, they're full of it. If you're nice and you catch them at the right time, you can pay there, other wise, you can pay the fee at any one of a number of city offices (like the one closest to where you live would be nice, right?).
Generally speaking Road Tax is best paid in April/May when it comes due. Most section organize a Road Tax run and designate someone to collect money/paperwork and go get the Road Tax stickers for everyone. If you see one of these getting organized in your area, jump on it like it's hot, because it will save you an enormous amount of hassle. You'll need to know the two digit number on your license plate the designates the class of vehicle (based on curb weight), look at the chart for the year to find the fee and tip whoever is making the run $5 because the time/aggravation you will spared be worth twice that amount, minimum, no matter how unimportant your job might appear to be.
If you hate you're boss or your co-workers or just generally dislike what you do for a living, Road Tax duty is a good chance to get out of the work area, gain everyone's appreciation, make a little on the side and generally goof off (or read a book or whatever) while waiting in the stupendous line formed by all the people in organizations not smart enough to have a runner like you. It's a win-win situation!
6 - Always remember that the military members who work JVRO are MPs... that is law enforcement, i.e. cops: treat them with the respect and knowledge that they can make things hard or they can make them easy... as for the pants-suits and tie-wearing bureaucrats... well, you know... not everyone gets into heaven... they made their choice in life... don't stoop to their level.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 26°17'36"N 127°45'45"E
- MCCS Aquatics Main Office 0.2 km
- MCCS Okinawa HQ 0.9 km
- EDS defaudation point, Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan 1.1 km
- Bridgestone Building 5.3 km
- PSC 80 (military post office), Kadena Air Base, Okianwa, Japan 5.5 km
- Various Japanese Liaison Offices (Japanese Coast Guard and Customs) 5.9 km
- Urasoe Central Post Office 6.5 km
- Kadena Town Hall 7.6 km
- Hello Work Plaza Naha 10 km
- Satsuma Town Hall 677 km
- Camp Foster 1.3 km
- Marine Corps Air Station Futenma 2 km
- Lester Housing, Camp Lester 2.1 km
- Runway 06/24 2.2 km
- Kishaba Housing, Camp Foster 2.7 km
- Camp Lester 2.8 km
- Plaza Housing 3.3 km
- Ocean Castle Country Club 3.5 km
- Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom 4 km
- Okinawa 30 km
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