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whitehall

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Are you in the USA and tired of the high prices for these guitars from the 3 guys in Japan selling them ? Simple fix, go to Yahoo Auctions Japan. That's where they get most of theirs . There is no such thing as Ebay Japan , But there's a Yahoo Auctions Japan. Most people are not aware of this. With some legwork and some translation skills you can buy these guitars for 200-400 less than the big 3 sell them to us for. Of course you'll still pay the big shipping , about $110.00 via EMS. But hey, 300.00 Orville by Gibson anyone ?
 
Do you know how to buy on yahoo japan? I mean, for me it's easy, my wife is japanese and have a yahoo account, but how to create an account and pay the seller once you win tha auction when you're foreigner?
I think it's quite difficult if you don't have a japanese bank account :-?
 
By the way, most of the sellers doesn't ship to outersea on yahoo auctions. It's not like on ebay, most of the time you don't pay the shipping to the seller. you pay the shipping when the guitar arrive at your home.

And there is something I really don't like: on Yahoo auctions, the seller can move the ending time of the auction. SO usually, when he sees many bidders he moves the ending time 10 minutes by 10 minutes and the prices raise and you have no idea when it will end. Impossible to bid at the last moment like on ebay. But sometimes there is no bidders and you make some good deals. :)
 
thats right ...it`s not that easy getting started on Yahoo Japan and it`s also true the vast majority of sellers don`t sell abroad. I`ve had sellers tell me flat out they don`t want to have to deal with a non Japanese... so I ask my wife to do the talking... but thats a secret so don`t spill the beans. We`ve bought close to 100 items on Yahoo Japan with only one slight problem... a skirt my wife bought had to be returned and that went very well so all in all we are happy dealing there. I got my first guitar from Yahoo Japan recently... a Fernandes The Function strat for 9000 yen.. I also collect old watches so all my purchases to that point were watch related. I`ve bid on several guitars but thay went for more than I can get them for here but it is fun.
 
Japanese sellers at Yahoo don't sell foreign what is a pity.I prefer dealing with japanese dealers over spanish ones so go figure.I trust them,they are polite and very informative.I have only one problem but it was solved satisfactory by japanese seller.For managging with japanese sellers is important knowing japanese mind,which is sometimes difficult for us occidental people,you can do a wrong move without realizing at all.I have several japanese friends and I learn what I can from them,but not as fast as I would like.My brother is a japanese culture lover and he's learning japanase idiom from 4 years ago and he adviced me some things I do wrong :-? without any intention.I recomend buying from Japan to my feirnds and I've never been told bad things from them,never.
 
after 11 years in Japan, I am no closer to understanding the Japanese mind. Ask about "honne" and "tatemae" tell me when to distinguish between them.
There are some very honest and nice Japanese, and there are some who aren`t... just like everywhere else... no different..., we seem to have this image of the people before comong here and living for a period of time, I did as well. My wife is Japanese, her extended family are among the nicest people I`ve met anywhere, made me feel like a part of the family immediately. Some of my students are great too.
One of my students is a retired woman who has had an interesting life and she once told me things are easier for me here because I have blue eyes... she told me to ask Asians from other countries who come here to live how things are. The word gaijin means foreigner, but it also means outsider. There is a more polite form of that word, gaigokojin.
Hope it doesn`t sound like I`m complaining, I`m not, but I do make observations after so many years here and the moment I`m no longer happy in the country...I`ll leave. It is an interesting place to live, one where I`m tolerated but rarely made to feel welcome. Certainly a beautiful country, one of my hobbies is photography and there are endless opportunities for that. All in all, I made the right decision coming here, I`ve learned a lot, have a job I love and am still happy here. Everybody should come to Japan at least once in their lifetime.
 
20c.b.....have you spent any time in Japan? I`m in Sendai Miyagi, not exactly cosmopolitan, so that may have a lot to do with my experiences. Love going to Yokohama, maybe my favorite city here...though I have tey to go to many others. Wanna go to kyoto for photography...I`d lve to go to Osaka but my wife said she won`t go with me... something about the folks there being " different " from other cities.
luis... I wish you could come here. I`d really like to shw you around the city...wouldn`t take too long... bring to to my favorite izakaya, we have some beautiful shrines, 30 minutes from the ocean and mountains, AOBA festival will soon be here...my favorite festival in this city. Would you like to see pics? I could e-mail you some. Maybe your brother would like to see some? Hasta luego amigo.
 
First time I went to tour with the band I was playing in. I met my wife there and went to japan every 2 years more or less thince that time (almost ten years ago). I never wanted so much to live there as (like you said) I felt it was quite a tough place for foreigners. I think you have to be really strong to live in japan. I've visited many places as a tourist. I really enjoy the area of osaka kobe etc... My wife is from Toyama.
 
I see....thats cool. Is it still Ok to use the word cool? I met my wife in Montreal while she was there on homestay. We will someday return to Canada for good... no way I could live here forever...though sometimes if feels like it already. Hope to go home, buy a house and do what I do here but in Canada. Japan is beautiful but as you know...it`s small and being from Canada....I need room to move.
 
Thanks for your hospitality Pete,you can bet I'll be there with you if I travel to Japan again.My brother will be very glad to met you.He does barely speaks english but it's a very interesting expirience for him.He has agreat library including some interesting books I bought him when I had to fly to Madrid regullary some years ago and through internet too.
I agree there are japanese people who are not so honest but I trust them overall than other people.People we met at Japan were wonderfull with us,so we did when they came to Spain to visit us.I know about gaijin situation,my brother explained me.
This year we're planning visiting Aichi's International Exposure,but we'll see...I have some finantial troubles :( and it is not cheap an airplane ticket(no offers).

Kyoto is a lovely place and many things to visit.I'd recomended you travelling to Kamakura.I have some friends there and I really enjoyed being there.They made tea ceremony for us at grandparent's friends home.You don't have some troubles finding places as me as you can read kanji better then us.I've never being at Osaka,I was told they are "different" as you say.......many racing cars,ets....
 

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