Browse
Explore Japanese mini trucks and see what typically comes up at auction and through dealer stock in Japan.
Learn more
Japanese Mini Trucks.Built To Work.
Find your next kei truck in Japan. Browse available trucks or let us source the right one for you.
Sourced in JapanExport SupportWorldwide Shipping
What We Do
Your Mini Truck. Sourced in Japan.
Japan has a large domestic market of compact kei trucks — work trucks, 4WD models, dump trucks and specialty configurations built for Japanese farms, trades and local delivery. Japan Mini Trucks helps international buyers find and source suitable vehicles from that market.
Source
Tell us the specification you need and we search Japanese auction and dealer listings for matching vehicles.
Learn moreExport
We help coordinate inspection, export documentation and ocean shipping to your destination port.
Learn more
Models
Popular Japanese Mini Trucks
Five models make up most of what comes through the Japanese auction system. They share the same 660cc kei class limits but differ in layout, body options and parts availability.
Suzuki
Suzuki Carry
The most widely produced kei truck in Japan. Simple, well supported, and the easiest model to find parts for outside Japan.
Explore model
Daihatsu
Daihatsu Hijet
The widest range of factory body types, including dump beds, Jumbo extended cabs, refrigerated boxes and scissor lifts.
Explore model
Honda
Honda Acty
Mid-mounted engine under the bed gives a flat floor and unusually good rear-wheel traction for its size.
Explore model
Subaru
Subaru Sambar
Rear-mounted engine and independent suspension on all four corners. The enthusiast's pick, and the hardest to find in good condition.
Explore model
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Minicab
Often the best value of the five. Similar capability to a Carry or Hijet, with less buyer competition at auction.
Explore model
Why Kei
Small Truck. Serious Utility.
Compact footprint
Roughly 11 ft long and 4 ft 7 in wide. It parks in half a garage bay and turns inside a barn aisle.
660cc engines
Kei class regulations cap displacement at 660cc, which is why fuel consumption is low and service parts are small and inexpensive.
4WD availability
Many trucks were sold with selectable four-wheel drive, low range and a rear differential lock from the factory.
Manoeuvrability
A turning circle around 13 ft makes tight yards, trails and loading docks straightforward.
Enclosed cab
A heated, lockable cab with windscreen wipers and a heater — not a costly add-on as on many utility vehicles.
Factory body variety
Japan's domestic market produced dump beds, extended cabs, box bodies and lifts as standard catalogue options.
Typical uses
Farm and property work
Feed, fencing, gates, water tanks and general chores on acreage where a full-size pickup is more truck than the job needs.
Landscaping
Tools, mowers, mulch and green waste. Dump-bed models tip without a trailer.
Construction sites
Moving materials and crew tools across a site that a half-ton cannot easily turn around in.
Campgrounds and parks
Maintenance rounds on narrow internal roads and trails.
Hunting and outdoor property
An enclosed heated cab and 4WD with low range, at less cost than a comparable side-by-side.
Specialty applications
Refrigerated boxes, scissor lifts and other factory or coachbuilt configurations that exist in Japan.
How It Works
From Your Specification To Your Port
Four stages. You review the vehicle before anything is purchased.
01
Tell Us What You Want
Send us the model, drivetrain, transmission, body type, budget and destination country. The more specific you are, the tighter the search.
You get a written summary of what we will look for.02
We Find Matching Trucks
We search Japanese auction listings and dealer stock for vehicles that match. You receive photos, the auction sheet and our reading of its condition grade.
No payment is required at this stage.03
Review the Vehicle
You review the auction sheet, translation and photos before anything is bought. We will tell you what we would want checked on that specific truck.
You decide whether to proceed.04
Export & Shipping
Once purchased, we coordinate de-registration, export certificate, and booking onto a vessel to your destination port.
You receive the documents your customs broker will need.
Truck Finder
Tell Us What You Need. We’ll Help You Find It.
Describe the truck and the job it has to do. We search Japanese auction and dealer listings for vehicles that match and send you what we find, with photographs and the auction sheet.
How this works
This form sends your requirements to us. It does not search live inventory automatically — a person reviews your request and searches the Japanese market for you.
Import Guide
Buying a Mini Truck From Japan? Start Here.
Import rules differ by country, and federal import is a separate question from road registration. These guides explain both.
How to Import a Kei Truck
The end-to-end sequence for importing a Japanese kei truck, from choosing a specification in Japan to registering it at home.
Read guide
How Much Does Kei Truck Shipping Cost?
What actually goes into the landed cost of a kei truck shipped from Japan, and why a single headline number is usually misleading.
Read guide
Understanding Japanese Car Auctions
How the Japanese auction system works, what an auction sheet records, and how to read a condition grade.
Read guide4WD Kei Trucks Explained
How four-wheel drive works on Japanese kei trucks, what low range and diff lock add, and when 2WD is the better buy.
Read guide
The 25-Year Import Rule (USA)
What the United States 25-year exemption covers, what it does not cover, and why state registration is a separate question.
Read guide
Kei Truck Buyer's Guide
How to choose between the five main kei truck models, what to check before buying, and the mistakes that cost importers money.
Read guide
Trust
Why Buy Through Japan Mini Trucks?
We are a sourcing and export service based in Japan. Here is what that means in practice — and we have not padded this list with claims we cannot evidence.
Japan-based sourcing
We are located in Japan and work with Japanese auction and dealer listings directly.
Direct communication
You deal with a person over WhatsApp or email, not a ticket queue.
Vehicle information before purchase
Photos, auction sheet and our reading of the condition grade before anything is bought.
Auction sheet review
Japanese auction sheets record grade, damage map and inspector notes. We translate and explain them.
Export assistance
De-registration, export certificate and vessel booking coordinated on your behalf.
International buyer support
We work with buyers importing to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, and will tell you plainly when a rule in your country is a problem.
Key Facts
Japanese Kei Trucks, Explained
What is a Japanese kei truck?
A kei truck is a light commercial vehicle built to Japan's kei (light vehicle) class regulations, which cap engine displacement at 660cc and limit overall length and width. In practice it is a compact four-wheel pickup around 11 ft long and 4 ft 7 in wide, with an enclosed two-seat cab and a flat cargo bed, frequently available with selectable four-wheel drive.
What is a kei truck used for?
In Japan they are working vehicles used in agriculture, construction and local delivery. Buyers outside Japan typically use them for farm and property work, landscaping, campground and park maintenance, construction sites, and hunting or outdoor property access.
What is a Suzuki Carry?
The Suzuki Carry is the most widely produced Japanese kei truck, in production since 1961. It uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine, is available in 2WD and selectable 4WD, and has the widest parts availability outside Japan of any kei truck.
What is a Daihatsu Hijet?
The Daihatsu Hijet is Daihatsu's kei truck and offers the widest range of factory body types, including three-way tipping dump beds, the Jumbo extended cab, and refrigerated box bodies. It uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine.
What is a Honda Acty?
The Honda Acty is Honda's kei truck, distinguished by a mid-mounted engine beneath the cargo bed. That layout places more weight over the driven rear axle, which owners report as improved traction on loose surfaces.
How much does a kei truck cost?
The vehicle price in Japan is only part of the cost. A landed total combines the vehicle price, Japanese auction and handling fees, export documentation, ocean freight, destination port and customs charges, duty, and inland delivery. Because freight and duty vary by route and country, we quote an itemised estimate per vehicle and destination rather than publishing a single figure.
Can’t Find What You’re Looking For?
Tell us the truck you’re looking for and we’ll help you identify suitable options in Japan.