Founded in Tokyo, Japan, in 2004 by President Hironori Yamakawa, BE FORWARD is a global leader in used car exports.
President Hironori Yamakawa, BE FORWARD CO., LTD.
Yamakawa knew he was onto a good thing when he started exporting used cars mainly from Japan, but also from South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the U.K., and United Arab Emirates to 207 countries around the world. BE FORWARD delivers quality cars to people around the world, what they want and when they need them. His business is simple, straightforward, and successful.
BE FORWARD and the ”25-year rule” opens doors
In addition to the growth of Asian and European markets, he sees strong growth in sales of older Japanese cars in the U.S. market, due in no small part to the “25-year rule.” This rule states that if a vehicle is at least 25 years old, it can be lawfully imported into the U.S. without meeting additional standards. This means that hero cars from the mid-‘90s like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV, or the Honda NSX S-Zero can now be imported under this rule.
The strong demand for these vehicles comes down to quality and rarity. Many car-owners in Japan maintain their cars in top-notch condition, even 25 years after their manufacture.
“Japanese prefer to update their cars regularly and Japan has a domestic law which requires that all used cars be inspected thoroughly every two years to ensure they are mechanically sound, which helps keep the cars in good quality but resale prices down,” explained Yamakawa. Japan’s small land mass also means that most used cars come with low mileage. These are the reasons that cars on the BE FORWARD website are high in quality and low in price. He also stresses that BE FORWARD is the only dedicated site where you can find rare and highly desirable Japanese cars in near mint condition. If you’re looking for something special, a car that you won’t find in the U.S., this is where you should visit.
With U.S. buyers continuing to explore the Japanese used car market in the next few years, Yamakawa expects the auto parts segment to explode in sales. Until now, it was difficult to source parts for many imported Japanese cars. But BE FORWARD clears that hurdle by offering the best and most reasonably priced selection of parts anywhere online.
“Let’s say you bought a Mazda car, and you broke the headlight. The replacement parts are problematic to source, and the repair bill is exorbitant in your country,” said Yamakawa. To ask a friend in Japan to source, buy, and ship the part is a tall order, especially as most people have never sent parts overseas and are unaware of the paperwork and costs involved.
“In Japan, we have a reliable distribution network that will allow you to locate those headlights quickly on BE FORWARD’s auto parts website and purchase them with just one click on PayPal,” explained Yamakawa.
Sustainability is also a core value for BE FORWARD. “We take used cars and auto parts that would normally have been scrapped and recycle them to re-enter society. I think it is wasteful to just throw parts away without trying to recycle or reuse them,” said Yamakawa.
Cars you can buy from BE FORWARD
Aiming for better
“BE FORWARD adopted PayPal’s payment platform four years ago,” Yamakawa recalls. In 2021, PayPal transaction volume contributed significantly to the firm’s total sales of approximately $410 Million. In fact, the use of PayPal payments has increased tenfold over the last four years. “The growth of our business is directly linked to the international expansion of our payment service made possible by PayPal,” he explained.
To buy a used Japanese car through normal channels would require completing lengthy forms, including those for foreign remittance and import duties. These can be complex documents that few people deal with in everyday life. Through PayPal however, you can avoid this and purchase your desired car or auto part just as you would buy a shirt or pair of shoes online—with just one click, knowing that it will be delivered hassle-free.
BE FORWARD adopted PayPal’s “Pay Monthly” feature in June 2022. It is a new way for customers to make large purchases between $199-$10,000 at 9.99% - 29.99% APR and lets them split the total cost into monthly payments over a six- to 24-month period. Yamakawa is confident that this new service will give customers more flexibility to make larger purchases such as cars and auto parts at the timing they desire, making it easier to stay within their budget.
Delivering wishes around the world
Yamakawa’s dream air cargo with the BE FORWARD logo.
BE FORWARD will continue to grow its online used car export business while at the same time, expanding into burgeoning markets that deal in other products. “Our goal is to deliver what people want when they need it, as cost-conscious and careful as possible,” Yamakawa said. Yamakawa envisions air cargo planes and containers adorned with the BE FORWARD logo, delivering quality Japanese branded goods around the world.
“Since we are transporting relatively large cars and parts around the world, we could potentially add different products within our services, including clothes and laptops, and maximize the potential of each shipping container,” said Yamakawa.” Japanese quality is always about delivering products and wishes and PayPal helps make that achievable.”
You can check BE FORWARD cars from here, and auto parts from here.