How to Read a Japanese Auction Sheet: Codes, Grades & Notes

The six blocks above are an educational reading order, not a reproduction of a particular auction document. Send a complete, legible original sheet—including its auction-house header, legend and notes—for a candidate translation.

Grade letters are not a universal mechanical-health scale. Where interior A–E is used, the progression usually signals increasing wear or required work, but thresholds and the available letters vary. Check seats, trim, odors, stains and missing equipment in the house’s written criteria. Older imports may not qualify for top grades because of age even when well preserved.

CAA’s currently served rules have an April 1, 2025 cover revision, with an evaluation appendix dated February 1, 2021. Its S and 6 categories include age/mileage conditions. Honda AA’s currently served rules are revised October 5, 2026; a September announcement is not the latest edition. See CAA’s evaluation appendix and Honda AA’s current rules.

Numbers such as 1, 2 and 3 commonly indicate increasing size or repair severity within that letter, but a “2” is not a universal measurement. CAA’s appendix gives A1 about 10 cm, A2 about 20 cm and A3 about 40 cm; dent categories use different size examples. W severity describes visible repair traces rather than scratch length. This decoder provides orientation and a question to ask, not an automatic bid recommendation.

For example, a U2 mark on a door calls for a photograph and repair assessment of that door. Several W marks call for paintwork context and a structural-history check. X on a windscreen needs glass-specific interpretation; XX on a body panel calls for replacement history and fitting/repair quality.

These are short vocabulary translations, not a translation of every house’s grading policy. Context changes meaning: a note may report a repair, a symptom or an inspection limit. Have the entire sentence translated, including negation and uncertainty.

Mileage symbols—often a star, dollar sign, hash or other mark—are not safe to decode without the sheet legend. A replaced odometer can have genuine documented readings; an unknown reading cannot be advertised as verified actual mileage. Compare earlier auction records, service invoices and instrument-replacement records, and carry the qualification through the sales description.

Public access to every current symbol legend is uneven. This guide does not invent unpublished TAA, USS or Honda thresholds. Mirai requests the actual venue’s legend when a code is ambiguous. The TC-web guide describes access to venue rules; JU Tokyo’s current auction information distinguishes categories including inspection-free sales.

JU Gifu Hashima’s April 1, 2025 rules appendix uses AU for scratch-with-dent, E for a dent smaller than a 500-yen coin, and A3 for a scratch of about 30 cm. CAA’s dated appendix uses B for scratch-with-dent and about 40 cm for A3. These differences explain why a universal code-size table is unreliable.

The same JU appendix marks tampered mileage with * and unknown mileage with ♯. Its interior scale runs A–E. Apply these conventions to that venue’s sheet, not automatically to USS, TAA or another regional JU auction.

An independent third-party inspection investigates the actual vehicle beyond the auction summary, with the scope and fee disclosed. Mirai’s purchase and export terms explain when the report and condition record are shared and how to raise concerns while the vehicle is still in Japan. Read auction price context without treating a high grade as a fixed price.

For your shortlist, compare the Acty, Hijet and R32 GT-R guides. The U.S. import guide covers the paperwork and state handoff.