Buying from Japan...Accuphase or Luxman what are the costs ? import duties etc

It's not worth the hassle to deal with a foreign entity. Let the dealer work for you and he's deserving of some compensation. Is your time of value? Do you like leading a stress-free Life? If you answer no then I would buy it from a foreign company and hope for the worst just so you can enjoy your life more

I was just asking if anyone has actually bought from Japan and what was their experiences were, clearly it sound like you have not.

I have purchased an M4000A amplifier and a big Kenwood turntable from HiFiDo in Japan. They arranged the shipping through FedEx, boxed things up extremely well and each shipment arrived within 7 days of shipping. 

Shipping was a little expensive but worth the trouble.The boxes were so nice I saved them in the attic.

I also use step down transformers and cannot hear any difference in sound quality nor can I measure any. 

Cheers, Alan.

You can google USA customs duty. There is a gov't site that lists everything by category.  Did I say EVERYTHING? I found it when I was importing a TT from Japan. BTW there is no duty for record players or record player parts (my TT and my recent tonearm, for example) from Japan, and most sellers from Japan are aware of how to label shipments. My TT was clear sailing. You can always pay someone if you discover there is a duty on a specific item... and you don't have the time or temperament to deal with bureaucracy. Remember Japan Market uses 100 volt 60 cycle, so include a transformer in your plans (just because the plugs are the same doesn't mean it will survive, or perform to design specs).

I have purchased two new Luxman amplifiers from Japan on EBay ;550axII and 505axII. I paid about $150 import fees on one of the amplifiers but zero on the other. Don’t know why. I filled out the customs form online. Both units arrived in perfect condition.

I easily resold the 505 to upgrade. I had no issues whatsoever.

my converter failed and the second amp would not turn on. I had a heck of a time finding a repair shop in the states. The unit was repaired satisfactory and I upgraded the converter. I still have it and it’s been working perfectly.

even with the repair and shipping charges I still saved a couple thousand dollars versus buying locally.

if I were to buy another new Luxman or Accuphase I would still buy a Japanese unit.

just be aware that the warranty is not honored here in the states.