Because after April 1st–no foolin’ this time–the sale of second-hand electronic goods made before 2001 will become illegal. That’s right, against the law. If you have a shop and sell a laserdisc player, you’ll be subject to a prison sentence and stiff fines. The ban is not total–it does not include personal computers, and only applies to businesses that sell used electronics–but that’s quite a ban, if you ask me.

The ban applies to 450 types of items, including “TVs, audiovisual equipment, video-game machines, refrigerators and electric musical instruments.” Ostensibly, the law is supposed to be for safety purposes, but that’s a crock. The standards for checking the safety of products was changed in 2001; before then, the government required strict testing for safety, but changed it so that manufacturers could test items on a voluntary system. Which means that the new testing won’t be as rigorous as the old one. But the new law is based upon the assumption that the old equipment should not be sold because somehow it won’t be as safe as the new stuff. Makes sense, right?

Of course it doesn’t. It makes no sense at all. Until you factor in the way the Japanese government works with its industries. The automobile industry is the best example. In Japan, if you own a car, you have to take it in for expensive “safety” checks every few years, called “shaken” (pronounced “shaw-ken”). When the car is new, you get three years free; then a safety check every two years. It used to become mandatory each year after the car became ten years old, but that was changed and now the two-year check continues indefinitely. But that doesn’t change much–it’s still hideously expensive. Shaken can cost up to $1,750, not including a weight tax (up to $500) and mandatory insurance (up to $250), which is skimpy and usually must be enhanced with additional insurance (also up to $500). So you might wind up paying an additional $3000 every two years–which is why a lot of people sell their cars before a shaken check comes along–which is the whole idea. Shaken is not really for safety, it’s a gift for the automobile industry, intended to boost their sales. The discarded used cars, often in perfect running condition, are then scrapped or sold overseas, another big industry, as they aren’t worth much–if anything at all–in Japan, due to shaken.

Knowing that, you can now understand the whole new “safety” law about reselling used electronics in Japan. It’s more a gift to the Japanese electronics industry than anything else. So head off to Akihabara in March, and maybe you can find some good fire sales for pre-2001 electronics! Courtesy of the Japanese government.