A machine that arrives at the factory is not yet a machine that runs production. Between the container being opened and the first good part coming off the line sits installation, commissioning, and usually training for whoever will operate and maintain it — and every one of those steps is easier to plan in Japan, before the machine ships, than to improvise once it has landed.
💬 Buying machinery from Japan and want installation and after-sales support built into the deal from the start? Sunsho Trade sources machinery from Japan with this planned in. Tell us about the machine.
What to settle before you place the order
Decide who installs the machine, who commissions it, who trains your operators, and how spare parts will reach you — before the purchase order is signed, because all four are far harder to negotiate once the machine is already on a ship.
A used or new machinery purchase from Japan is, in practice, several separate commitments bundled into one deal: the machine itself, the knowledge to install it correctly, the knowledge to run it safely, and a route to parts when something wears out. Sellers vary widely in what they include as standard and what they treat as a separate, chargeable service. None of this should be assumed — it should be written down.
| Item to agree | Question to ask the seller | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Who physically installs the machine at your site — the seller’s technician, a local partner, or your own team from a manual? | Determines whether a technician needs travel arrangements and how long installation realistically takes |
| Commissioning | Who confirms the machine runs to specification once installed, and what that confirmation covers | Distinguishes “installed” from “actually working to spec” |
| Training | Who trains your operators and maintenance staff, in what language, for how long | A machine nobody on site knows how to run safely is not yet productive |
| Spare parts | How parts are ordered, and whether critical spares should be held on site from day one | Determines downtime when something first fails |
Installation and commissioning: two different milestones
Installation means the machine is physically in place and connected; commissioning means it has been run and confirmed to meet its specification — treat them as two separate milestones with two separate sign-offs, not one event.
A machine can be fully installed — bolted down, wired, plumbed in — and still not perform to specification because of a site condition the installation step did not address: incoming power quality, ambient temperature, compressed air supply, or foundation vibration. Commissioning is the step that actually tests the machine under real or simulated production conditions and confirms it meets the agreed specification. Ask the seller, before ordering, whether commissioning is included, what specification it is tested against, and what happens if the machine does not meet it on the first attempt.
Where a technician needs to travel from Japan to commission the machine, agree the trigger for that visit (site readiness, not just the machine’s arrival date) well in advance — a technician arriving before the site is ready, or a site sitting ready with no technician booked, both cost time. Where travel is not realistic for a lower-value machine, ask whether remote commissioning — a video call walkthrough with the seller’s technician while your own staff carry out the physical steps — is workable for that specific machine, and what remote commissioning does not cover compared with an in-person visit.
Training: who needs it, and in what language
Identify which of your staff need training on this specific machine, and confirm the training will be delivered in a language they actually work in, before the machine arrives — not through a manual alone.
Training usually needs to cover at least two different groups with different needs: operators, who need to run the machine safely and correctly day to day, and maintenance staff, who need to understand routine servicing and basic fault diagnosis. A manual translated from Japanese, however well done, is not a substitute for hands-on training when the machine is new to your site — ask specifically how training will be delivered (in person, by video call, or a combination) and in which language.
| Group | What they need | How it is usually delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Operators | Safe, correct day-to-day operation | Hands-on training during commissioning |
| Maintenance staff | Routine servicing, basic fault diagnosis | Hands-on training, plus a maintenance manual |
| Management | What normal performance looks like, so a problem is noticed early | A briefing, not necessarily hands-on training |
Where operators speak neither Japanese nor English fluently, ask early how training will actually be conducted — through an interpreter present during commissioning, through pre-translated training material prepared in advance, or a combination of both. Leaving this until the technician has already arrived is one of the more avoidable ways a commissioning visit runs over its planned time, because a technician who cannot communicate directly with the operators ends up teaching more slowly, or teaching the wrong level of detail for the audience in front of them.
Spare parts: plan the first year, not just the first fault
Ask the seller which parts wear out first on this specific machine, whether they recommend holding any on site from day one, and how an order for a replacement part actually reaches you — before you need one urgently.
The parts most likely to fail first are often known in advance — belts, seals, filters, specific wear components — and a seller who has supplied the model before should be able to name them. Two separate questions are worth asking clearly:
- Which parts should be held on site as a starting stock, given realistic shipping time from Japan to your location.
- What the ordering process looks like once that stock runs out — direct to the maker, through the seller, or through a local agent — and how long it typically takes.
A machine that is otherwise excellent but has a six-week parts lead time on a part that fails every few months is a different total cost of ownership from one with a two-week lead time, even at the same purchase price. This is a legitimate question to ask before buying, not a complaint to raise after the first failure.
It is also worth asking whether the seller can supply the maker’s part catalogue, or an equivalent parts list with part numbers, at the time of purchase rather than only when a part is needed. A maintenance team that already has the part numbers on file can raise an order the moment a component starts showing wear, instead of losing time first identifying which part it even needs — a small piece of documentation that has an outsized effect on how quickly a fault turns back into running production.
💬 Want a spares plan built into your machinery purchase before you sign? Ask us to get the seller’s recommendation in writing. Talk to us about a specific machine.
Putting it in the purchase agreement
Whatever is agreed on installation, commissioning, training and parts should appear in writing in the purchase agreement, not only in email correspondence during negotiation.
| Element | What to write into the agreement |
|---|---|
| Installation | Who performs it, and any site-readiness conditions on your side |
| Commissioning | The specification tested against, and what happens if it is not met on the first attempt |
| Training | Who is trained, in what language, and for roughly how long |
| Spare parts | Recommended starting stock, and the ordering route once that stock is used |
Once the machine is in Vietnam, the used-machinery age rules and import file are a separate matter — see our note on importing used Japanese machinery into Vietnam — and if the machine has not yet been bought, see what to check before buying used equipment in Japan for the checks that come earlier still.
💬 Buying machinery from Japan and want installation, training and a spares plan agreed before you sign? Contact us about sourcing from Japan.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is installation always included when buying machinery from Japan?
No. It varies by seller and is often a separate, chargeable item. Confirm what is included before you order, not after the machine arrives.
2. What is the difference between installation and commissioning?
Installation means the machine is physically in place and connected. Commissioning means it has been run and confirmed to meet its agreed specification. A machine can be installed without being properly commissioned.
3. Should we hold spare parts on site from the start?
Ask the seller which parts on this specific machine wear out first, and whether holding a starting stock makes sense given your realistic shipping time from Japan.
4. What language should operator training be delivered in?
Whatever language your operators actually work in. A translated manual alone is not a substitute for hands-on training delivered in a language your staff understand.
5. What happens if the machine does not meet specification during commissioning?
Agree this before ordering — what “meeting specification” means, and what recourse exists if it is not met on the first attempt — rather than discovering the answer after the machine has already arrived.
Checked on 25 September 2026. This article reflects standard practice for planning machinery installation, commissioning, training and spare-parts support, rather than a specific legal requirement; confirm the details of any specific purchase in the written agreement with your seller.