Kinomi started as a small idea between two college students just trying to bring something good into the world. While working in Japan’s export industry, we noticed something that didn’t sit right. Japanese cars and goods were being sold in the U.S. for way more than they needed to be. At first, it caught us off guard, but when we tried importing our first vehicle, it hit home. 

We realized exporters were marking up prices, sometimes by over 40%, just because they could. If we had known what we were getting into, we could’ve saved ourselves months of work and stress. It felt unfair. The thought that someone’s dream car might stay out of reach, not because of rarity or condition, but because of hidden markups just didn’t feel right. 

That experience stuck with us. And that’s where Kinomi began. 

We didn’t set out to start a company, we just wanted to make things a little more fair. To share the joy of driving Japanese cars without all the smoke and mirrors. We started Kinomi so people wouldn’t have to go through what we did. At the heart of everything we do are four simple values: Transparency, Honesty, Quality, and Reliability.  They’re what we believe in, and they shape how we treat every car, and every person who comes our way. 

Sincerely,

Yooto & Ashwin