Author Topic: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps  (Read 1638 times)
Robotjulep
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Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « on: June 03, 2023, 11:21:15 PM » Author: Robotjulep
Fellow lighting enthusiasts, here is a way to obtain rare HID and many old conventional lamps. First, you will need to have at least 2 weeks to plan a trip to Japan. Next, you should bring a large suitcase or so don't overpack (save room for lamps and stuff you may obtain). Then, you need be able to access transportation such as bus, car, or train. Next, you want to go to a dilapidated, abandoned hotel that is secluded. Inside the hotel are thousands of old conventional lamps that are hard to find anywhere else. If you don't like the suitcase exporting method, you could mail them overseas back to the location you want them. But it isn't going to be cheap. Japan has a lot of dilapidated, forgotten buildings of the 1980s era that are likely to be demolished and the lamps and fixtures are never used again and end up in the bin. I have explored many dilapidated buildings and they had a lot of unique stuff. Just watch out for squatters because they can be aggressive. My favorite building I explored was "Kinugawa Kan." located in 36.835728, 139.721111 . The district is trying to demolish it but they haven't been able to. This hotel has a lot of FPL, Circulene, Linear, and compact Fluorescent lamps. It also has some mercury vapor lamps in the large rooms. But the best dilapidated hotel to get HID lamps is located in Motegi. It is called "Motegi Green Hill Resort" It is located in 36.592970, 140.150538 . Inside the basement spare lamps room are brand-new HID lamps of many kinds. I was only able to get an FDL lamp because my backpack was too full, unfortunately. Otherwise, I would have grabbed as much mercury lamps I could take. Anyways, just be careful about exporting mercury lamps in suitcases as they might not allow it due to Minamata Convention. However, it says you can take glass lightbulbs and CFLs on a plane so it might actually work with HID. Any thoughts? :racc:  :btclrbnder:  :a_mv: :btclrmerc:
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #1 on: June 04, 2023, 02:12:28 AM » Author: lights*plus
This is an interesting read. But lol. And finding similar abandoned hotels locally anywhere in North America is probably impossible.
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #2 on: June 04, 2023, 11:25:18 AM » Author: joseph_125
I had the opportunity to visit Japan a few years ago and I took the opportunity then to bring back a mix of incandescent, fluorescent, and MV lamps back from there. Now I bought them in stores but I basically just brought everything back in my suitcase but that was before everyone clamped down on MV lamp imports/exports. 
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WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #3 on: June 06, 2023, 05:58:16 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Fellow lighting enthusiasts, here is a way to obtain rare HID and many old conventional lamps. First, you will need to have at least 2 weeks to plan a trip to Japan. Next, you should bring a large suitcase or so don't overpack (save room for lamps and stuff you may obtain). Then, you need be able to access transportation such as bus, car, or train. Next, you want to go to a dilapidated, abandoned hotel that is secluded. Inside the hotel are thousands of old conventional lamps that are hard to find anywhere else. If you don't like the suitcase exporting method, you could mail them overseas back to the location you want them. But it isn't going to be cheap. Japan has a lot of dilapidated, forgotten buildings of the 1980s era that are likely to be demolished and the lamps and fixtures are never used again and end up in the bin. I have explored many dilapidated buildings and they had a lot of unique stuff. Just watch out for squatters because they can be aggressive. My favorite building I explored was "Kinugawa Kan." located in 36.835728, 139.721111 . The district is trying to demolish it but they haven't been able to. This hotel has a lot of FPL, Circulene, Linear, and compact Fluorescent lamps. It also has some mercury vapor lamps in the large rooms. But the best dilapidated hotel to get HID lamps is located in Motegi. It is called "Motegi Green Hill Resort" It is located in 36.592970, 140.150538 . Inside the basement spare lamps room are brand-new HID lamps of many kinds. I was only able to get an FDL lamp because my backpack was too full, unfortunately. Otherwise, I would have grabbed as much mercury lamps I could take. Anyways, just be careful about exporting mercury lamps in suitcases as they might not allow it due to Minamata Convention. However, it says you can take glass lightbulbs and CFLs on a plane so it might actually work with HID. Any thoughts? :racc:  :btclrbnder:  :a_mv: :btclrmerc:

One other thing to try are the websites www.jauce.com and https://jp.mercari.com/ . I used those websites to import lamps straight from Japan without ever having to visit the country. So far, I have only imported fluorescent and CFL lamps from that country using those sites. I will need to see if I can import any mercury vapor lamps from there as well. As far as I know, using these forwarding websites is much cheaper than having to pay thousands to take a plane.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2023, 06:09:33 AM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA » Logged

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #4 on: June 06, 2023, 07:31:46 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
So far, I have been able to successfully place a bid on an internationally blocked mercury vapor lamp auction. I will see whether or not they will be able to get shipped outside of Japan to the USA.
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DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #5 on: June 06, 2023, 10:57:40 AM » Author: Robotjulep
Does internationally blocked mean they won't ship to USA?
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #6 on: June 06, 2023, 03:01:56 PM » Author: Mandolin Girl
As far as I'm aware, it means domestic sales only.  ???
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WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #7 on: June 06, 2023, 03:53:04 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Does internationally blocked mean they won't ship to USA?

They won’t ship to the USA unless you click the “unblock auction” button on an auction on Yahoo Japan Auctions on Jauce.

If Jauce accepts the “unblock auction” request, then you are free to place a bid.

If you win the auction, the seller will ship the item to the Jauce warehouse and after that Jauce will send the item to your country outside of Japan if customs get cleared on both sides.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2023, 03:56:53 PM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA » Logged

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DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #8 on: June 06, 2023, 11:55:12 PM » Author: Robotjulep
I looked on those websites and there is still a good supply of mercury lamps waiting to be bought. I wonder if they sell control gear or cobra-head street lamps.
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WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #9 on: June 06, 2023, 11:58:17 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I have seen them selling ballasts too.
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DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #10 on: June 07, 2023, 12:10:34 AM » Author: Robotjulep
I would like to import a cobra-head luminaire like this 100w MV one. Remotely-ballasted cobra-heads are very common in Japan for HID lamp sizes 150w and under. Any wattage larger, and they use internal ballast.
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #11 on: June 08, 2023, 03:49:28 PM » Author: Maxim
Fellow lighting enthusiasts, here is a way to obtain rare HID and many old conventional lamps. First, you will need to have at least 2 weeks to plan a trip to Japan. Next, you should bring a large suitcase or so don't overpack (save room for lamps and stuff you may obtain). Then, you need be able to access transportation such as bus, car, or train. Next, you want to go to a dilapidated, abandoned hotel that is secluded. Inside the hotel are thousands of old conventional lamps that are hard to find anywhere else. If you don't like the suitcase exporting method, you could mail them overseas back to the location you want them. But it isn't going to be cheap. Japan has a lot of dilapidated, forgotten buildings of the 1980s era that are likely to be demolished and the lamps and fixtures are never used again and end up in the bin. I have explored many dilapidated buildings and they had a lot of unique stuff. Just watch out for squatters because they can be aggressive. My favorite building I explored was "Kinugawa Kan." located in 36.835728, 139.721111 . The district is trying to demolish it but they haven't been able to. This hotel has a lot of FPL, Circulene, Linear, and compact Fluorescent lamps. It also has some mercury vapor lamps in the large rooms. But the best dilapidated hotel to get HID lamps is located in Motegi. It is called "Motegi Green Hill Resort" It is located in 36.592970, 140.150538 . Inside the basement spare lamps room are brand-new HID lamps of many kinds. I was only able to get an FDL lamp because my backpack was too full, unfortunately. Otherwise, I would have grabbed as much mercury lamps I could take. Anyways, just be careful about exporting mercury lamps in suitcases as they might not allow it due to Minamata Convention. However, it says you can take glass lightbulbs and CFLs on a plane so it might actually work with HID. Any thoughts? :racc:  :btclrbnder:  :a_mv: :btclrmerc:

So, I’m an urban exploration enthusiast here in the USA. Most places here are A) vandalized until they just a foundation and walls of graffiti and B) are heavily patrolled / “guarded” by aggressive squatters/meth heads.

Is that not the case in Japan? You can just stroll into the lobby, see a lamp you like, unscrew, rinse repeat?????
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My favorite lighting technologies at the moment are incandescent and mercury vapor, and my favorite Big 3 lighting brand of the late 20th century is GTE Sylvania.

About that Westinghouse Lifeguard disease, I think I've caught it. Thanks Eric! 8)

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #12 on: June 08, 2023, 04:07:46 PM » Author: Maxim
Just Googled this place. Wow. For being closed 15 years, it looks to be in almost perfect condition. Seems like people EXPLORE the place, rather than destroy it. There is a video on YouTube (drone footage) that flies by the windows and shows TVs in the rooms, made sheets on the beds, and the likes. I wish people respected abandoned property in America a little bit more than they do. If a abandoned hotel begins to gain notoriety, it only takes one to come in and absolute obliterate anything and everything of value at the expense of others’ marvels and enjoyments. Eventually arson is committed, bodies are found, and it becomes an unsafe hellhole, thus being demolished. If I ever travel to Japan (maybe when I turn 18), I’ll be sure to stop there, marvel at it’s forgotten beauty, and maybe take home a few keepsakes. Not everything I see out of greed, but a few special lamps that have a place in my heart. My rule of urbex is to leave things in the condition you found it; clearly the Japanese locals abide strictly to that practice, else this building would not be in the shape that it is in today.

To be honest, now that I’m thinking of it, even taking lamps out of sockets of this building feels wrong. I don’t know what it is with it, but its unadulterated beauty really makes a wondrous sight. But in places where glass is shattered, garbage is strewn everywhere, and the likes, I’d have no problem doing so. I just don’t want to be the one who sets a bad example for others. :)
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My favorite lighting technologies at the moment are incandescent and mercury vapor, and my favorite Big 3 lighting brand of the late 20th century is GTE Sylvania.

About that Westinghouse Lifeguard disease, I think I've caught it. Thanks Eric! 8)

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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #13 on: June 08, 2023, 05:23:25 PM » Author: Robotjulep
So, I’m an urban exploration enthusiast here in the USA. Most places here are A) vandalized until they just a foundation and walls of graffiti and B) are heavily patrolled / “guarded” by aggressive squatters/meth heads.

Is that not the case in Japan? You can just stroll into the lobby, see a lamp you like, unscrew, rinse repeat?????

Yes it is very much like you said kinda like harvesting a garden. I got a few different halogen lamps that way. Next time I visit Japan, I will try and get many different types of lamps. These hotels have been sitting in decay and disrepair since the 70s and 80s. I'm sure no one is gonna mind lighting enthusiasts saving lamps that are never going to be used. No one was bothering me when I explored. Some buildings do have alarms and those are best to avoid. It depends on which buildings you explore. Some are secured and some are free to explore. Just make sure to have a good flashlight and bottled water.
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Re: Easy way to obtain Japanese Mercury Vapor and HID lamps « Reply #14 on: June 08, 2023, 05:35:02 PM » Author: Robotjulep
There is some very vandalized buildings too and some still have lamps. It is mostly the graffiti, smashed sinks, mirrors, and windows when a place is vandalized in Japan. Kinugawa Kan is an example of one.
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