The majority of Japanese Rover Minis will have air con and quite a few will be automatics. Some of the sensors are also different, which can cause a few problems if you need to replace them. The Japanese equivalent of the MoT test is quite strict and obviously the climate in Japan means rust isn't such a problem - but you can still find rusty, ropey examples. And if you do import from Japan you'll need to jump straight on the rustproofing bandwagon. Bear in mind that they'are all single point injection (SPI) rather than multipoint injection (MPI) and the clock will be in kms (unless converted). They can also be difficult to work on because of the air con unit fitted in the (already cramped) engine bay. Some purists see the Jap imports as 'half-breeds or mongrels' but it's a state of mind. Ultimate, what happens is that people get priced out of the market and have to look at cheaper ways to get into a Mini. We've seen prices for late model Minis rising as original 1960s examples have become more and more expensive. The same thing could happen once prices for later-model examples start to top out.