I could, but VAT and the like isn't usually included in an auto-generated shipping quote like that. Presumably OP knows this though, it'd be easier for him to say "a $3k phase converter will cost $6k by the time it lands at my doorstep" or some such. Then we know what we're working with and if he's making any incorrect assumptions (maybe it can be done for "only" $4k?) someone can correct him. I'm sure he'd be grateful. Otherwise we're just kinda going back and forth with "no I can't," "yes you can," etc.
Phase converter is a bit of a red herring for now anyway as he's using closed-loop steppers, but you get the idea.
This is such a waste of time since I honestly feel the OP was making the argument for a Phase-Converter in bad faith, or at least the idea that I didn't consider it. But it's clear that the details may be enlightening to some, so I will go over a couple of the more major roadblocks.
Background:
Japan has two classes of power, residential (from 20-60A max split phase in 10A increments which sets your baseline monthly fee) and industrial (3-phase sky is the limit.) We have a very high population density, and strict zoning, so getting 3-phase is not difficult if you are in the appropriate industrial zone and comply with the other zoning requirements. On the other hand, there is ZERO chance of getting 3-phase run to a Tokyo residence even if you could poke the 3 phase transformer with a 10 foot pole from your balcony, which I just about can.
Technically you can apply for a special exemption for up to 100A of split phase in some residential areas including mine, but it literally triples the baseline fee (it would add ~$200mo. to my bill) and requires both approval (you need to justify it, like special assistive medical equipment) and the wiring from the transformer on the pole to the POE
and the wiring from the meter box to the distribution board to be upgraded as the standard wiring used to supply Japanese homes is only rated up to 60A.
I have already replaced my distribution board (this is all detailed in my
GJ thread), it itself is capable of supporting more than 100A, but the supply line going to the meter and point of entry is the standard 3-wire 14mm² copper cable which is run inside the walls and ceiling of my house in such a way to make replacement highly destructive. They do not build houses here with any thought of renovation and space is always the biggest factor, so things like wiring chase-ways are not used, they just nail everything in place.
If I add solar power and a storage battery I will be able to have access to more split phase power, but the 60A limit is my reality at this time. There are additional complications only found here, such as the smart meter soft limits, the inline current limiter and the fact that the whole house is serviced behind a single GFI breaker, but please read the GJ thread if you are interested in more of these details.
1) Cost. The first thing about phase converters is that unlike VFD's, they are not something a non-certified electrician can buy directly. There is no open distribution for them. They are not sold by Industrial supply houses or internet shops. This is why I didn't link to any, and giving the OP the benefit of the doubt that he even looked, he didn't link to any.
They are not something that you can just order like you can in the US, you need to get it quoted as part of the entire installation with a site inspection, zoning approvals and detailed engineering requirements provided before you can even get a price. Maybe hearing that you can start getting a sense of the costs involved. As I said, a good quality US unit supporting a modest 35A load is $3000 in the US. Any of you could look that up yourselves, is that amount reasonable for this project? Not in my book, but maybe you could make the argument.
But $3000 is the US price and I would expect to pay 3 times that for this kind of component here,
but since I can't prove that let's pretend they are half the cost of the US units, only $1500. How much do you think they will charge me to come out and survey the location, install the industrial enclosure our code requires, install the phase converter, and run conduits and all new wiring (there is zero chance they would utilize any existing wiring, you have to understand this is Japan and everything is by the book.) The cost of the phase converter itself is the smallest portion of this proposal.
Why don't I import some POS Chinese box or import a nice 'merican unit? Because OUR POWER IS DIFFERENT. Yes, it is at the edge of the tolerance of some units, but I'm not one who gambles with electricity. I love my house and my wife and my life and my things, forgive me if I don't want to put them at risk with some crudely misapplied electrical system. I also like having home insurance, do you really think a self installed non-certified phase converter isn't going to immediately nullify my policy? And even $3000 plus shipping, import duties and the very high probability that it is held at customs for aforementioned non-compliance with Japanese electrical standards are all stupid ways to spend my money when I have a perfectly good solution I can literally touch with my hands as I write this.
2) Feasibility. RESIDENTIAL ZONE. That means people living in houses, enjoying their TV's and rice cookers. It is where the industrial electrician lives, not where he works. The suggestion that an industrial electrical company is going to do anything other than politely hang up on a stupid Gaijin asking them to come give a quote at his house in the center of Tokyo for a phase converter install is laughable. If you think it would ever happen then you know absolutely nothing about this place. It is a ridiculous non-starter. "But it doesn't say anywhere in the rules that dogs can't play basketball!" In Japan, if it isn't explicitly in the rules it is assumed to be forbidden and not open to discussion or persuasion of any kind, no matter how reasonable you might think you're being.
3) Practicality. Where am I supposed to put it? My power distribution, like in most Japanese homes, is located inside the residence, in my case in the Kitchen. My wife is a kind and gentle soul, but a massive deadly* box humming ominously on the wall of her kitchen is a non-starter.
*Wives have their own take on these things, there is no point arguing with me about this.
I like my house the way it is, non-industrial. I ran dedicated 30A and 20A circuits to my shop room cleanly and intentionally, no one who didn't have a deep knowledge of electrical sockets would ever even notice them. I do not want to have industrial conduit added everywhere, I do not want to add additional wiring or put big boxes on my walls or outside. I want to be able to relocate the CNC to another location and have no sign it existed here.
And "Not that loud" is all in the ear of the beholder. The idea that I would install some mysterious motor next to a neighbor's house maybe doesn't sound crazy to you because you do not understand the cultural norms of Japanese living in such tight quarters. The idea is bonkers. I love my house,
I by no means mean this as a brag, but it is probable that it costs more than the homes of most of the people reading this. But I would bet your less expensive homes are far more expansive, luxurious and come with hundreds of times more land and open space around them. Tokyo is one of the most expensive places to live in the world, the compromises that must be made by even the well off are more than you would likely ever want to make. I know I chose to live here, if you can't deal with that reality please recuse yourself from the thread. I'm always hesitant to bring these shortcomings up because the dim witted amongst you will find easy fodder in ridiculing the costs and perceived value compared to what they have. "Her de hur! I payed 1% as much and have 100 times more." Good for you, but it doesn't change the challenges I'm facing. But for me, I have absolutely no regrets about my choice to move here to Japan, or doubt how lucky I am to have what I have. Haters always gonna hate I guess.
So back to the practicality. I discussed a little about zoning and the percentage laws (more details about building codes in the GJ thread) and the result of that is that there is virtually no space around the outside of the house to put anything, just enough room to squeeze yourself past the neighbors, half a meter or so, who are on all sides, and none of it is square, it is all crazy angles. Nothing is ever square here. What little 'yard' I have in the front facing the street is dominated by the heat exchangers for the individual heating and cooling systems each room has. This minimizes their nearly silent operation from disturbing anyone. A phase converter is far louder, people put them outside and in sound enclosures for a reason, let's be real about it. While I'm sure I could find a place for a rotary phase converter, it would be a real pain in the ass and draw even more unwanted attention from my neighbors who I've been doing everything I can to think of me as one of them (an impossible task as it is.)
tl,dr; A phase converter, once considered, is a dumb and impractical idea. Not quite at the level of linear motors, but up there.
