Tat Tuesday.

After talking about toys for the past couple of weeks I thought it would be fun to look at a different type of tat. Something bigger and much more extravagant. So from toy trucks covered in lights we go to real trucks covered in lights. Let's delve into one of the more interesting worlds of Japanese subculture. The Dekotora.

Dekotora or Decotora is an abbreviation of "Decoration Truck". These trucks, sometimes referred to as light trucks are highly decorated and modified.

Most of these trucks are covered in lights (neon, ultraviolet, and others), have elaborate paint jobs, and crazy body kits.

 These trucks are not just decorated on the outside. They have highly customized interiors as well.

These trucks range from actual work vehicles to hobby projects.

As with most things this flashy the Dekotora movement began in the 1970's. Some have liked it to the 1975 Toei movie Torakku yaro: Goiken muyo starring Bunta Sugawara. A fun movie that I recommend. If you can find it.

 The movie was a big hit that spawned a number sequels.

While the trucks in the movie were not as elaborate as the ones we see today, it is safe to say that they were an inspiration for what was to come.

The term Dekotora was coined by Aoshima Bunka Kyozai. A model car manufacturer.

Many of the modern trucks take inspiration from Gundam designs and even modern art.
 

The lights used on these trucks take so much power than many of them outfitted with extra generators to cope with higher demand.

Recently these trucks have been banded from some Japanese highways do their distracting nature.

Aside from movies the Dekotora sub culture has appeared in video games, anime, and model cars.

There are even two monthly magazines published about Dekotora.

While this is not the only vehicle modification sub culture in Japan it is one of the most visually striking. I liken it to the Low Rider culture. Hard working people taking pride in what they have. Sadly it is hard to find a lot of information on Dekotora if you don't understand Japanese. As such this was just a very shallow look at an interesting world.

Wikipedia
Youtube
Amazon