Dekotora - decorated japanese trucks

published in engines by seven on Feb 4 2008 12:24 PM | 4 comments

Automobiles Trucks Car Chrome Decoration Dekotora Japan Japanese Lights

The art of personalizing trucks has been gaining growing acceptance in Japan since the 1990s and has reached extraordinary proportions. The Dekotora, which literally means 'decoration trucks', are beyond anything the western mind can possibly grasp. You start with a common truck, a tractor-trailer (articulated lorry) or even a smaller vehicle, and add all kinds of chrome, neon and ultraviolet lights, transfers and other psychedelic ornaments, not just on the exterior, but also in the truck's interior. The Dekotora also go by the name Atotorakku (meaning 'artistic trucks'). Some of these are particularly scary.

Actually, there is something terrifying in a few of these trucks, with their threatening front that resembles a dragon or some sort of monstrous creature found in mangas and other japanese animations. The sudden appearence of a Dekotora can make your blood run cold! In fact, the front deck gathers most of the decorations, that include deflectors, rain sheets, bird-cages, cylindrical ornaments ("rockets"), and neon lights, whose effect resembles that found in a pinball machine or a jukebox.

Automobiles Trucks Car Chrome Decoration Dekotora Japan Japanese Lights

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4 comments

The published comments represent our users' opinions; as such, the views expressed do not necessarilly reflect the opinion of the 'obvious' team.

Actually this is not a recent phenomenon (i.e., of the 90s). I've lived in Japan since '79 and have seen variations on these since then. Also I'm aware decorating trucks both in murals and lights began not long after the war ended when vehicles were rare and certain type owners tended to take a perverse pride in their ownership. It's also meant to be a display of individualism in a rigid, homogeneous society. To a lesser degree many cars receive muted customizing, especially on the interior.

Godot51 em 23 de November de 2009