‘Dekotora’ trucks in Japan. Image by Flickr user Kanon Serizawa [1]. Image license: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 [2].
They are flashy, visually compelling and look like they're a hobby that costs a lot of money: anyone who has ever been to Japan has probably come across Japan's “art truck” subculture. Known as dekotora (デコトラ [3], short for “decoration trucks [4]“), Japan's art trucks are tricked out with flashing neon lights, airbrushed murals and lots and lots of chrome.
Great Big Story has just released Inside Japan’s Tricked-Out DIY Truck Culture [5], a short video documentary about dekotora. The video features English subtitles, and lots of images of flashy trucks.
Like any other subculture, there is also a vibrant dekotora community on Instagram. Here are a few shots of Japan's “decoration trucks.”
While dekotora is dominated by hard-core hobbyists, it's not unusual to see freighters, dump trucks and other vehicles livened up with striking decorations on Japan's streets and highways.
Here is what looks like a stylized dump truck cruising up the Tohoku Expressway:
Not all dekotora are particularly flashy, but all display the unique personality of their owner:
#ProfilePhoto It looks like a Chevy Impala from the front! #worktruck #dekotora
It was once not unusual to see delivery trucks decorated with murals. This truck features a triptych mural (on its sides and on its rear cargo doors) that depicts a scene from the 2001 animated film “Kai Doh Maru [9]” (怪童丸):
There aren't as many delivery trucks with murals as there used be, huh? #MitsubishiFuso #fuso #FusoFighter #dekotora #KaiDohMaru
This owner of this truck is visiting a temple in Inuyama [11], north of Nagoya. The has been outfitted with chrome grills and rails, as well as a mural featuring popular cartoon hero Anpan Man:
#sunnyskies Taking a bite of #AnpanMan. #sayingour prayers #dekotora #thanksforlookingatmyphoto ( ´͈ ᗨ `͈ )◞♡⃛
Many truckers practically live in their rigs. Here's a shot looking out the windscreen, below curtains typical of many working trucks in Japan:
Good morning! It's totally rainy today! #waitingtoload #anotherday #pleasedtomeetyou #safedriving #whenwork'soveri'mwashingmytruck #lol #dekotora
Japan's dekora art trucks can be explored on Instagram using the hashtag #デコトラ [14]