Japanese art truck obsession

Walking out of the organized chaos of Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market I was startled to a stop by a wildly decorated truck in the parking lot. Inside the tinted windows was a chandelier, wild upholstery and lots of stainless steel filigree. It was a rolling work of art.

What I’d stumbled upon was a modest example of Dekotora, a trend that has swept Japan since the 70s. A popular movie spawned the fad and it continues nearly 30 years later. The original story, Torakku Yaro (Truck Guys) follows a driver who rushes his garishly decorated truck all over Japan, usually in the service of a lovelorn couple. Today there are more than ten Truck Guys movies in circulation.

Originally Dekotora may have been created by workers fond of their transport vehicles or designed by hobbyists for special events. At first a northern fishing community phenomenon, trucks were created with neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paint jobs and stainless or golden exterior or interior parts. So it makes perfect sense we’d find one waiting to be loaded with the day’s catch at the world’s largest fish market.

Over the decades as the fad continued ready made parts have been designed, some adapted from sightseeing buses or US military vehicles. Today there are chop shops dedicated to creating specialized trucks with an array of products ready to install or customize. Inside you might find an array of monitors, Louis Vuitton monogrammed upholstery, bubble injected gear shifts – the list goes on.

I suppose it’s academic to say that the phenomenon started with a movie, but for anyone who’s customized a car or dreamed of it, somehow this makes sense. I’ve seen extreme cars on freeways all over the US. Japan too has a huge vehicular obsession. They've just got the cool name for it, Dekotora.

Here’s a link to dozens of examples and an extreme truck light show on YouTube.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons Images, Bruno Miguel.