Pimp My Truck - The Art of Dekotora
admin February 2nd, 2008
OK, so I make it to Japan every now and again for work. I also lived there for a summer when I was 17 in rural Aichi prefecture. There are a lot of pieces of Japanese culture that fascinate me - pachinko machines and parlors, those graphic novels with wierd stuff going on in them, and the fact that you can find beer and a drink called “Pocari Sweat” in vending machines.
The one thing, however, that trumps all of these other slices of life in Japan is Dekotora (or Decotora, if you are averse to spelling it with a K). Imagine a fad where truckers take a run-of-the-mill hauler, airbrush some wicked pictures of mythical animals or futuristic facades, throw some ground effects and lots of gold on the cab and trailer, attach about a million watts of lights and LEDs to rival any Vegas casino, and you have Dekotora. It’s a pimped out truck that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Now, you might think that all of these babies are for the show circuit - rollin’ to SEMA or some other type of tuner event- or for weekend trips to 7-eleven where you hang out in the parking lot with your buddies. In actuality, most of these trucks are cruising Japan’s highways and have to be inspected (yes, INSPECTED!) prior to getting the OK to be placed into commercial service.
Imagine this conversation:
Inspector: Nice rig, Mr. Watanabe - how many organ pipes did you glue to the roof?
Owner: Only two dozen this time…I needed to keep some cash for the 60″ gold rims - I needed 18 of them, you know
Inspector: Got it. What is that on the side of the trailer - a Kabuki montage?
Owner: No, that’s Hannah Montana - the guy that airbrushed it was hopped up on Pocari Sweat when he did it. Did you know her dad is Billy Ray Cyrus?
Inspector: Ah, Achy Breaky! Man, I miss his mullet and American sensibilities. OK, Mr. Watanabe, this thing looks like it will get you from A to B. I need to move on to that rig with the “Dragon befriending Britney Spears” scene on it. You stay safe out there…
More classic Dekotora images below - click to supersize (you won’t be disappointed).
