Dekotora

The Dekotora or Decotora (デコトラ, dekotora^?), an abbreviation for "decoration truck", is a type of extravagantly decorated truck in Japan. Commonly displaying neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paints and stainless or golden exterior parts, on both on the exterior and the interior. Dekotora may be created by workers out of their work trucks for fun, or they may be designed by hobbyists for special events. They are sometimes also referred to as Art Trucks (アートトラック), ātotorakku)^?).

In 1975, Toei released the first in a series of 10 movies called Torakku Yarō (Truck Guys) that featured a trucker who drove his garishly decorated truck all over Japan. This movie was a hit with both old and young, and the dekotora fad swept the country. While dekotora were present throughout the 1970s, before the movie they were restricted to the north-eastern fishing transport trucks. In those days, ready-made parts for trucks were not easily available, so these trucks took parts from sightseeing buses or American military vehicles.

Since the late 1990s, dekotora have been heavily influenced by the art of Gundam. Other decorations are more akin to modern art and retro designs that closely resemble those found in the movie.

After the hit movie Trucker Guys, the dekotora was referred to in various films and TV shows. Video games and model cars adopted the fad. Two monthly magazines are published, namely Camion by Geibunsha and Truck King by Eiwa Publishing.

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