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Dekotora is a term used to describe large trucks in Japan that have been customized with elaborate artwork, non-structural accessories, and colorful lighting. Similar decorated vehicles exist in other countries, but they are typically used for public transportation. The modern dekotora often bears a stylistic resemblance to designs from Japan’s giant robot genre.
The term dekotora is a Japanese loan from English that is a shortened form of the phrase decoration truck. Used to describe large trucks that have been customized with elaborate artwork, non-structural accessories, colorful lighting, and other modifications. Dekotora has been around in Japan since at least the 1970s, when various movies popularized niche vehicles earlier across the country. Any type of large truck can be modified into a dekotora, including tractor units, box trucks, and flatbeds. Similarly, decorated vehicles also exist in other countries, such as Haitian faucet griffins, the rustic buses of Columbia and Ecuador, and jeepneys in the Philippines, although these vehicles are typically used for public transportation.
Japan has a long history of elaborately decorated trucks, particularly in the northern parts of the country. Some of this was due to a lack of correct replacement parts which resulted in visually unique vehicles, although custom paints and other modifications were also used. Beginning in 1975, a series of films featuring these dekotora were released which increased interest in the vehicles. Many TV shows, manga, and video games have also featured decorating trucks since then, and popular designs have changed over the years.
The modern dekotora often bears a stylistic resemblance to designs from Japan’s giant robot genre, with angular chrome or stainless steel fixtures and bright neon lighting. Other designs are similar to the original 1970s decor trucks, and have more traditional Japanese designs and murals. Similar designs are also used to create art bicycles known as dekochari and art cars called itasha.
Many decoration trucks are actual vehicles that have been modified by an owner or driver. These vehicles can haul cargo, pour cement, tow other vehicles, and do many other jobs trucks are commonly used for. Decorations added by the dekotora enthusiast owner or driver generally do not interfere with the operation of the vehicle. Other decorating trucks are specifically designed for special events or truck shows and are put together by hobbyists.
Although the dekotora phenomenon is unique to Japan, similarly adorned vehicles can also be found throughout the world. Most of these vehicles are used for public transportation, and elaborate paint jobs and other decorations can help attract passengers. In Haiti, privately owned and heavily decorated passenger trucks that follow pre-defined routes are known as griffins, meaning “fast fast.” Public transportation in the Philippines is often handled by heavily modified US military jeeps called jeepneys. Central Asian rattlesnakes are somewhat more similar to the Japanese dekotora in that they are not limited to public transportation.
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