The effect that Dekotora has on the senses is profound. Imagine for a moment that you’re walking home late at night through a less trafficked, industrial area. Out of nowhere a garage door springs to life and the seismic presence of a 12 cylinder diesel barks to life. The next thing you know, a 10 ton monstrosity, cobbled together with jukeboxes, arcade machines and laser guided disco lights, is quickly bearing down on you. Such was my introduction to the relatively nonexistent presence of decorative commercial trucks operating in the greater New York City area.
A rare sight in most corners of the world, Dekotora is the Japanese discipline of decorating industrial and commercial vehicles with anything that reflects, glows, or flashes. It’s inspiration is drawn heavily from Gundam & arcade culture, something that much of the neon-marinated citzens of Tokyo can relate to.
Surprisingly, these are not “art cars” – they are fully functional and go about their daily tasks just as you see them here. Alot of these vehicles can be seen during business hours, backing up to loading docks, stopping for weigh stations or filling up at diesel pumps. Granted, some of the trucks above may be for shows only but from what I’ve read a lot of drivers do it to liven up their job and set their truck apart from the rest.
I really love the amount of detail that goes into these, I hope someday I’m able to get a closer look, I feel like I could spend a whole day looking at all the little bits and pieces. Yellow Magic Orchestra never reached the audience they deserved in the US so hey guys, here’s our chance to make up for past mistakes, you know that broken Bally machine in your aunt’s rec room? Or that Wurlitzer collecting dust in your garage? Throw a copy of Solid State Survivor in there and glue that shit to your truck man.
Vice made a little documentary on this, such a particular world:
http://www.vice.com/allthewrongplaces-2/japan-dekotora-trucks#ooid=tybGEwMzpXxUvZn1_2gPgdo6F894pvXN
“Or that Wurlitzer collecting dust in your garage? Throw a copy of Solid State Survivor in there and glue that shit to your truck man.”
Best quote of the year……..
Japanese culture astounds me. Really….who has the time or desire to live such fantasies? Apparently only the Japanese.
Next step: Make the YMO song my ringtone and let it play through its entirety before answering.
BTW…..wasn’t this YMO song in Sonic the Hedgehog ?
I feel like it was…..
i’ve never seen that movie
fantastic!!! for a second i thought it was some burning man one off. first time hearing about dekotora, however YMO and I are long time friends. One of my first records was an 808 State remix of light in the darkness.
Inizialmente tutti osannavano The Conduit perch gli aurtoi mostravano di avere l’intenzione di spremere fino in fondo le potenzialit grafiche della console : per la maggior parte degli utenti questo bastava a giustificarne l’acquisto, il gameplay, la trama e l’originalit non sono discussi nemmeno lontanamente in alcuno dei commenti qui elencati, il che equivale a dire “Purch non sfiguri graficamente, lo compro”.Poi nel corso dei mesi, grazie ai vari trailer si iniziato a delineare un magior spessore della struttura narrativa, nonch del gameplay, il che un bene ma non comunque fondamentale: “The Conduit” sar un immenso successo commerciale su scala planetaria a prescindere in quanto non esiste un possibile rivale a contendersi i soldi dell’utenza (Metroid Prime 3 ha gi un anno e mezzo sul groppone e gli appassionati lo hanno gi finito in tutte le salse), inoltre il 2009 si sta rivelando avaro di sorprese Insomma, faccio il tifo per High Voltage nella speranza che non deluda le nostre aspettative ma, siamo sinceri, in un contesto normale in cui i giochi di qualit non si facciano desiderare, probabilmente non lo avremmo desiderato a tal punto
I really love the amount of detail that goes into these, I hope someday I’m able to get a closer look, I feel like I could spend a whole day looking at all the little bits and pieces.
The effect that Dekotora has on the senses is profound. Imagine for a moment that you’re walking home late at night through a less trafficked, industrial area. Out of nowhere a garage door springs to life and the seismic presence of a 12 cylinder diesel barks to life.
Yellow Magic Orchestra never reached the audience they deserved in the US so hey guys, here’s our chance to make up for past mistakes, you know that broken Bally machine in your aunt’s rec room? Or that Wurlitzer collecting dust in your garage? Throw a copy of Solid State Survivor in there and glue that shit to your truck man. http://goo.gl/JsguZ
Such was my introduction to the relatively nonexistent presence of decorative commercial trucks operating in the greater New York City area. http://goo.gl/GGg89