Dekotora: The Ridiculously Decorated Trucks of Japan

The Dekotora or Decotora an abbreviation for "Decoration Truck", is a kind of loud and flashy decorated truck most commonly found in Japan. Dekotora commonly have neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paints, and shiny stainless or golden exterior parts. These decorations can be found on both the cab and the trailer, and not only on the exterior but also in the interior.


The Dekotora tradition started in 1975 when the first of a series of 10 movies called Truck guys was released. The movie featured a protagonist costumed trucker who drove his insanely decorated truck all over Japan. The movie was a big hit with both old and young, and caused a wave of Dekotora popularity to sweep the country. While Dekotoras were present throughout the 1970s, before the movie they were restricted to the north-eastern fishing transport trucks.