Itasha - Anime-themed cars for otaku enthusiasts

Anime and manga is hugely successful in Japan and around the world. It is normal for anime or otaku fans to want to purchase products related to their favorite characters and anime. Some go over the limit and beyond action figures, posters and dakimakura they end up painting or putting anime stickers on their cars. This car decoration in Japan is called itasha (痛車). Just like the English term painmobile, it can indicate that it is painful for some car fans to look at.

Itasha is the Japanese term or slang that indicates cars decorated with anime and manga characters. The decorated motorcycles and bicycles are called Itansha (痛単車) and itachari (痛チャリ). You can find these decorated cars on weekends in Akihabara (Tokyo), Nipponbashi (Osaka) and Osu (Nagoya).

Itasha - the otaku car with anime decoration

How did the Itasha culture come about?

The term originated in Japan around 1980. The term originally referred to high-cost imported Italian cars. Itasha was an abbreviation of itariasha (イタリア車) which means car from Italy. In the year 1990 this meaning changed and the “ITA” of the word itasha (痛車) started to refer to painful (痛). That's because some find this hobby painful and difficult to accept or too expensive and hurts their pocketbook.

Initially, itasha only referred to people who put anime and manga stickers on their car. With time due to influences of car sounds, bosozoku bikers and the decor of dekotora trucks. Decorating cars with stickers has become an organized hobby with meetings, competitions and more. Nowadays this word is used to refer to cars with pictures of singers, idols and other things besides anime and manga.

Itasha - the otaku car with anime decoration

The influence of Itasha cars

Itasha's concept goes far beyond a simple car with anime stickers. They are usually sports cars and vans full of accessories and tuned. Some don't even decorate the car but fill its interior with objects, figures and plushies. Something that ends up disturbing the driver's vision but drawing the attention of those who see.

In 2005, the first major meeting took place at Comiket. The first official convention took place in 2007 under the name of Auto Salon. In 2008, around 600 itasha from all over Japan participated in the event, which attracted worldwide attention. There were even created visual novel games like Downhill Night 2 related to these anime cars.

Itasha - the otaku car with anime decoration

Itasha events and cars are sponsored by major companies such as Super GT, Taikyu and Grand Prix D1, not to mention those specializing in graphics and art. In 2008 an Itasha from Hatsune Miku participated in the Super GT. The growing population of the itasha is even seen outside of Japan in countries such as the USA, Taiwan and the Philippines. Nowadays not only cars, but also planes and other automobiles get their decorations based on Japanese animation works.

What do you think of the idea of decorating your car with anime characters? In Brazil it seems complicated! In addition to expensive! Have you ever had the opportunity to meet an itasha? What do you think of these decorations? We appreciate the comments and shares.

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