At first glance, it’s a spectacle of vibrant colors and dazzlingly bright lights on extravagantlydecorated trucks. Dekotora, short for “deko torakku” (i.e. decorated truck) is written off bymainstream Japanese society due to its association with “bad boys”. But beneath the flashysurface lies a world shrouded in mystery and poetry.Dekotora first caught on in the late 1960s as a form of mobile advertising: a truck carryingfish from Hokkaido, for example, would sport a traditional painting showing its cargo andwhere it was from. Today, due to regulations prohibiting this form of decoration because ofthe disrepute of the Dekotora scene, these trucks are used only by a few small businesses,such as fish and flower delivery services.Although to all appearances a relatively exclusive community, its members frequently hostpublic events where they proudly show off their creations on wheels. Often, these gatheringsare fundraisers for charitable causes, such as aiding victims of the 2011 earthquake, manyof whom are still suffering from its consequences.In a conversation with Japanese pop culture expert Kyoichi Tsuzuki, I gained a deeperunderstanding of Dekotora’s cultural significance. Beyond its flashy exterior, Dekotorareflects a traditional Japanese aesthetic: like Japan’s ornate hearses, tombs, temples andthe sacred mikoshi palanquins used in Shinto festivals, it mirrors a penchant for elaboratedecoration that is deeply ingrained in Japan’s suburban and rural communities. It’s a culturalecho of the past, of childhood memories that are rekindled by the sight of these garishjuggernauts on the nation’s highways and in iconic movies.