The Art Trucks of Japan

By Tomoyuki Kato

An introduction to Japan's amazing art trucks, known locally as Decotora' (decorated trucks). Truck owners spend hundreds of thousand of pounds on their vehicles, turning them into moving masterpieces of the highway. Includes photos, interviews with owners, a look at specialty parts shops and more. Cocoro Books introduce non-Japanese readers to the many facets of Japan's vibrant pop and underground cultures.'

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932897437
• ISBN13: 9781932897432
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Cocoro Books
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

"THE ART TRUCKS OF JAPAN" gives us a rare glimpse of Japanese auto fashion and the artistic work and

One of my first collaboration writing works during the early years of J!-ENT was assisting a writer from Japan for Auto Fashion and Bye-Bee Magazine. I was always curious about the Japanese auto fashion. From those who race (thanks to my interest in "Initial D") to the hobbiest that just want to make their vehicle look cool. I was always blown away by the money dedicated to a vehicle's look via its exterior or interior. But when I started to read Kato Tomoyuki's book "THE ART TRUCKS OF JAPAN", I was floored by the look and financial dedication that a few truck drivers have done for their delivery trucks. From the amount of aluminum/metal and the paintings on delivery truck, the only thing that these trucks can't do is transform to some mecha robot because looking at it, the sheer coolness is so unlike what I've seen here in the United States, these are owners who are passionate for making their delivery trucks stand out. Some look like futuristic vehicles with weaponry but in actuality, it's just the look. Also, possibly inspired by the neon lights of a Tokyo metropolitan city, some of these trucks at night tend to exhibit a similar appearance as lights of various colors fill the delivery trucks from all sides. The book does a great job and showcasing various trucks from day and night, various shapes and sizes and some that look like a truck meets Las Vegas/Shibuya to a truck that seems to have collided and meshed with Decepticons of Transformers fame. That's how cool these trucks really look. The book of course is mostly a photo book but you do get a two-page forward by Clive France discussing the Japanese trend of art trucks and very informative information and brief history can be found on these two pages.