Itasha
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

In
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, an is a
car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
decorated with images of characters from
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
,
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
, or
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s (especially ''bishōjo'' games or ''
eroge An ''eroge'' (, ''eroge'', or , ''erogē'', ), also called an H-game, is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The first ''eroge'' were crea ...
''). The decorations usually involve paint schemes and stickers. The cars are seen prominently in places such as
Akihabara is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan, generally considered to be the area surrounding Akihabara Station (nicknamed ''Akihabara Electric Town''). This area is part of the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts of Chiyoda. There is an ...
(
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
), Nipponbashi (
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
), or
Ōsu is an area located in the Naka-ku, Nagoya, Naka ward of Nagoya, central Japan. Ōsu is a historic area which has many small shops offering everything from Japanese traditional food to handicrafts. A large department store is OSU301. It is pop ...
(
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
), or Itasha-based events, such as Odaiba Itasha Tengoku. ''Itasha'' only applies to cars. There are different names for vehicles that have features of an ''itasha'', such as for motorcycles, for bicycles, for buses, for trucks, for trains, and for aircraft.


Etymology

In the 1980s, when Japan was at the zenith of its economic might, there were many luxury import cars in Tokyo. Among them, the "itasha"—originally Japanese slang meaning an imported Italian car—was the most desired. Since then, ''itasha'' (as the decorated vehicle) was derived from combining the
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
words and . ''Itai'' means "painful", with additional senses of "painfully embarrassing" → "cringeworthy", "painful for the wallet" due to the high costs involved, or "painful to look at" (an eyesore). The name is also a pun for , truncated in Japanese slang as .


History

The subculture started in Japan in the 1980s with character plushies and
sticker A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
s, but only became a phenomenon in the twenty-first century, when
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
culture became relatively well known via the Internet. The earliest known report of an ''itasha''-decorated vehicle in convention was in August 2005, in
Comiket , more commonly known as or , is a semiannual Doujinshi convention, ''doujinshi'' convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of ''doujin'' (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered ...
68.


Conventions

In 2007, the first , an ''itasha''-oriented convention, was held in Ariake, near Comiket. Since then, the subculture has grown and allows people to express themselves and show off their customization to fellow friends and competitors. In 2019, Odaiba Itasha Tengoku, which took place in Odaiba, Tokyo, was also held. Another Itasha-JDM event was held on March 27 named "Itasha Tengoku JDM Paradise".


International movement

Similarly decorated vehicles have been found in Taiwan, the Philippines and in Italy.


Vehicles owned by character rights owner

The executive director of ACID Co., Ltd. (parent company of game developer
Âge is a Japanese adult video game and visual novel brand owned by . They have also produced work under the names Mirage and Φâge. âge was formerly known as Relic and developed video games for consoles. It gained fame following the release of i ...
), Hirohiko Yoshida, was reported to own a ''
Muv-Luv is a Japanese visual novel developed by âge and originally released as an adult game for Windows on February 28, 2003. Consisting of two parts, and the gameplay in ''Muv-Luv'' follows a linear plot line, which offers pre-determined ...
''-themed
Lamborghini Gallardo The Lamborghini Gallardo (; ) is a sports car built by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is Lamborghini's second car released under parent company Audi, and the List of best-selling automobiles, best-selling m ...
,
Lancia Stratos The Lancia Stratos HF (''Tipo 829''), known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, rear mid-engined sports car designed for rallying, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was highly successful in competition, win ...
, and
BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a super high-performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports saloon category. The M5 has always been produced in the saloon (sedan, US English) body s ...
. The cars were unveiled in 2008 âge×Nitro+ in Akihabara UDX Gallery. Good Smile Co. has sponsored
Super GT Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is the top level of ...
GT300 cars with
liveries A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
featuring ''itasha''-like illustrations of
Hatsune Miku , officially code-named CV01, is a Vocaloid software voicebank developed by Crypton Future Media. Its official mascot is depicted as a sixteen-year-old girl with long, turquoise twintails. Miku's personification has been marketed as a virt ...
since 2008. In 2010, they spun off from their sponsored team to start their own team called Good Smile Racing. These cars are often also featured at conventions like
Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...
. In 2019, Good Smile partnered with
Type-Moon Type-Moon (stylized as TYPE-MOON) is a Japanese video game company, best known for their visual novels, co-founded by author Kinoko Nasu and illustrator Takashi Takeuchi. It is also known under the name for its publishing and corporate operation ...
and
TRIGGER Trigger may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Trigger (''Only Fools and Horses''), in the TV sitcom * Trigger Argee, in science fiction short stories by James H. Schmitz * Devil Trigger, a transformation ability of ...
to field cars with ''itasha'' liveries for Miku, ''Fate'', and '' Promare'' at the
2019 24 Hours of Spa Spa 24 Hours 2019 in Belgian motorsport, Spa 2019 Blancpain GT Series, Spa 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge, 24 ...
. File:博麗靈夢痛車7118-VY 20161204.jpg, An ''itasha'' in Taiwan with Reimu Hakurei from ''
Touhou Project The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by Indie game, independent Japanese Doujin soft, soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. The team's sole member, ZUN (video game developer), Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, ha ...
'' on a Mitsubishi Savrin File:Xpeng P7 in Miku wrap 03.jpg, An ''itasha'' in Shanghai, China with Miku on a
Xpeng P7 The XPeng P7 ( zh, c=小鹏P7, p=Xiǎopéng P7) is a battery-powered executive sedan made by the Chinese electric car company XPeng, which started deliveries in the Chinese market on 29 June 2020. Later, a refreshed version called the XPeng ...
next to a regular Xpeng P7


Vehicles from automotive manufacturers

In ''Nagoya Auto Trend'' in 2009, a ''
Phantom of Inferno ''Phantom of Inferno'' (known in Japan as ''Phantom -PHANTOM OF INFERNO-'') is an adult visual novel game created by Nitroplus, directed and written by Gen Urobuchi, distributed in North America by Hirameki International (a subsidiary of ...
''-themed
Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a line of American two-door, two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Chevrolet marque since 1953. Throughout eight generations, indicated sequentially as C1 to C8, the Corvette is not ...
, a Melonbooks-themed
MINI Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to: *Performance Cars of the original Mini series with uprated drive train and brakes, called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and also the successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000 *Cars of the Mini (mar ...
, and a '' Chaos;Head Noah-''themed Toyota Estima were unveiled.


Licensed model vehicles

Officially licensed ''itasha'' cars can be found both in display and R/C car models. In June 2008, Aoshima Bunka Kyozai launched "ITASHA" as one of their
model car A model car, or toy car, is a Physical model, miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even All-terrain vehicle, ATVs, etc. are often included in this general category. Because many mi ...
product lines. Since then, many model companies have produced various ''itasha'' versions of their car models. Fujimi, Kyosho, HPI and Tamiya also sell models with ''itasha'' decorations. Recently, combinations between models and actual ''itasha'' are increasing, wherein models based on the original ''itasha'' were made afterwards.


Derivative uses

The ''itasha'' decorative style has also been found on railway cars, aircraft, computer cases, and other products. The ''itasha'' equivalent in apparel is the " ''ita''-bag", a bag covered in fandom-related badges, buttons, etc. At
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
shrines A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daemon, or similar figure of respect, wh ...
and
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
, ''
ema Ema or EMA may refer to: Biology and medicine * Anti-Endomysial Antibodies test * Epithelial membrane antigen * European Medicines Agency, a European Union agency for the evaluation of medicinal products * European Medical Association, associa ...
'' are small
wooden Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
tablets that are usually inscribed with a wish. The ''itasha'' version, ''"ita-ema''", describes ''ema'' featuring usually hand-drawn illustrations of characters. In-vehicle electronics, such as navigation systems, were also reported to be customized with character voices. On 28 March 2008, Maplus began to offer character voices for its Maplus Portable Navi 2 GPS system, beginning with
Shūichi Ikeda is a Japanese actor and narrator. Ikeda is married to Sakiko Tamagawa, although he was once married to Keiko Toda. He currently works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He is best known for his role as Char Aznable in multiple ' ...
(Char Aznable from the ''
Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...
'' franchise). Automotive consumables such as motor oil have also been customized. On 20 June 2009, T&E, a tuning shop, began to sell scented semi-synthetic motor oil under the Itayu brand, with the first product being a '' Lucky Star-''themed motor oil, unveiled at the 48th Shizuoka Hobby Show 2009.痛車乗りに朗報! 痛いエンジンオイルが登場!
/ref>


See also

*
Art car An art car is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art cars are often driven and owned by their creators, who are sometimes referred to as "Cartists". Most car artists are ordinary people with ...
*'' Moe'' *'' Ita-bag'' – decorated bags *''
Dekotora , an abbreviation for "decoration truck", are a style of decorated trucks in Japan. Commonly featuring neon, LED or ultraviolet lights, detailed paintjobs and murals, and stainless steel or golden parts (both on the exterior and the interior) ...
'' – decorated trucks *'' Dekochari'' – decorated bicycles


References


External links


"Japanese 'itasha' gain in popularity in Taiwan"
– article describing ''itasha'' in Taiwan, July 2008
''Itasha Graphics''
the ''itasha''-oriented magazine by Geibunsha
富士スピードウェイに痛車がっ! 世界一痛いカーイベント!
("
Fuji Speedway is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Shizuoka, Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the ...
hosts itasha! The most painful car event in the world!"), Ascii.jp report, May 2008 {{in lang, ja 1980s neologisms 2000s neologisms Anime and manga fandom Anime and manga terminology Art vehicles Japanese subcultures Otaku slang Decorated vehicles Cars of Japan category:Vehicle modification