![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
America has monster truck rallies; Japan has the Dekotora.
Image: the decorated trucks of Japan.
Once again, I am interrupting the "What are you reading?" Wednesday for a unique HeyGo tour that I feel deserves its own full blog. Last night, Dave from HeyGo took us to Kada, Wakayama to a Dekotora truck rally. If you go to the wikipedia article that I linked above, it does a pretty good job describing the dekotora subculture in Japan. Basically, there was a movie back in the mid-1970s in Japan that idealized truckers the same way "Smokey and the Bandit" did for truckers and CB culture here in the US. Ever since, in Japan, there have been these semi truck drivers who basically art car the sh*t out of their rigs. These days, they are less involved in running from the cops and more into holding these kinds of gatherings for charities.
Once again, because of time differences, Dave showed up early in the morning to this rally so we could watch the various trucks come in and park. As you will see at the end, these trucks are by far more spectacular by night when all the lights are flashing, but there are some that have amazing paintings, which are better enjoyed in the daylight.
Image: fancy lady? lad? on the back of a dekotora.
Image: A killer whale on the cab of a dekotora dump truck.
Image: A dragon dekotora
Image: the decorated trucks of Japan.
Once again, I am interrupting the "What are you reading?" Wednesday for a unique HeyGo tour that I feel deserves its own full blog. Last night, Dave from HeyGo took us to Kada, Wakayama to a Dekotora truck rally. If you go to the wikipedia article that I linked above, it does a pretty good job describing the dekotora subculture in Japan. Basically, there was a movie back in the mid-1970s in Japan that idealized truckers the same way "Smokey and the Bandit" did for truckers and CB culture here in the US. Ever since, in Japan, there have been these semi truck drivers who basically art car the sh*t out of their rigs. These days, they are less involved in running from the cops and more into holding these kinds of gatherings for charities.
Once again, because of time differences, Dave showed up early in the morning to this rally so we could watch the various trucks come in and park. As you will see at the end, these trucks are by far more spectacular by night when all the lights are flashing, but there are some that have amazing paintings, which are better enjoyed in the daylight.
Image: fancy lady? lad? on the back of a dekotora.
Image: A killer whale on the cab of a dekotora dump truck.
Image: A dragon dekotora
I was, of course, extremely excited when Dave announced that he was going to do this particular tour. I don't know exactly when I learned about the Dekotora sub-culture, but I find this charming in the same way that I used to enjoy going up to Grand Rapids, Minnesota with Shawn to the swap meet and classic car show. There's a strangely wonderful working class celebration going on here? Of course, in Japan, as in America, there is a strain of all this that can be kind of nationalistic and... conservative. Several times on the tour, he pointed out particular features that were less decorative and more political, but generally the vibe is outlandish fun.
I mean, there was even a lone shamisen player doing his best to entertain the early morning attendees. You have to wonder about this guy's life. Is he living the traditional itinerate musician dream or is he a semi-/professional musician whose agent could only get him the "dekotora truck rally" gig?
Image: traditional musician just playing his tunes for an uninterested morning crowd at the truck rally. I feel you, sir.
As an amusing aside, I wrote the Dekotora subculture into the future in my newest "Lesbians in Spaaaace" novel. It's hard to explain, but basically this concept followed us into space and there are long-haul transport pilots who do to their ships what the Japanese truckers do to their semis. So, I mean, I really HAD to go on this tour.
I was unable to wake up at 5 am this morning to take this live-stream tour again, but I found that Dave has put a video up on his YouTube channel. If you watch this, it's much like what it's like to go on a HeyGo, only without the ability to interact. It sounds like he is doing this same sort of thing over on Twitter, so perhaps if you prefer, you could check out his tours there.
I mean, there was even a lone shamisen player doing his best to entertain the early morning attendees. You have to wonder about this guy's life. Is he living the traditional itinerate musician dream or is he a semi-/professional musician whose agent could only get him the "dekotora truck rally" gig?
Image: traditional musician just playing his tunes for an uninterested morning crowd at the truck rally. I feel you, sir.
As an amusing aside, I wrote the Dekotora subculture into the future in my newest "Lesbians in Spaaaace" novel. It's hard to explain, but basically this concept followed us into space and there are long-haul transport pilots who do to their ships what the Japanese truckers do to their semis. So, I mean, I really HAD to go on this tour.
I was unable to wake up at 5 am this morning to take this live-stream tour again, but I found that Dave has put a video up on his YouTube channel. If you watch this, it's much like what it's like to go on a HeyGo, only without the ability to interact. It sounds like he is doing this same sort of thing over on Twitter, so perhaps if you prefer, you could check out his tours there.