Itasha: Cars for Anime-fans

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Japans anime, manga, and videogame fanatics known as otaku are slowly making their way into mainstream society. Their enthusiasm for animated characters can now be seen on show cars known as Itasha throughout Japan. NTD Tokyo reporter Liliana Yap has more.
The latest trend in otaku culture, or anime-fan culture, is decorating cars, motorcycles, and bicycles with paint, decals and even dolls related to Japanese animation.

Ita-G Festa is the first large scale itasha car gathering since the itasha boom a few years ago.

Itasha literally means painful cars in Japanese, referring to the pain felt when otaku leave the comfort of their fantasy world to join the rest of society in their sha or car. The name is also a pun for Italian cars.

Itasha owners simply enjoy creatively putting on decals of their favorite anime characters on their ride.

[Shunsuke MIA Sato, Lucky Star Itasha Club]:
The character on my car is from anime, I just put the vinyl decal on. But the pink vinyl stripe, I designed it myself and created this form. It seems too ordinary if I only have a character decal, I wanted to make my own itasha, so I made it like this.

Itasha cars are regularly seen on the streets of Akihabara, the popular Tokyo district famous for anime and electronics.

[Tomohisa Shimizu, Ita-G Festival Organizer]:
When I first saw itasha, I was so surprised. We decided to organize this event so more people could see the Itasha culture. The customization is whats most appealing. We hope more people become interested and try it.

Tomohisa says itasha culture is spreading to other Asian countries like Taiwan. When it becomes popular in the U.S. and Europe he hopes Japan will be known as the originator.

Im Liliana Yap. NTD, Odaiba, Japan.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• ntd
• new
• tang
• dynasty
• anime
• otaku
• manga
• videogames
• itasha
• cars
• imports
• culture
• painful
• akihabara
• electronics
• ita-g

[marcantallita]

oh man i love japan is just so original. for me japan is not a country is more like a different planet

[FlareKage]

i want one!

[12animegirl1]

@marcantallita go japan

[Otaku0animefanfan]

XD konata, oh you gaiz

[JiraiyaGallantSage]

@xy274 paint my scion tc lol XD

[7Nexus21]

@marcantallita so that's why there porn is so weird....

[piplupsingularity]

If otaku don't leave their houses, how do you explain this?

[RealJupiterKnight]

At the behest of the Itasyaism Club president, I am bringing the club to America. I am their first American member, and proud to be a part of their organization. I truly miss that AE92 with Kompaku Youmu on it.

[Rawrhisshalala]

Lol @ the Caramelldansen F430 0:30

[originaldriver]

Love the bitchin cadillac at 1:00.

[xy274]

i can draw anime....i just need a car to paint.

MOM!!! IM PAINTING THE CAR!!

[DriftTaifuu]

@akeza99kh123 I am sorry, I really hope they find you soon.