AKITAKATA, Hiroshima Prefecture--Large trucks were densely lined up in a parking lot here on a recent three-day holiday period under a clear autumn sky.

Their license plates showed they traveled from various regions across Japan from Miyagi Prefecture and Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, to southern Kumamoto Prefecture.

But instead of hauling goods, the more than 100 trucks in the parking lot on Sept. 17 were decked out with decorative lights and other flashy gimmicks to turn heads. 

A tank truck from Fukuoka Prefecture showed off a vivid blue ukiyo-e-like design, while some of the truckers made the journey from Okayama Prefecture to showcase their colorful rear patterns as if competing with one another.

Those “dekotora” (decoration trucks) drew a lot of fans and families. Onlookers were constantly seen taking in their unique designs and snapping selfies with them on their smartphones.

RENOWNED ARTIST STARTED YOUNG

Adorned with showy ornaments and other unorthodox fittings, dekotora appear to have been broadly embraced as part of Japanese culture.

Behind the latest display is the famed dekotora driver and designer Koji Okita, 51, who lives in Akitakata.

Okita commits himself exclusively to supplying parts for dekotora at his metal processing business, winning over art truck enthusiasts who painstakingly go over every single detail to bling-out their vehicles.

All decorative processes are carefully done by Okita by hand, so orders are reportedly taken up to a year in advance.

The charity photo session was organized by Okita when he called for dekotora lovers’ participation on Instagram, with the aim of “protecting children from traffic accidents.” And 120 dekotora owners appeared in the venue.

Okita’s father ran a metal parts company to produce components for rain gutters, roofs and other construction materials.

Okita grew fond of upgrading a bicycle with stainless-steel ornaments and lights during his elementary school days.

Like his father, Okita started reading Camion, a magazine specializing in dekotora that helped artistic trucks gain an avid following since its debut in 1984. Okita then became enchanted by garishly remodeled automobiles.

Okita’s love for dekotora went so far that he bought a truck as a local high school student, before reaching the legal age for obtaining a driver’s license. It was named Kofuku Maru to serve as a lifelong companion of Okita.

He later successfully obtained his driver's license. As his high school prohibited students from going to school by car, Okita “would drive my truck and hide it away nearby.”

Okita repeatedly watched the “Truck Yaro” (Truck rascals) film series starring actor Bunta Sugawara, which is also believed to have contributed greatly to the popularity of decorative automobiles.

He memorized the lines of 10 titles released under the franchise from 1975 through 1979.

Taking over from his father, Okita focused the family enterprise’s business on dekotora transformations in the 1990s.

Okita has since been pitching a trove of highly acclaimed dekotora. He published a book about his creations from Kotsu Times Sha Co. in March last year.

NEVER-ENDING WORK IN PROGRESS

Attracting the most attention at the recent show were Okita’s Kofuku Maru and “salon bus” marked by gorgeous interior fittings.

According to Okita’s accounts, at least 10 million yen ($67,000) has been poured into adorning each of them with metalware.

Okita said dekotora owners add ornamental features step by step. Okita has spent 35 years improving his Kofuku Maru.

“Dekotora represent my life,” he said. “Our trucks can never be completed. There is no end to customization. This fact constitutes our motivation and pride at the same time.”

The exhibition that day was rendered far livelier by a rock band performance as well as food vans.

Utilizing a large truck's platform as the stage, Okita showed off his drumming skills with other band members. Makoto Takahashi, a former drummer of the now-dissolved popular band Boowy, made the concert much more festive as a special guest.

Many fans of Okita came to the site.

It took two days for Taga Maru to arrive there from Shiogama Port in Miyagi Prefecture. Tsuyoshi Ishihara, 55, a former truck driver, visited the event with Taga Maru’s two drivers.

“Okita came all the way to a dekotora festival in Shiogama in the past,” said Ishihara, who currently serves as an automobile vendor. “We thus traveled some 1,200 kilometers to arrive here.”

At the end of the session, a donation box was seen full of bills on site. The fund will go to those victimized by traffic accidents and crimes through the Victim Assistance Center of Hiroshima.

Kazuhiko Umeki, chief of the Hiroshima prefectural Akitakata Police Station, expressed his gratitude for Okita’s contribution to regional security.

Toward the grand finale, Okita stated: “This event will end in a real sense when you reach your homes. I pray that you guys drive back safely.”