It’s no secret that I LOVE Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter. As a girl growing up in Houston in the 80s/90s, this is such a love letter to the time. I’ve also been excited to get into the nuances of the album’s visual imagery and recently learned about Dekorora, or Japanese decorated 18-wheeler trucks. Here’s a bit more I learned about dekotora:

Dekotora, short for “decoration truck,” is a unique Japanese subculture that emerged in the 1970s. These extravagantly decorated trucks feature elaborate paintings, chrome detailing, neon or LED lighting, and custom modifications. The dekotora style was heavily influenced by the 1970s Japanese movie series “Torakku Yaro” (Truck Rascals), which romanticized the lives of truck drivers.

Interestingly, there is a connection between dekotora, American country music, and the trucking culture of the 1970s. Many dekotora feature murals and artwork inspired by American West motifs like cowboys, desert landscapes, and long highways. The independent, traveling lifestyle glorified in country music truck-driving songs resonated with Japanese truckers who decorated their vehicles.

Both cultures celebrated the open road, freedom, and a sense of brotherhood among truckers. Drivers customized their trucks as an expression of individuality and took pride in their rigs. Though the two subcultures developed independently on opposite sides of the world, dekotora and 1970s American country music spoke to remarkably similar ideals and aesthetics.

Today, dekotora remains a vibrant niche Japanese art form, with competitions and gatherings celebrating these rolling works of art that merge American and Japanese styles into a unique creative tradition.

So, you know I had to get in and try my hand at a few images of dekotoa trucks! Images created with Leonardo, DALLE, and Midjourney