Have you heard of ITASHA or ITANSHA? (Ed: Literally "Hurt Car•bCrLf/•bCrLfHurt Motorcycle•bCrLf).
No? Well, today I'll introduce you to the latest otaku craze in Japan!
Itasha is adding manga-, anime-, or game- related characters or otaku company logos to a car with stickers or paint, or any other related anime-manga modifications. The name originates from the idea that covering the car with character art is self-ridiculing, hurting the car (Ed:•bCrLfItai•bCrLf means painful, and the kanji reading for car is "sha•bCrLf), and there is also a pun that the cars have strong design impact. Furthermore "Itai•bCrLf vehicles aren't limited to cars or motorcycles! For example, a bicycle is called "ITACHARI•bCrLf ("chari•bCrLf is kind of slang for a bicycle in Japan). and there are a lot of these too.
Most often, stickers are put on the hood and doors of the car and then airbrushed. People who think, "It's kind of embarrassing, but I really want to ride in an itasha! ... But I'd have to hide it from my family and at my job•bCrLf can quickly take the design off by attaching and detaching magnetic stickers.
Although printing cutting sheets of personal favorite characters and putting them on the car is a popular method, people who are really devoted will commission a specialist to airbrush their designs.
In the 80s character plushies and stickers were used to decorate cars. In the 2000s, otaku culture has spread to the point where it's widely known throughout the world. The number of cars decorated with flashy character and production company logos has been steadily increasing, until finally at this year's summer Comiket a countless number of itasha owners gathered.
An itasha specialty Mook (magazine-book) was also published! Itasha are really super hot in Japan! So, I interviewed some owners of itasha and itansha! Please enjoy looking at their prized cars and bikes! They're really cool! First up is the owner of a motorcycle inspired by the game fate. Say hello to ninoking-san!
OWNER: ninoking-san
MACHINE: fate-style motorbike
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
Around two years.
What made you think "Let's ride!"?
Other people were doing it, and I thought it sounded good.
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
The hand-cut cutting sheet sticker.
How long did it take to make?
One piece took about five hours.
When you ride in your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
Akihabara, touring, or a circuit!
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
If it's all dressed up, everyone notices. It shows my personality. There aren't any two of the same style.
Moving on, here's the owner of a character car featuring the anime Rozen Maiden, Funamushi-san!
OWNER: Funamushi
MACHINE: Rozen Maiden-style car
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
Since about seven years ago.
What made you think "Let's ride"?
It appealed to me personally, so, why not?
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
Because I like deep crimson, I've added deep crimson pictures to a red car.
How long did it take to make?
It's still a work in progress. After this, I'm going to decorate the sides!
When you ride in your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
I want to try going to sightseeing areas.
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
I'm happy that I can do this with friends with similar interests. There are a lot of other good things about it too!
And now ... the moe character car owner Tsukimaiha Miyatoyouyuu!
OWNER: Tsukimaiha Miyatoyouyuu
MACHINE: Moe-styled car
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
Since Comiket of winter 2006.
What made you think, "Let's ride!"?
There was an itansha event at Comiket.
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
It's cuter than it is cool. Instead of being finished, it's always evolving.
How long did it take to make?
It took one week from designing it to applying.
When you ride in your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
I want to go to event areas, Akihabara, Nihonbashi in Nagoya. Also, areas filled with anime and game models.
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
I can use my own favorite character stickers, so it's original. Also, I can meet different kinds of people.
This is the production schedule! The order of today's tasks to make an itasha are: (1) making a big printout, (2) cutting, (3) pasting, and (4) allowing it to dry. With time, it is worked on slowly and carefully. We can feel the passion for the characters and car!
Moving along, here's the owner of two itasha, Takamachitaisa!
OWNER: Takamachitaisa
MACHINE: Two itasha!
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
From the beginning I'd been thinking about adding something, like pasting an image or character to the car. But it was around 2003, so it's been four years since then. At that time the terms "itasha" and "itansha" weren't even coined yet.
What made you think, "Let's ride!"?
At that time, there was a car team that were fans of the group that made theme songs from the game I've Sound, and those people had stickers on their cars. I saw it and it influenced me.
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
There's a sticker from my favorite game Triangle Heart on the middle. I don't have any intention of adding anything besides this right now.
How long did it take to make?
Because the current form is still in progress, it's hard to give a straight answer ... Once I stop adding things to this bike and part with it, I can answer this question.
When you ride your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
Because I have a small motorcycle and a large motorcycle, the small one is mainly for work or going to usual places, and I use the big one for events or touring.
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
I can be proud of it because it's custom made and the only one! I use the things I like. Aren't motorcycles overflowing with originality enchanting?
Moving on, we have a details-obsessed owner, Nejitomo-san!
OWNER: Nejitomo
MACHINE: Haruhi-styled bike
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
Because I bought my first motorcycle March of this year, it's only been 10 months.
What made you think "Let's ride!"?
At first I wanted to put on a lot of stickers, so I bought the ZZR400 model with a lot of parts. After that, I started putting on anime stickers because I thought, "I want to have a custom model different from everyone else!" And because at that time I was kind of obsessed with Haruhi. Even though the bike parts were expensive, I could buy and cut the stickers out of a cutting sheet, which is a very inexpensive way to give the bike it's own custom appeal.
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
"It has to be the headlights! Because the frame is red, I put an image of Giroro (from Sgt. Frog) on it. I've never seen someone try and copy it. There's also a connection with Haruhi. The show's design and logo fit well with a red motorcycle. Actually, I'm really moe for (Haruhi character) Mikuru. She is really "kawaii, but not really "cool." On the right side of the bike, there's just an ordinary sticker attached. This way I can talk to regular people ...
How long did it take to make?
It took one month to make the basic section. Because different people kept telling me different ways to go about making it, I spent a considerable amount of time balancing the right techniques. I'm not finished yet.
When you ride your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
I usually go to school in it, but I enjoy touring. I haven't really done anything else. However, since I made an itansha, I've been able to go to Nihonbashi in Osaka. For touring, I've gone around everywhere in Kinki and central Kyoto, and this summer I went to my parent's family in Aomori. Along the way I've visited the holy ground of Akihabara, and sacred places of Lucky Star. When I go out touring, of course, I bring along my Haruhi handpuppet for photos.
Me, Haruhi, and my motorcycle, the three of us have great travels (laughs).
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
There's only one motorcycle in the world created inexpensively by my own taste. Because I ride gushing with love and affection as opposed to "normal riding," I even enjoy the car washes. Most of all, there's no limit to the customization as long as there is MOE. It's the most fascinating thing about it.
Our last display is a custom car that never ceases to pull out the crowd: Sabuguro-san's car! His car has been written about in news articles and periodicals and is famous among itasha owners.
OWNER: Sabugoro
MACHINE: Nanoha-style car
How long have you been riding itasha/itansha?
Since spring of last year. In June I fully colored the hood.
What made you think "Let's ride!"?
I went to an offline gathering of itasha at the Daikoku Parking Area in Kanagawa last year, and from seeing them there I decided that I wanted to start.
What's an interesting point or obsession about your itasha/itansha?
For the car itself, the whole thing is covered in full-color stickers. There are small kanji stickers, as well as anime parody stickers. In the front of the car there is a PC, so it's constantly playing anime songs, as well as anime and game videos and PVs (promotional videos). Three 19-inch wide-monitors are installed in the Civic.
How long did it take to make?
I think that most people who ride itasha will say this, but it's always changing. At events, I'm likely to decorate it even more. The current shape took about three months to complete. For today's purpose, it's more innocent looking.
When you ride your itasha/itansha, what kind of places do you go to?
I've made many pilgrimages to the holy grounds of anime and game areas. Specifically, the settings of Onegai Teacher in Nagano and Kizakiko, Kasukabeshi, and Washimiyajinja from Lucky Star, and Nishinomiyashi and Nishinokita High School from Haruhi, as well as other anime and game events.
Tell us the appeal of your itasha/itansha!
The car is a canvas. I can make what I want it to be! There's only one car like mine in the world.
So! As a special treat for today, we also talked to an itasha and itansha creation circle (aka group) called Moeshaou!
INTRODUCTION TO MOESHAOU'S WORK PROCESS AND SPECIAL POINTS
First, we will create the sticker. The image is traced for cutting on a PC, and then is printed and cut with a cutting machine. Machines that can cut up to a width of 50 centimeters are out on the market, but we can cut large images because we use a business machine that cuts up to a width of 130 cm. Depending on the commission, we might redraw the manga version into the anime version.
Recent anime fans are able to distinguish between people who can draw and can't, but everyone in my generation drew. Was it because there was a lot of time to play around with my hands (Ed: This sounds as dirty in Japanese as it does in English) or because there wasn't the number of anime we have now? There are only two ways of cutting, and it depends on what you want to do with the skin color. The easy way is to leave the outline or the part filled with the black on the sheet. The way I'm doing it reveals the shadow, which takes time. The hair and the skin are left on the sheet, and the edges become the shadow. If the original drawing has a small shadow, I'll redraw the shadow myself for the total balance of the image. The skin is left on the sheet. It is fun to use the color sheet on the pendant or the part inside the eyes as the accent color.
So, how'd you like it? Of course we've only been able to mentiona few here, but there are tons and tons of other itasha otaku. The love they have toward anime and games is wonderful!
How'd you like to dress up your car or bike like that? If you pay attention to itasha manners and rules, you can make friends with a lot of people!
Next time I'll report on more interesting Japanese culture. Have fun until then! l
Translation and notes by Kyle Serra.
>> Rukia (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)
I WANT THAT CAR!!!!! except no undies showing xD
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