Julie Glassberg: Dekotora

A photographic record of a flamboyant Japanese subculture in decline

The Japanese subculture Dekotora, characterized by extravagantly decorated trucks and commercial vehicles--often featuring paintwork, neon lights and chrome accents--first caught on in the late 1960s as a form of mobile advertising: a truck carrying fish from Hokkaido, for example, would sport a traditional painting showing its cargo and origins. Today, due to regulations prohibiting this form of decoration because of the disrepute of the Dekotora scene, these trucks are used only by a few small businesses.
In this photobook, French photographer Julie Glassberg documents this diminishing scene. Her photographs are contextualized by a lengthy, illuminating conversation with Japanese pop culture expert Kyoichi Tsuzuki. Through its considered interplay of image and text, the book asserts Dekotora's cultural significance: Beyond its flashy exterior, Dekotora mirrors a penchant for elaborate decoration that is deeply ingrained in Japan's suburban and rural communities.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3907236947
• ISBN13: 9783907236949
• Release Date: September 2026
• Publisher: Patrick Frey Edition
• Length: 212 Pages