itasha
In Real Life

If Back To The Future Was Made By Japanese Geeks

It would probably feature a Delorean that looks like this. Behold, the itasha DMC-12, complete with an “OUTATIME” California plate.

15 October 2012

In Real Life

Japan’s Take On Military Pin-Ups Seem…Different

In the past, there was a tradition in the U.S. military to paint pin-ups on aircrafts. Today, that tradition lives on in Japan. But there’s an important difference: they’re not cheesecakes pin-ups. They’re anime girls.

28 September 2012

In Real Life

Japanese Geekiest Cars Run On Nerd Fuel

“Itasha” (痛車) literally mean “painmobile”, but they are Japan’s sticker-covered geek cars. The decals often feature anime, manga or video game characters. “Ita” either refers to the pain inflicted on the wallets of the car owners — or the folks who see the cars.

11 October 2011

In Real Life

Behold, A Fleet Of Cars Owned By Nerds

This past weekend, a parking lot in Tokyo’s Odaiba glimmered with geek pride. This weekend saw the Ita G Festa expo. Gear-heads gathered and showed off more than their appreciation for automobiles. They showed off their appreciation of covering their cars in otaku decals.

4 October 2011

In Real Life

When Cosplayers Get In The Way Of Crazy Cars

Over the weekend, bishoujo (beautiful young girl) game festival Dream Part steamrolled through Tokyo. Computer games weren’t the only place bishoujo popped up. They also decorated itasha.

24 May 2011

In Real Life

The Geekiest Cars On Earth

For Japanese otaku, itasha – literally “painmobile” – are about as geeky as they come. This past weekend, diehard itasha gathered and gawked in Tokyo’s Odaiba.

13 October 2010

In Real Life

A Thousand Cars, Covered In Otaku Stickers

A recent car show in Tokyo’s Odaiba featured approximately 1000 automobiles. These are hardly your typical cars.

12 October 2010

In Real Life

This Poor, Poor Lancia Stratos

The Lancia Stratos was arguably the most beautiful rally car ever. In its rally heyday, it was covered with Alitalia and Castrol stickers. It’s heyday is over.

6 October 2010

In Real Life

The Cosplay And Cars Of Dream Party

Another autumn, another Dream Party. The fall Dream Party was recently held in Tokyo, complete with cosplayers, booth companions and sticker-covered cars called “itasha” (“painmobile”).

Subscribe Contact
Kotaku Is Hiring a PHP Developer!

Take pride in writing clean code? We’re looking for an autonomous PHP developer to join our rapidly-growing team at Allure Media. Apply within.

World of Servers