Dekotora - Julie Glassberg

Photographer Julie Glassberg journeys into the dazzling, misunderstood subculture of Dekotora — Japan's elaborately decorated, neon-lit trucks. Born in the late 1960s as mobile advertising, Dekotora has since become a stigmatized yet deeply poetic tradition, echoing the ornate aesthetics of Japan's temples, hearses, and sacred festival shrines. Through vivid photography, Glassberg uncovers a tight-knit community that channels its flamboyant creations into charitable causes, and — with insight from pop culture expert Kyoichi Tsuzuki — reveals Dekotora as a vibrant thread in Japan's cultural fabric.