Our fascination with pedal-powered Art Bikes continues. As with so many things, the Japanese took the idea of bicycle customization in their own unique direction — with impressive results. The genre is called "Dekochari" in Japanese, and the Wikipedia describes it thus:
Deko-chari is a form of art bike indigenous to Japan dating back to the mid 1970s. 'Deko' in Japanese is short for decoration and 'Chari' is slang for bike. The Dekochari was a response by children to the Dekotora ('Tora' is short for Truck) craze which swept Japan after a series of movies called Truck Yaro was released. These movies featured giant trucks decked out in chrome and flashy lights.
Unable to drive the giant chrome-plated flashing trucks they coveted, children instead built plywood boxes around their bikes and attached chrome plating and lights. Almost all current Dekochari's have elaborate light displays and many include hi-fi audio systems and cup-holders.
Here's the video of some dekochari in action, and according to this site, the accompanying soundtrack is "'Ichiban-boshi Blues' (sung by Bunta Sugawara and Kinya Aikawa), the theme song from the Torakku Yarou movie series that sparked Japan’s dekotora craze in the ’70s.":
If you'd like a better view of what these rides look like in the light of day, you can see that here. Gambatte!
PREVIOUSLY:
The Art of the Bicycle as Art Bike
An International Art Bike in Copenhagen
A Different Way to Ride on the Golden Gate Bridge
(IMAGE: Top, photographer unknown, via Photo-Reports.)
where can i pick up one of those tricked out bikes
Posted by: antonio | 05 January 2008 at 03:22 PM
Thats very cool bike!
Posted by: Online Gambling | 22 July 2008 at 01:32 AM
What an imagination!!!
Click on my name to see more bike art. Another guy makes neat stuff recycling bicycles.
Posted by: Billy Bob Bike Rider | 17 November 2009 at 05:50 PM