Itasha — an otaku fad

What is Itasha? Everybody’s talking about on Akiba.

We call those cars “Itasha.” Itasha literally means “Painful Car” (Itai=painful). But for this situation, “Itai” is used to describe something pitiful, pathetic, awkward, hideous, or ugly although it is supposed to mean hurt or painful.

— Akibablog

By MINORU MATSUTANI
Staff writer

They’re painful. So painful that pedestrians can’t help staring at them and real girls stay away from their owners.
The heavily decorated vehicles called “itasha” have been experiencing a nationwide resurgence lately, reflecting Japan’s “anime” craze. Combining the words “itai” (“painful”) and “sha” (vehicle), itasha are literally “painful cars” with exteriors pimped out in tacky illustrations or stickers of female animation characters.

— Japan times online.

You can look on more Itasha’s here on dannychoo.