In Japanese, the term literally means “painful car”— that is, painful to the eyes.

Itasha are cars intricately over-decorated with anime, manga, or video game characters, which is what makes them so unique even within Japanese car culture.

The term Itasha first entered the Japanese language when referring to Italian sports cars, but the term has come to have a different meaning related to the character wraps or paint jobs on cars.

Itasha, when related to these decorated cars, comes from Japanese wordplay, “itai” (痛) meaning painful and “sha” (車) meaning vehicle.

Q: Can I touch or lean on the vehicles for my photos?

No, no touching allowed of any of the vehicles without permission from the owner.

Q: What kind of cars can I expect to see?

Anything and everything that relates to Japanese car culture, anime and video games.

Q: How can I put my vehicle in the car show?

If your vehicle matches with the themes of our car show, you can try registering through our website and get a chance to show off your ride.

Q: Why do I have to leave my large cosplay prop at the entrance of the room?

We want to avoid any accidents that may occur from scratching or damaging the vehicles in the show. Just check in your prop and pick it up when you leave the area. We will keep an eye on it!

Q: Can I speak with the owner to a car in the show?

Of course you can! Just come up to the staff table and we will introduce you to the owner if they are available to talk to you at that time.