Shopping Guide
The underground parking lot of the UDX building in Akihabara, now considered the Capital of Itasha, is becoming a hotspot for Itasha gatherings where cars decked out in Ita-designs assemble, offering great photo ops for both domestic and foreign media. This time, the Itasha that gathered were a style of minivan called Miku-phard. These minivans are completely covered with a staggering number of Mikus all the way up to the roof. The complicated layouts are precisely calculated and the designs even feature original artwork. The visual impact of these cars is astonishing.
In reality though, the real essence of these Miku-phard can’t be understood just by looking at them. A line has now been drawn dividing the Itasha culture in two due to the arrival of amazing hybrid Itasha that focus on sound. Itasha contests are no longer just about appearance, they are about sound as well.
For various reasons, owners often hide their true identities. One reason being that they may be famous in the world of “sound”. However, when we talk about sound, we’re not talking about having a loud muffler or revving the engine; we’re talking about insanely over the top car stereos. These people get together not to have a battle of looks, but a battle of sound. The cars have beefed up batteries along with several amps and speakers. The battles involve seeing who can crank up their system to the loudest decibel. You may have heard of this sort of competition before. It’s called DB Drag Racing. The sound can get so loud during these competitions that it shatters the cars’ glass.
The Japanese champion in this world of sound, whose name is unknown, used a station wagon in the past, but felt that the interior space was limited (even though much of the rest of the world would think otherwise!) and switched to the Toyota Alphard minivan, which is so high that you need a stepladder to be able to see the roof. While it may be obvious to state, the remarkable increase in size really caught people’s attention. When he thought of stepping up from custom car audio to custom car audio and visual, at the time, Itasha were still minor. The combination of visual and audio meant beautiful designs and top quality sound, and in 2009, a new category of Itasha was born.
(article to be continued)
Photos: Tetsuya Hara
Official Facebook page for Akihabara UDX Parking: https://www.facebook.com/AkihabaraUDXParking
