Shopping Guide
, are cars decorated with illustrations of anime and manga characters. The same approach has been taken with suit jackets, and a project dubbed “Ita-Suits Project” was launched at the end of May.)
Itasha (literally meaning “painful cars”), are cars decorated with illustrations of anime and manga characters. The same approach has been taken with suit jackets, and a project dubbed “Ita-Suits Project” was launched at the end of May.
Under the concept “always together whenever and wherever,” illustrations of the purchaser’s choice are printed onto the inner lining of the suit jackets. It is also possible to decorate the outer material in made-to-order style, going beyond just illustrations. The use of illustrations requires clearance from copyright holders, and project members are working on negotiations for each illustration to be used. The suit jackets are priced between 50,000-500,000 yen.
This project will also be launched overseas and will appear at the Japanese culture festival Japan Expo to be held in France this July. Currently, investments from patrons are being called upon through the crowdfunding service Campfire.
Anime, moe culture, and these types of items such as “ita-PCs” and “ita-keyboards” are becoming officially acknowledged by the creators of anime and manga. Examples of this include Char’s personal Auris named “Char Aznable x Auris” created by Toyota and decorated with character illustrations and themes from Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as a Prius and Vitz decorated all over with illustrations from the bishojo anime Girls und Panzer. Another “Ita” product is “ita-stamps” that Itaindou started selling in 2011 in collaboration with professional illustrators to present stamps of bishojo characters such as those from the popular TV anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
