[Asked 500 Men and Women] Art Truck Design Ranking! 2026 Latest Edition

■ What if you could design your own art truck?

A truck with flashy decorations that stands out in the city.

This type of freight vehicle, known as an 'art truck,' has long been cherished as a unique part of Japan's truck culture.

So, if you could freely decide the design of an art truck, what would you want to draw on its body?

This time, in collaboration with Art Friend AUTO Co., Ltd., we conducted a survey on 'Designs for Art Trucks' targeting 500 men and women nationwide.

Art Truck Design Ranking!

◆ 1st Place: Favorite Characters - 163 votes

Comments from survey respondents included:
- 'I want to see my favorite character (Chiikawa) up close and take pictures with it.' (Female, 20s)
- 'It gets me excited, and I won't be judged for taking pictures of it.' (Female, 30s)
- 'If it's something I like, it cheers me up while driving, and I might make friends with people who like the same thing.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I want to cover it with my favorite characters.' (Female, 40s)
- 'I thought it would be nice to feel like my favorite character is always with me, which would lift my spirits.' (Male, 30s)

'Favorite characters' was chosen for 1st place.
Positive words like 'lifts my spirits' and 'gets me excited' were prominent reasons. Many people seem to think that having their favorite character painted on the vehicle would make every drive enjoyable.

◆ 2nd Place: Favorite Animals - 77 votes

Comments from survey respondents included:
- 'Trucks have a tough image, so an animal design would seem gentler.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I don't want to do something too weird and get provoked.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I love cats, so I'd want a cute cat design to feel soothed.' (Female, 40s)
- 'Animals are always healing to look at.' (Male, 40s)
- 'Animals are generally not disliked, so I think both I and the people who see it would feel soothed.' (Female, 50s)

In 2nd place was 'favorite animals.'
The keyword that appeared repeatedly here was 'healing.' Many people mentioned common pets like cats and dogs, and there were quite a few who wanted to draw the pets they have at home.

◆ 3rd Place: Landscapes - 71 votes

Comments from survey respondents included:
- 'I want to draw Mount Fuji.' (Male, 20s)
- 'I want to see my favorite scenery passing through the city.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I want to be healed by looking at beautiful scenery.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I want to use a landscape from my hometown. Partly because I like it, but also because it would promote my hometown.' (Female, 40s)
- 'I'd like to design a landscape of a tropical beach and sea.' (Male, 50s)

In 3rd place was 'landscapes.'
In the responses, many people mentioned natural scenes like Mount Fuji, the sea, and mountain ranges, with reasons such as 'want to be healed' and 'it's calming.' There were also comments about wanting a 'safe design' that is not too flashy and unlikely to offend anyone, indicating that many people prioritize a calm impression.

◆ 4th Place: Logos - 54 votes

Comments from survey respondents included:
- 'Because it has a cool image.' (Male, 30s)
- 'I want to draw my own symbol.' (Male, 30s)
- 'Something simple but eye-catching.' (Male, 40s)
- 'I like motorsports, so I'd want to put a related logo on it.' (Male, 60s)
- 'If I'm going to do it, I want to advertise and drive around. It leads to profit.' (Female, 40s)

In 4th place was 'logos.'
In this category, comments like 'simple' and 'cool' were common.
This suggests a desire to create a memorable design with a sophisticated logo rather than adding more decorations.

◆ 5th Place: Flowers - 38 votes

Comments from survey respondents included:
- 'I want to make it beautiful with flowers.' (Female, 30s)
- 'Because I think everyone finds them beautiful.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I don't think anyone dislikes them.' (Female, 30s)
- 'If I filled it with my favorite flowers, it would be gorgeous and healing.' (Female, 40s)
- 'I think the mismatch of flowers on a rugged truck would be charming and memorable.' (Female, 60s)

In 5th place was 'flowers.'
Many people cited reasons like 'everyone finds them beautiful' and 'no one dislikes them.' Flowers are less likely to be divisive and are easily accepted by many. This sense of reassurance seems to have led to their support.

◆ 6th to 10th Place

Here are the 6th to 10th places, along with some of the reasons.

6th Place: Photo of a Favorite Place - 27 votes
- 'I like temples and shrines, and I think they would look cool on an art truck.' (Female, 30s)
- 'I thought it would be a good balance, not too loud for others.' (Male, 30s)
- 'I want to share the beautiful scenery of my hometown with people outside the prefecture.' (Male, 50s)

7th Place: Face of a Favorite Idol/Celebrity ('Oshi') - 24 votes
- 'It would promote my oshi.' (Female, 20s)
- 'Seeing my oshi gives me energy!!' (Female, 40s)
- 'Seeing my oshi's face blown up big would get me so excited!' (Female, 50s)

8th Place: Favorite Painting - 21 votes
- 'I know a wonderful painting that would blend in well in public spaces.' (Female, 20s)
- 'It would be great to use the truck like a canvas.' (Male, 50s)
- 'I'd want a design of a Monet painting.' (Female, 50s)

9th Place: Favorite Words/Characters - 14 votes
- 'I think text has the most impact.' (Male, 40s)
- 'It seems easy for anyone to understand at a glance.' (Male, 40s)
- 'There aren't strong likes or dislikes for it.' (Male, 30s)

10th Place: My Own Face - 11 votes
- 'Because you don't see it often.' (Male, 30s)
- 'People say I'm cute.' (Female, 40s)
- 'I'm interested. I'd want to design it to look youthful.' (Male, 60s)

So, this was the ranking for this survey.

In the 'Designs for Art Trucks' ranking, 'favorite characters' came in 1st with 163 votes. Many positive comments were received, saying that drawing their favorite character large would lift their spirits.

A common thread throughout the survey was the combination of the desire to 'have fun myself' and the consideration to 'not give a bad impression to others.' The high ranking of animals, landscapes, and flowers may be due to this kind of gentle consideration.

If you're interested in the art trucks that color our cities, why not check out a specialized art truck dealer?