Gizmodo’s Adam Frucci (via Pink Tentacle) has a gallery of extreme Japanese customized vans. Rather strange-looking wheels! They include many models dedicated to pop stars and cartoon characters.

Although there are more and better pictures in the Pink Tentacle post, Frucci–who doesn’t appear to like the concept but continues to love Japan in spite of it–comments that:

In the States, “pimping out” your vehicle generally involves adding oversized subwoofers, gaudy rims and stupid- looking ground effects kits and spoilers. It’s a masculine, masturbatory affair that I never quite understood the appeal of. In Japan, they like to pimp out vans. It’s no less masturbatory, but it’s certainly not as masculine. Check out the above van, modified to look like some sort of spaceship from the Planet Little Girl.