1.
sound truck; van fitted with loudspeakers for street campaigning
A vehicle equipped with loudspeakers used to broadcast political messages on the street. The word most often calls to mind the black vans of right-wing groups, but it also covers the campaign vans used by candidates during elections.
Made up of 街頭 (on the street) + 宣伝 (publicity) + 車 (vehicle).
Common collocations
- 街宣車が回る: a sound truck drives around
- 街宣車の音: the noise from a sound truck
- 右翼の街宣車: a right-wing sound truck
- 選挙カー: election campaign car — the neutral term used at election time
Cultural note
Black 街宣車 playing military music and slogans at high volume are a familiar sight near stations and government offices in Japanese cities. Because of that association the word carries a faintly negative tone, so news coverage of ordinary campaigning usually prefers 選挙カー.