The story
Borrowed from Japanese 痛(いた)車(しゃ) (itasha, “painful car”), from 痛 (ita, “pain”) + 車 (sha, “vehicle”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
itasha
Today it means: A car decorated with anime or manga artwork, including custom decals, dashboard ornaments, and seatcovers. Full definition →