“Purikura” Photo Sticker Machines Evolving 30 Years On

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Photo sticker machines known by the generic term “purikura” have marked 30 years since the first of its kind, “Print Club,” debuted in 1995 and continue evolving to offer features including eye-enlarging filters, handwritten messages and even cosplay options. Purikura machines remain popular primarily among high school girls as they can print photos as stickers on the spot and allow users to share them with friends. The GiGO Ikebukuro No. 2 arcade in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district has 16 purikura machines, along with rental clothes, dressing tables and video shooting corners. A 17-year-old high school student who visited the facility with her friend rented a Chinese dress for purikura photos, saying, “I want to keep them as a memory.” Another high school girl, also 17, took purikura pictures in a nurse-like costume she rented. “I get excited before putting the costume on, and after the photo shooting I can bask in the afterglow,” she said, looking satisfied. Print Club was developed by entities including Japanese game company Sega Corp. It was simple and not equipped with the editing and drawing functions available on current purikura machines. Still, its novel feature of turning photos into stickers caught on, leading to blockbuster popularity and creating a trend among users to exchange stickers with friends and put them on special notebooks. As the popularity spread, other makers entered the market. A variety of machines are now available, including those with lighting effects to make faces look fairer and prettier. Some machines give operation instructions in English or Chinese. A public relations official of Furyu Corp., the current leader in the purikura industry, said, “We interview users so that we can stay tuned to the tastes and sensibilities of teenagers (and develop new models).” “We want to keep creating photo sticker machines that provide experiences only found here,” said Naoki Arikawa, who is in charge of purikura development at a Sega unit. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]