Permission granted by writer. From Asian Pacific Review, Vol. 3, Issue No. 2 (1998)
By USAGI
Asian Pacific Review (1998)
Brace yourselves! The "purikura" phenomenon has hit the United States. Purikura is short for "Print Club" and the Japanese photo stickers have taken the place of the fading tamagotchi fad. It’s an innovative new spin on the old, boring photo booths.
What is so appealing about purikura? You have the option to change the backgrounds of the photos. You can take a picture with a celebrity or cartoon character. You can choose different settings and even wear different costumes.
Here’s how it works. You walk into one of the purikura booths (some of which can fit as many as ten people), and pay an average of three dollars. On the menu screen you choose a setting , style and color. It then takes your photo. You can choose the best photo out of two or three shots. In a couple of minutes your sheet of about 16 photo stickers is ready.
The purikura phenomenon is quickly becoming popular because it brings in big money. In its first year in Japan, the phenomenon has brought in $850 million purikura and is expected to be a huge success in the United States. Another reason for its popularity is that its something that you and your friends can do that’s very cheap.
Among many GenerAsians, it’s not a big surprise to see your friends collect dozens of purikura photos in their wallets, photo albums or day planners. Believe it or not, there are some students at CSUF who have collected over a hundred purikura.
Purikura is a trendy fad that attracts people of all ages. Many people have caught the purikura bug. Will you be next?
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