Purikura in Japan (Yo Yo)

I don’t want to use the word “Sticker Photos” to introduce Purikura even Purikura can be considered as Sticker Photos. Purikura is way more interesting and greater than those sticker photos in U.S or China. Anyone who has done Purikura in Japan would agree that Purikura is not as simple as normal Sticker Photos. Purikura is a transferred Japanese word from English. The original meaning of Purikura is Print Club.

The meaning of Purikura is same as Sticker Photo, which is that people take photo by facing a machine with some sort of decoration. However, the greater function makes Purikura different from normal sticker photos. It is also the reason of calling it “Club.” In China, sticker photo machines are placed in sticker photo shops, and there are always people in charge of them. In compare, Purikura machine is one the most common game machines in any Japanese game center. Same as all other coin-operated games, Purikura machine is part of those game centers. Moreover, Different with regular sticker photo machines, Purikura machines are much bigger. It is way you can see up to 10 more people appear in a Purikura photo. The cheap cost of Purikura is also one of reasons that Purikura is so popular in Japan. For example, it costs about 5 Chinese Yuan for a regular meal in University cafeteria, but it costs 10 to 20 yuan to take sticker photos. In Japan, it costs 500 hundred Yen for a regular University meal, and Purikura is only 400 yen. In addition, the Purikura price in Japan is unified cross the country because it’s coin-operated. As Purikura machine is auto-operated, all you have to do before posing is to choose background color and styles.  To take Purikura: Putting four 100 yen coin into the machine, choosing styles, and then posing before its auto-shutter. Due to the auto-shutter you don't have to worry about push the shutter button with you posing hand. However, there are only 5 seconds waiting time before the auto- shutter.  You may not be ready by the time and the photo will be so funny. But isn’t unready moment also good experience and memory.

The most important reason that I’d love to share Purikura is that you can do graffiti after pictures are taken. People can decorate their sticker photos with Purikura machine and its tools. Therefore, the background of photo is not only what you choose before, but also what you want to draw in you pictures. This function makes everyone’s Purikura unique from others. It is more meaningful when it’s a once work. Drawing whatever you like and out friends’ names, dates and other words is really a fun thing. Other than graffiti, you can also do make up yourself in the picture with Purikura. All those functions sound like photo shop, but Purikura is simpler and more fun.

Every game center always owns many Purikura machines. This is not only due to big demand; different machines are designed for different photo styles. It is normal to see people is lining up in front of this machine, when the other ones are free. Some Purikura machines will make people look whiter, some are for cute style, and some are for glamour style. It is important to choose the appropriate Purikura machine when there are boys. Some machines are not designed for boys, and boys will look either terrible or girlish in those photos. In case the wrong choose, some machines have sign with “OK for boys.”

Taking photos, drawing, then printing, after all these steps, you can send picture files to your cell-phone or e-mail by the Purikura machine. Now you can use those photos as your phone and computer’s background. Is not this nice? Because Purikura is common and cheap in Japan, people, especially students usually take photos with Purikura after a special event. it is way to remember good and significant days. Come to Japan, and get your wallet and cell-phone decorated by Purikura.