Purikura: The Japanese Grandmother of the Selfie
6 days ago
- #Selfie history
- #Japanese culture
- #Purikura
- Sasaki Miho, an employee at Atlus, conceived the idea of Purikura in the mid-90s inspired by kawaii stickers popular among high school girls.
- Initially rejected, Atlus partnered with Sega in 1995 to launch Print Club (Purikura), which became Japan's highest-grossing arcade game in 1996.
- Purikura's popularity surged after being featured on 'I LOVE SMAP,' leading to widespread installation in arcades, fast food outlets, and train stations.
- Competitors like SNK and Konami introduced their versions, Neo-Print and Puri Puri Canvas, in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
- Early Purikura machines offered basic features like frames, but later versions included text, stickers, and more, influencing front-facing cameras on phones.
- Purikura's popularity declined due to smartphone advancements and Japan's aging population, with sales dropping by 30.7 billion yen between 2007-2017.
- Despite the decline, Purikura remains popular in Japan, with over 90% of Japanese people having tried it at least once.