My Japanese obsession, purikura!

---

It has been a few months since I left Japan and returned to Canada. In my last few weeks I got so caught up in last minute travels and of course packing up my life, that I neglected my blog. Again the same thing happened when I got back home....visiting and unpacking. I've had a few requests to finish everything up, so I'm going to jump back in time and complete my year with a few entries!

During my time in Japan I have developed a few obsessions. One being karaoke, which I have written about a number of times on this blog. The other is purikura, a popular sticker picture collected mostly by girls of all ages in Japan. Photo booths are located mostly at entertainment centres. At these entertainment places you can gamble, play video games...and at some of the bigger ones there are karaoke rooms and batting cages. However at every one you will find a bunch of photo booths crammed together filled groups of school girls or couples having their picture taken. First you must decide which kind of photo or theme you want to take. You and your friends enter the booth, put in a few coins, and within minutes you're having a giggle-fest taking ridiculous photos. The best booths are ones with creative background options. Through purikura I've gone to outerspace, jumped out of a cake, and swam in a toilet! The most fun comes after the picture taking, where you enter a curtained off area and decorate like mad on a computer screen. These photos have been a great souvenir for many places that I've been to with my friends. You have a photo with everyone, and can write the name of the place and date on it....perfect!

I think Dana and I hit up a photo booth at least once a week...and sometimes four at a time! Some of my most memorable purikura moments? I was walking down the mainstreet of Hiroshima around 1a.m. with my friend Lisa. We were approached by two guys who asked us to join them to take pictures. Apparently men aren't allowed in a lot of these picture places without women with them. They told us it's becuase most of the time it's a lot of young girls around, and they don't want any sick men lurking in the background. Another was talking with this Japanese lady while we were waiting for our print-outs. She pulled a photo album out of her bag that must have been 6 inches thick and filled with tiny pictures. She has been collecting them for 25 years!

A lot of people don't share my love for purikura, but I just can't get enough!

---

Photos

Decoration time!
Purikura

Comments

[Roothie]

Takes Me Back!
Your mom and I did this once but in those tiny booths at K-Mart or some place similar! I would have liked that too, heather. You should start one here Japanese style!