Purikura: The Japanese Grandmother of the Selfie

The booths are large and fit 4-5 people. Even back in the early 2000s, they had fancy ring lights, touch screens, keyed-in green screen backgrounds, and automatic face retouching. They all had different themes as well. Arcades had/have whole floors of them, and sometimes would have costumes you could put on. Booths would often change seasonally, putting out different themes or gimmicks so you could come back and see different ones.

Once you take your photos, you get to decorate them on screens on the outside of the booth. You add digital stickers, write/draw on them, tweak the editing, and choose the layout you want. Then you print! They have scissors to cut up the pictures and divvy them out. The printed photos also have sticker backing so you can stick them to your cell phone, your journal, whatever.

Lots of girls collect them, swap with friends, and/or take them to commemorate particular events in their lives. It’s also a popular date activity, much like photo booths outside of Japan. But it’s a pretty far cry from the photo booths you’re describing. Honestly it’s a lot more similar to Snapchat, but like 30 years ago.

Anyway, saying print clubs are the mother of selfies is of course hyperbole. But I think it makes sense if you think of "selfie culture", especially if you include insta/snap filters as part of selfie culture.

But yes, taking pictures of yourself or in a photo booth is older than print clubs. I would be quite surprised if print clubs didn't come about by someone saying, "photo booths are fun, how can we make them even more fun?"

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