The term "Purikura notepad" might evoke nostalgia for many.
On the other hand, since the spread of smartphones and social networks, it may be a less familiar term.
Nowadays, with just a smartphone, you can take photos anywhere.
However, in the era before smartphones, "Purikura" was a must-have item for many, including high school girls and "Gals".
So, let's take a moment to look back at the Purikura notepad, a possession likely held by every Gal of the Heisei era！
As the name suggests, a "Purikura notepad" (purikura album) refers to pocket book or notebook with purikura stickers pasted on it.
The Purikura notepad boom began with the introduction of "Print Seal Machines".
The first "Print Seal Machines" was installed in 1995 under the model name "Print Club," and it quickly became popular among young people, especially around the year 2000.
During that time, there were no smartphones like we have today.
Purikura, which allowed for easy photography and produced cuter images than disposable cameras (known in Japan as "Utsurun desu"), captivated many high school girls and became a massive trend.
Meanwhile, the item whose demand has increased due to the influence of Purikura is "Purikura notepad"!
In the late 90's to early 2000's, it was common for junior high and high school girls to take photo Purikura pictures when hanging out with their friends.
The reason is that purikura is an essential item for exchanging with friends!
Purikura notepads were trendy to show off among friends, so it was common to always carry both Purikura and a Purikura notepad in one's Sukuba(school bag).
(Many girls carried their Purikura in character-themed candy tins, and while most had one Purikura notepad, some even carried two!)
The common practice was to paste Purikura received from friends in a designated space in the notepad.
Many differentiated between Purikura with themselves in it and those without.
It was also common for girls to become friends with someone featured in a Purikura taken by a high school friend, expanding their circle of acquaintances.
For that reason, I think the Purikura notepad also served as a kind of collections of friends (photobooks).
This purikura exchange are indispensable tools (items) for communicating with friends. It is said that it was a kind of status, as it also played a role in showing off one's friendships.
Because I due to frequent exchanges it with many friends, having a large stock of Purikura was essential.
It was normal to take Purikura two to four times a day to maintain a sufficient stock. When running low, some even resorted to making color photocopies at convenience stores 💦
As Purikura notepads were frequently shared, there was a constant need to update them with the latest Purikura, which could be quite a task to keep up with 💦
How Purikura notepads were decorated varied from person to person.
Each of them customized their worldview to their own liking, but broadly speaking, they can be divided into
These two styles were the predominant.
Those who preferred this method often wrote lot of comments around the Purikura, colored in with vibrant pens to create a flashy decoration.
Additionally, magazine cutouts and stickers were used to make the pages even more extravagant! The emphasis was on how flashy and design-rich the decoration could be.
Such extravagantly finished Purikura notepads were impressive and often became a conversation starter!
Sense of decoration was questioned.
The author has been practicing "Gal characters" all the time.
I tried decorating it with cute "Gal characters", but gave up halfway through💦
It was difficult because I spent a lot of time decorating it.
Those who chose to use albums with clear pockets for their Purikura would typically fill the pages to the brim, leaving no space unoccupied.
It seems like most of the kids who aren't good at decorating are this type...!?
There were challenges, such as gaps appearing due to varying sizes of Purikura, or the layout becoming uneven, which sometimes led to dissatisfaction with the aesthetics.
Therefore, a Tetris-like skill of fitting Purikura neatly and without gaps was essential.
There was an indescribable sense of satisfaction when a page was perfectly filled.
Even when selecting the size and number of Purikura after taking them, it was choose with the album layout in mind, aiming for the perfect fit.
The sense of achievement when a page was neatly completed! !
Generally, the Purikura were arranged in chronological order, but those that didn't fit in size were placed on a different page, striving to fill each page with Purikura of a consistent size.
Many who preferred the clear pocket album style were fond of using simple and practical albums from "Muji."
With the rapid spread of smartphones among young people since 2013, which made selfies and photo storage easy, the popularity of taking Purikura began to decline.
Additionally, the rise of social networking sites like Twitter and Instagram led to a decreased need for "Purikura notepads."
This is because the real thrill of “Purikura notepads” is to show it off to each other with friends! !
Nowadays, by sharing photos on social media, friends can easily share memories with each other.
The ability for an unspecified number of people to view these photos, and the instant feedback in the form of "likes" and comments, likely satisfies the desire for approval.
When photos are posted on social media, the account itself essentially becomes an album.
In other words, even if you don't go to the trouble of creating an analog "Purikura notepads", the "Purikura notepads" itself has been digitized in modern times.
By the way, young people today tend to use Purikura booths during special occasions like events or anniversaries.
When they do take Purikura, it has become common to post the digital data on social media platforms.
During the Heisei era, it was common to exchange Purikura, stick them in Purikura notepads, or even on objects like feature phone battery packs, pencil cases, or mirrors - essentially, sticking them somewhere was the norm.
However, in the modern era, with the widespread use of smartphones, it has become popular to insert Purikura into smartphone cases.
This method is about "inserting" rather than "sticking" the Purikura, which is surprising as it doesn't utilize the sticker function of the Purikura 💦
In the past, Purikura with many small divided sections were popular, but now it seems the trend has shifted to selecting just one cut and inserting it into a smartphone case. This generational shift in the usage of Purikura is so vast that it can be hard to keep up with! 😭
The "Purikura notepad" boom was sparked around the year 2000, following the installation of "Print Club" photo booths.
However, as smartphones and social media became widespread, the demand for Purikura notepads declined.
With smartphones, people could easily take photos and share them instantly on social media, experiencing the new thrill of having many people view and react to their posts.
Despite this, the unique analog charm of the Purikura notepad era holds a special appeal that is hard to find in the modern digital age.
Perhaps there are those who, unable to part with these memories, have tucked their old Purikura notepads away in closets or storage spaces, forgotten over time.
Why not take a moment to revisit those nostalgic Purikura notepads and immerse yourself in the memories they hold?
