The "Purikura," a symbol of the Heisei era, gained popularity in 1996.
Many people may say, "It was my daily routine to go to the game center to take photo booths after school!"
Taking Purikura with friends was a must when hanging out! The rule was to take pictures at least twice.
However, due to the frequent sessions of taking Purikura, what often became a challenge was the "pose" for the photo!
We enjoyed incorporating ideas into our poses, either adopting ones commonly used by comedians and popular models or creating our own unique ones.
So, this time, we'll introduce poses that incorporate the "Heart sign" from among the popular Purikura poses.
We've compiled a range from nostalgic to the latest ones, so have fun seeing how many you remember!
The heart with both hands
This pose, which can be considered the origin of the heart pose, is a very simple one where you create a heart with both hands.
It was often done near the chest area, but creating a heart closer to the chin could also aim for a small-face effect!
The key was to pout like a duck, divert your gaze, and produce an appealingly cunning look.
A small heart made by two people
This is also a classic heart pose for Heisei era gals.
Express half of the heart with one hand.
Make a small heart by pressing your hands together.
It was a pose that could show off the closeness between friends when done together.
A large heart made by two people
By raising each other's outer arms and crossing the inner arms to form half of an "X," you can create a large heart.
This pose is surprisingly difficult, and many often fail to make a perfect heart on their first try...
Just like with the small heart, it was a pose that could showcase the closeness between friends when done together.
The Finger Heart A (Kyun Desu)
This finger heart pose is created by crossing the thumb and index finger to form a small heart.
It's also known as the "Kyun Desu" pose, which became popular on TikTok.
The origin of this pose is said to be Korean K-POP idols, and in English-speaking countries, it's called the "Korean Finger Heart."
This finger heart began to permeate Japan around 2013.
It became widely popular in Japan, especially among the Reiwa era teens, as Nam Woo-hyun, a member of the Korean male idol group "INFINITE," and many other K-POP idols showcased this finger heart.
Unlike previous heart poses, the popularity of this pose seems to be due to the ease of making a heart mark with just one hand.
The Finger Heart B
This finger heart pose is made with both hands' index and middle fingers forming a heart.
While it might look somewhat awkward for those who are not used to it, with practice, it becomes a popular pose for easily making a beautiful heart mark.
Originally, it seems to have been a popular pose in "Otakatsu(Otaku activities)," often used when taking photos with a favorite (oshi) poster.
When doodling, it's popular to write the name of the oshi inside the heart!
The Fist Heart (Bulpink Heart)
The Fist Heart is a pose where you make fists with both hands, raise your thumbs, and then invert them to form a heart.
It became popular because it was performed by the members of the Korean female idol group BLACK PINK, so it is also called "Bulpin Heart", a play on BLACK PINK's nickname "Bulpin".
Making the Fist Heart in front of your face is said to have an excellent small-face effect! It's popular among Reiwa era teens as one of the classic Purikura poses.
It seems like a handy pose when you're tired of the usual heart poses!
The "Kyou, Sukininarimasita(Today I Fell in Love)" Pose
The "Kyou, Sukininarimasita" pose is one where you make a finger heart with one hand and form a bow and arrow with the other hand, mimicking the gesture of "shooting the heart."
This pose has become popular among teens as it originated from the love reality show "Kyou, Sukininarimasita" broadcast on AbemaTV.
It can be done alone, or by dividing roles between the finger heart and the bow and arrow, two people can complete the "Kyou, Sukininarimasita" pose together.
This innovative pose, unlike any before, seems to have caught on well.
The Luda Heart (Cheek Heart; "Inside the Heart" Pose)
The Luda Heart involves creating half a heart with one hand and placing it against the cheek.
The pose involves using both hands to frame the face, expressing a heart mark with the entire face!
The creator of this pose is Luda, a member of the Korean idol group "Cosmic Girls," hence the name "Luda Heart."
Popular not just for Purikura but also for selfies, this pose is often shared on social media with hashtags like "#LudaHeart" or "#InsideTheHeart."
Although the official Luda Heart involves using both hands to frame the face, it seems to be recognized as a Luda Heart even when performed with just one hand.
The one-sided love Heart
The one-sided love Heart is a pose between two people where one forms half a heart and the other makes a good job (thumbs-up) pose, representing a situation where they couldn't complete the "small heart made by two people".
This pose was born in 2017.
It originated from a photo taken with a professional gamer and a cosplayer. The gamer accidentally made a thumbs-up pose instead of completing the small heart, leading to the creation of this concept!
Due to their failure to form a perfect heart, it was named the "Unrequited Love Heart" and started trending around 2019.
While the heart and good job pose combination is common, there are variations like the heart and peace sign.
Not only when taking photo booths, but posting pictures of just the hands against backgrounds like illuminations or sunsets on social media is also trendy.
Did you find any of these poses nostalgic?
There may have been many poses that I learned for the first time!
In the past, I often adopted poses from TV or magazines that I thought were interesting or cute.
However, from the end of the Heisei era to the Reiwa era, poses have been emerging through SNS, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube becoming the main sources of trends.
Numerous poses have been created over time, but it's clear that the pursuit of "cuteness" and a "small face" has been consistent across eras.
It will be interesting to see what kind of poses will become popular in the future!
