Culture of Purikura

  When you live in Japan with a group of teenagers, what you should know is the “print club” machine which was called Purikura among Japanese. It is an indispensable part of visual anthropology, especially in Japan. I have been Japan for 3 months and I think I have already taken Purikura for more than 30 times. It cost only 400yen per time and you can have a fun memory with your friends. I would like to find out more about the popularity of Purikura. Why and what made it everywhere.

  Because of the theme I chose, I interviewed a Japanese girl Eriko with a “puricyou”(notes of purikura). She just took Purikura very often and she will tidy up all of them and write something like diary beside it. It is time consuming. She just treat Purikura as a treasury .

  According to Eriko, Purikura machine is a secret place where you can take pictures with your friends secretly. No one disturb and no one looking at you. You can do anything that was bashful to do in front of others.

(for example, it is year of rabbit, and we just do a rabbit face inside the purikura. )

(both of us want to have a boyfriend but it is hard to said it outside. So we just find it in the purikura.)

You can do many things inside the secret place. For example there are couples kissing inside the machine and someone doing funning face.

  And, it is fun to take picture with a group of people. Because it is so narrow inside the machine, everyone just stick together and try their best not to block other and not to be block by other. Everyone screaming inside the machine. It is a very nice memory with friends. And more, Purikura is a machine with magic. It makes your skin white and smooth, it makes your eyes big and twinkling. Everyone become “Kawaii” in the picture. It is the cheapest way to become beauty, for a moment.

  After photo taking, it is the time Eriko most enjoying. You can draw picture and write something in the magic photos. It is so fun to write a daily n the photos and write something crazy on it. You can make it as the way you like. The newest version is that you can even change your hair color, your size and color of eyes.

(In this photo, we just write down: we love the one older than us! With

the number means the ideal age of boyfriend)

  As Purikura is cheap and easy to find, it become the popular activities in younger’s generation. At least, I would like to end this post with a Purikura. Could you find anything wrong in this picture?

Spirit of Osaka

Starting from the first day I came to Japan, what I cannot forget is the smiling face of people in Osaka. From homestay children, to university student, to middle-age people to elderly.

Their smiles are so warm and friendly. In Hong Kong, it is hardly to find someone being such enthusiastic as people in Osaka. People in Hong Kong are cold. What they care is only about their own things but others, “it is out of my business.” And people in Osaka are hot. They always care about other, especially foreigners. When I am confusing about the train system in Osaka, people in Osaka just come and ask if I need help even I didn’t ask anything. I was touched beyond words.

The second thing I found out about Osaka is collectivism.

China is basically collectivism. But because Hong Kong is colonial of England, the individualism of England came into Hong Kong. So it is quite surprised to find out that everyone in Japan to participant event with a bunch of people. They think corporation is very important. From children, they are trained to collaborate with others. Unity is strength. It is a very important concept in Osaka.

For foreigner, the first month is hard. We cannot speak, we don’t know any friend, and days were very hard. Thanks to the Japanese I met here, I can get with the life here very easily. Their smiles give me confident and power every day. It is not telling that there are not bad guys in Japan, but the percentage of them is much more lower that bad people in China and Hong Kong. People in here is so nice and willing to help. Sometime they will speak a bit fast and loud, but it is the characteristic of Osaka, enthusiastic and invigorative.

Funny shots of Osaka spirit!

TAKOYAKI!!!!SPIRIT OF OSAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!