Around the world
Purikura: the history of Japan’s photo stickers
Print Club, friendship albums, and a different kind of booth ritual.
A purikura session is not simply a passport booth with brighter colours. The printed sticker, decoration and act of sharing are central to the experience.
The release date
SEGA’s thirtieth-anniversary account dates the original SEGA/ATLUS Print Club release to 25 July 1995. It reports approximately 22,000 machines shipped by the end of June 1997. Shipments measure machines supplied, not visitors photographed or current popularity.
Evidence: Manufacturer history
The picture continues after the camera
Highlighting Japan’s manufacturer interview describes doodles, stamps and collecting stickers in puricho notebooks. That makes the finished photograph part of an exchange: friends can decorate, keep and circulate their small portraits. Features changed across generations, so one machine’s editing options should not be treated as universal.
Evidence: Manufacturer interview
Visiting with curiosity
Read the particular machine’s instructions and respect its rules on group size, access and sharing. Decide together whether a heavily edited result is what you want. Our Tokyo ’02 booth borrows a pastel mood; it does not reproduce a specific historic Print Club machine, a sticker printer, or the full range of purikura editing tools.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- SEGA — 30 years of Print Club, 25 July 2025Manufacturer history
- Highlighting Japan — Capture Kawaii Memories with PurikuraManufacturer interview