PURIKURA: the grandmother of the selfie
Discover the history of Purikura, the iconic Japanese photo booth that became the grandmother of the selfie. First launched in 1995 by Atlus and Sega, Purikura transformed sticker photos into a cultural craze—shaping youth trends, inspiring cell phone cameras, and paving the way for today’s selfies. From its explosive rise with SMAP’s endorsement to its lasting presence in arcades, karaoke shops, and train stations, Purikura remains a beloved piece of Japan’s pop culture.
Weekend Trip: Kawaguchiko
Breathe in some fresh air and take it easy on this gorgeous lake at the foot of Mt Fuji
FUMARE LOU-CHAN: the king of feet
“I love Japan more than anything.. except for being stepped on by women.” Take a look at the strange world of Brooklyn native ‘Lou-chan’ who has amassed over 26,000 followers via his highly public foot fetish.
SOICHI TERADA: the ever-smiling pioneer of japanese house music
Soichi Terada is a Japanese electronic music composer known for his drum and bass/jungle styled soundtracks for the Ape Escape video game series and contributions to the development of Japanese House music
TOMIYASU HAYAHISA: four years of human oddity around a ping pong table
Tomiyasu Hayahisa obsessively documented the bizarre actions of Leipzig residents around a ping pong table for 4 years straight
KMAKICI: from plush toy to pop star
The goofy looking plush toy making waves as a social media pop star
TOMO HYAKUTAKE: master of horror
Character designer, makeup artist, mask creator, director and more - Tomo Hyakutake is a tour de force in the Japanese horror scene
SUKEBAN: delinquent girls
In the 1970s, Sukeban wreaked havoc on the streets of Japan armed with razor blades, bamboo swords, chains and their school uniforms
IZUMI MIYAZAKI: modern japanese surrealism
Izumi Miyazaki’s humorous self portraits began on Tumblr and grew into an internationally acclaimed surrealist exploration of self
MONO-HA: the ‘school of things’
Mono-ha was an object based artistic movement that kicked off in the 1960s and had profound impacts on the modern Japanese art scene
KIMIKO NISHIMOTO: Japan’s absurdist obasan
Kimiko Nishimoto is more than just a quirky obasan - she’s an instagram sensation showing that those in their 90’s can still stay relevant in the social media age
BURAIHA: The ‘decadents’ of Japan
Known as the “school of irresponsibility and decadence,” the ragtag Buraiha (無頼派) authors became notorious for their nihilistic attitudes and bohemian lifestyles
MIYUKI-ZOKU: Ginza’s dapper summer of 1964
The Miyuki-zoku youth brought dapper clothes and a sense of flair to Ginza for one hot summer in 1964
A DIGITAL ALTERNATE REALITY: The art of Maruko Hirofumi
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Maruko Hirofumi is a digital artist who took full advantage of the booming digital art wave of the 1980’s to become a master of surreal 3D art that still retains a sense of early computer nostalgia
HOUSE: Japan’s Bizarre Horror Comedy
This hallucinatory comedy-horror film with a cast of amateur actors originally flopped but has gone on to become a cult favorite for horror fans around the globe
PAANTU FESTIVAL (パーントゥ)
A terrifying tradition on Miyako-jima sees 3 men dress as monsters and wander the town smearing mud on anyone and anything they see
NAKI SUMO: The Crying Baby Festival
This bizarre annual festival sees two sumo wrestlers hold a baby in a face off with the first to cry winning a blessing of good health
PROVOKE MAGAZINE (1968-1969)
PROVOKE (プロヴォーク) was an experimental and countercultural Japanese photography zine founded in 1968 with the subtitle “Provocative Materials for Thought”
LES RALLIZES DÉNUDÉS
Les Rallizes Dénudés were a seminal and highly mysterious Japanese psychedelic rock band formed at Kyoto’s Doshisha University in 1967
DOAI EKI: Japan’s creepiest station
The Silent Hill-esque platform at Doai Eki, situated between Gunma and Niigata prefectures, is 70m below the surface and enough to give anyone nightmares