Synopsis

At a video arcade in Tokyo, the photo sticker booths draw a constant crowd of teenagers. Over three days in mid-March, we encountered a diverse group: two friends on the cusp of graduating high school; a young woman carefully applying makeup to achieve a desired image; two best friends who attend separate schools; and a couple in their twenties. These booths, first introduced in 1995, have evolved with numerous additions over the years. What accounts for their enduring popularity? We asked the a