Do You Know 'Gyarupis~'? A Y2K Nostalgic Precure Story [Nichiyoubi Culture]

The 'Peace Sign' Showing the Index and Middle Fingers Originated from Japan in 1972
Reexamined in the 1990s Gyaru Culture... Korean Poses Also Re-exported

A pose where you say "Gyaru~" while flipping your fingers into a V sign and extending them. It is called 'Gyaru Peace' or 'Gyaru Pose' and was once popular in Korea as well. When I take pictures with my Japanese friends, they often show me this pose, saying it is trending again in Korea these days. Conversely, my Japanese friends do the finger heart or cheek heart poses that were popular in Korea before. The poses from the two countries have been mutually exported.

All these poses originally come from the 'Purikura' photo poses, which were once called 'sticker photos' in Korea. With the Y2K aesthetic gaining attention again, this week we introduce the background of Purikura's creation and various poses popular in Japan, including Gyaru Peace.

Japan's Sticker Photos, What is Purikura?

The origin of Purikura comes from 'Print Club' (the Japanese pronunciation of 'club'). It is the brand name of an instant photo vending machine released in 1995 by the Japanese game company Atlus. This vending machine is the prototype of sticker photo machines that take pictures with a built-in camera and print them instantly. Later, Atlus was acquired by the Japanese company Sega, which officially registered 'Print Club' as the formal name for sticker photo machines.

Originally installed mainly in amusement parks, it gradually gained popularity, and versions with stamps or pen tablets to decorate photos were added, increasing its appeal. Since sticker photos became a huge trend in the early 2000s, other products with similar functions were all collectively called Print Club (Purikura, from the Japanese pronunciation of 'club').

In Japan, sticker photos are still called Purikura. While recent Korean instant photos like Insaeng Ne Cut pursue naturalness without retouching, the editing that emphasizes eyes doubling in size and whitening skin remains, preserving much of the feel of the old sticker photos.

Description image on the Purikura company website. It features images retouched with Purikura. It explains that it diagnoses the Purikura machine that best suits the user's face. (Photo by pictlink website)

Japan's V Sign Since 1972... Gyaru Peace Emerged in the 1990s

So when did Purikura poses start, and what kinds are popular? NHK once reported on poses people make when taking photos. When they asked 59 passersby what pose they make when taking pictures, 47 said they do the 'peace sign' by extending two fingers in a V shape.

The peace sign originally stood for 'Victory,' symbolizing the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and was a sign of solidarity among the Allies. Later, during the 1960s in the US, it changed meaning to a 'peace sign' wishing for peace amid anti-war movements and hippie culture. It is said that the sign was introduced to Japan around 1970 thanks to actor Jun Inoue, who went to the US to shoot a camera commercial. While walking the streets of America, people posed with the 'peace' sign, and he adopted it in the commercial, which then became popular in Japan.

According to NHK, Westerners rarely make the peace sign when taking photos because in some countries it can be an insulting gesture. Foreigners mostly just put their arms around each other or simply smile. It seems only Korea and Japan commonly use it.

In the 1990s, Japan's unique 'Gyaru culture' became popular, and the 'Gyaru Peace' pose, which is a reversed V sign, also became trendy. Recently, with the retro and Y2K aesthetics being reappraised, Gyaru culture has resurfaced. Gyaru Peace was introduced to Korea mainly through social networking services (SNS) and Japanese idol members active in Korea. Although I haven't seen many people around me use it, other poses unique to Gyaru culture are also making a comeback in Japan, such as a pose where fingers are spread wide to shyly cover the face to show off distinctive nail art, and the 'Justice Pose' made by folding the middle and ring fingers.

Korean Poses Also Re-exported... Insaeng Ne Cut Also Popular

Conversely, Korean poses have also been re-exported. Among Japanese students, the finger heart pose was once popular. This pose, where Korean celebrities make a heart shape with the thumb and index finger, is called 'Yubi Heart (指ハ?ト)' in Japan. Also, the pose where a large heart is made with one hand on one cheek has started to become popular as a Korean-style pose.

A YouTuber explaining the Korean-style finger heart pose. (Photo by COKOREAtv YouTube channel capture)

In Korea, unlike Purikura, the naturalness-focused Insaeng Ne Cut is more popular these days. As Korean-style poses are exported to Japan, Insaeng Ne Cut is also gaining much popularity. Some Purikura machines in Japan have recently come out with 'Korean-style' 4-cut machines that apply less retouching, but they still retain the unique feel of Purikura, so they are not quite the same as Insaeng Ne Cut. In fact, the Korean photo machine 'Photoism' has already entered the Japanese market, and due to many visitors, plans to expand to 30 stores in Japan have been announced. It's quite interesting how cultural exchange happens through just photo poses.