Instagram is necessary item for female college students and the word “Insta Bae”(インスタ映え) is magic word for them. This word means the pictures that are worthy to post on Instagram. Since they want to get many good on Instagram, they work hard to take nice pictures for their Instagram. In this article, we will show you what kind of picture do they post and how do they enjoy life with Instagram.

Index

1.The Way to Master Japanese Purikura

2.Hottest Camera App among Japanese girls

3.Things about Instagram only Japanese users related to

4.“Insta Bae” in café and introduction of popular café.

5.Fashion for posting Instagram

The Way to Master Japanese Purikura

Purikura is a Japanese abbreviate for Print club, which is photo booth in English. There are various kinds of Purikura machine in Japan. If you go to amusement arcade while your stay in Japan, you will find them and it’s hard to find the amusement arcade without Prikura. That’s how much Japanese people love Purikura. So, I will introduce four popular Purikura machines and each reflection. By the way, it costs ￥400 to take Purikura with any machines in Japan.

1.Tokimeki rule (トキメキルール)

Tokimeki rule is the newest Purikura machine. It is more like crisp than fair skin and a bit yellowish. 

In addition, the nice point of this machine is there is a phone stand so that we can film selfie movie while shooting Purikura. We generally use time lapse in this case, then we post the movie on Instagram.

2.SUU

＜

Suu is the most tranquil Purikura. We can get clear white skin. Japanese girls prefer white skin than tanned skin. That is why this machine is popular.

 The most characteristic part of this machine is stecker. It is see-throughed and an unprecedented feature. In the image above, It is hard to recognize but you can see my finger color behind the stecker, can’t you? This is a really rare feature.

3.Korekawa(これ以上可愛くなってもいいですか？)

＜Image 10＞

Korekawa means, “Can I become prettier?” in Japanese. I think this is the most popular machine among Japanese girls. That is because it is really good at editing faces. Through this Purikura machine, Japanese girls can get an ideal face.

・Pink Pink Monster

We can get sharp outline with this Purikura. This is kind of vivid and crisp. The disadvantage of this machine is photo booth is too small. I took with two friends but really felt cramped. So, if you take with many friends, I do not recommend this one. However, quality is good for sure.

These days, there is a guidebook written in English about Purikura at Purikira booth of many amusement arcades. So, if you have some problems, check it or ask clerks or someone near you! He/She may help you!

Hottest Camera App among Japanese girls

B612 is the most popular camera app for Japanese girls. In my opinion, this app can solve any selfie problems. Furthermore, there are many functions in this app.

First, 22 filter is available for free, you can choose face expressions and you also add make-up and colored contact lenses.

Second, there are more than 500 face filters and frames in this app. You can pick up a filter from many options. Those filters can recognize some people so it is fun for you and your friends in your leisure hours.

Lastly, you can add music on movies. There are 5 categories (Hot, Winter, BGM, Cute and Electronic) and 55 songs so you can select music according to your mood.

Things about Instagram only Japanese users related to

• Comment with only tags

Some Japanese post pictures only with #s. Those pictures above are some examples. In English, for example,

#TodayIs #Her #BirthDay #so #WeWentTo #TokyoTower #And #Idid #AsurpriseParty #ForHer #WeHad #AGoodTime #Today #Ihope #WeCould #MeetUp #soon #HappyBirthDay

Most Japanese think this is weird, lame and not cool according to my research. (I asked my friends about this post.) So, you should not imitate this.

• Tend to scream “Yeeaaaayyyyy!” while taking a story.

Japanese girls have little vocabulary skills so what they speak in story is only “Yeeaaaayyyyy!”. Every time they take a story, they scream “Yeeaaaayyyyy!”. Every time I tap my screen to skip stories, I hear “Yeeaaaayyyyy!” from my phone.

※This is my bias based on my experience though.

• Tend to post pictures of a part of boyfriend/ girl friend who is not known to everyone yet to remind followers of boyfriend/girlfriend.

For example,

Post pictures like above one and comment is like “I had a good time today♡”

This kind of post is relatively all-too-common, but it is uncomfortable for followers I think. So, you should introduce your boyfriend / girlfriend with purikura or two shot 🙂

“Insta Bae” in café

Japanese female college students love going to café. Of course, they enjoy drinking some tea and talking with friends at café. However, recently, their purpose to go to café is changing.

They go to cafe for their Instagram. They want to take pictures of coffee or foods and post on their Instagram. Moreover, they do not just take pictures. They are particular about the way of taking pictures. For example, they use camera app that can take beautiful photographs, they place the dish and cup to make cute appearance.

In addition, Instagram also influences cafés. If cafés have unique drink or foods, a lot of female college students will come, take pictures, post on Instagram. Then cafes get good reputation. Therefore, cafés tend to offer cute, colorful, fashionable drink and foods to get more customers (female college students). In other word, café and female college students think about appearance of drinks and foods more than the tastes of them.

I will introduce some cafes that are popular among female college students in Kichijoji.

・Hattifnatt

The web page icotto says “The name of the café, “Hattifnatt” is the name of the character in Mumin in Swedish. This café’s concept is a picture book, so all of things are cute. For example, the drinks and foods are of course cute and delicious, but the exterior and interior are also cute. The door is small because of the concept. It is about 1.3 meter. The wall of the shop is also cute. It is painted colorfully. (From “icotto” https://icotto.jp/presses/4333)

As a café, the top of the drinks is designed (Latte art), the foods, especially the cakes, there are many kinds of them, and it looks very cute and delicious. I recommend this café.

・Ally café

This café is located in third floor in small apartment. There are tables; counter and sofa sheets and the café is relaxing atmosphere. This shop is famous for the cakes. There are many kinds of cakes such as Oreo cookies and cheesecakes, fig and baked cheesecakes, chestnut and cream cheese cakes, white chocolate and cheese cakes. (From “Tabelog” https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1320/A132001/13138035/dtlmenu/)

  These cakes are unique, and we can eat these kinds of cakes only at this café. This café is also my recommendation,

Fashion for posting Instagram

Japanese female college students are particular about their fashion for their Instagram. First, they tend to wear same clothes with their friends. It is called “Osolo coordinate” in Japanese. They like to match their clothes because they think it looks cute and it is better for taking pictures. There are three patterns of Osolo coordinates, which are wearing totally same clothes, wearing partly same clothes and similar looks coordinates.

・Wearing totally same clothes

All of their clothes such as shirts, bottoms, and bags are matched. It means whole clothes are same. To enjoy this coordinates, female college students go shopping together with their friends and buy same items.

They wear one or two common items. For example, if they decide to put on same T-shirt, they do not wear same bottoms. In this way, they do not wear same clothes from head to foot.

・Similar looks coordinates

They do not wear same items, but they wear something similar. For example, they use same color of the clothes or type of clothes such as knits and skirts.

This type of coordinates is easier to try Osolo coordinates. If you have interest in Osolo coordinates, you should try similar looks coordinates.

 Japanese female college students are particular about pictures that they post on their Instagram. They try hard to get good on their Instagram. If you have Instagram app, you can enjoy Instagram like Japanese female college students! If you do not have app, you should download it!!