Marubelldo in Taito Ward, Tokyo, is a specialty shop selling "promide," or portrait photos of film stars and pop icons.
Among the photographs of stars that line the shop was a shot of singer Seiko Matsuda -- one of the icons of Japan's 1980s pop music scene -- smiling and frozen in time.
The shop opened in Asakusa in the ward 100 years ago. A succession of photographers, working exclusively for the shop, have photographed more than 3,000 movie stars and pop idols, all of whom were leading figures of their generations. In the old days, the portraits were extremely popular as tools that served as a link between superstars and their fans.
It was in the late 1980s when the photos started to decline in popularity, but seven or so years ago, Jin Takeda, 47, the current shop manager and its sixth photographer, launched an innovative idea: taking photos of customers dressed as pop idols in a setting from the latter years of the Showa era (1926-89).
"This is a place where anyone can become an idol," Takeda said as he showed off his photo studio -- a five-minute walk from the shop -- in late January. The studio is stocked with retro clothing and props that give visitors the sense they have traveled back to the Showa era.
Company employee Nanako Terauchi, 39, visited the studio that day for a photo shoot.
"I wanted to see what it was like to become someone other than myself," Terauchi said as she picked out a sailor-style school uniform with a long skirt and disappeared into a makeup room. Sporting a wig in the "Seiko-chan" hairstyle, in an instant, she took on the characteristics of a girl from the '80s.
As Terauchi rested her head in her palm, Takeda rhythmically blurted out of various instructions, such as "Stretch your fingers around your chin and smile," before he repeatedly snapped the shutter.
He has a special affinity for what he called the "Marubell pose," a position in which the head rests on the palm and the hand runs along the contours of the face. According to Takeda, this pose was originally conceived in response to the wishes of fans who wanted to see not only the faces of the favorite stars, but the tips of their fingers as well.
The photo session was done in about an hour, and Terauchi received the pictures of herself.
"I'm glad I mustered up the courage and came here," she said with a look of satisfaction. "I'll post the pictures on social media and show them to my friends."
The shop passes down its tradition from photographers, the previous one telling Takeda to place the lighting in front of his subjects and ask him or her to strike the Marubell pose before they stare into the lens. He said this method of picture taking would help capture the person's best attributes.
"Moving forward, I'll continue to search for ways for the promide photos to carry on. This is the mission for me, the sixth-generation manager," he said.
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