Unfortunately, as smart phone technology progressed and Japan’s demographic shifted to an elderly population, Purikura’s popularity waned. Between 2007 and 2017, annual sales fell about 30.7 billion yen.
While they may have seen their golden age come and go, the booths remain popular all over Japan - and with one survey suggesting that over 90% of Japanese people have tried Purikura at least once, they don’t look like they’re going away any time soon.