Photo studios offer a portal into the past

TOKYO >> Studios where visitors can have themselves photographed in costumes of samurai warriors or high-ranking courtesans are becoming increasingly popular.

At Samurai Armor Photo Studio in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, seven sets of yoroi kabuto (samurai armor and helmets) are prepared. The outfits were manually reproduced by highly skilled craftsmen based on ones that were used by samurai commanders around the Sengoku warring states period (from the late 15th century to the late 16th century).

The armor and helmets are made with real metal, not plastic, and thus one set weighs about 44 pounds.

Visitors to the studio choose their favorite armor and helmets while listening to explanations in English about the historical background of the items. They change into suteteko traditional knee-length underwear and tabi split-toed socks.

Staff members help the visitors put on kosode short-sleeved kimono and flowing hakama trousers. The visitors also don other gear such as kote arm guards, suneate leg guards, do breastplates, katana swords and kabuto helmets.

Shooting 170 photos in 10 different poses in the indoor studio takes about 1 1/2 hours.

Fees for the standard course that includes photographs start from about $116 per person.

A two-hour course is also available, in which visitors go out on the streets and have themselves photographed outdoors.

The photo studio was opened in May 2016 by a nearby firm that runs call center services.

The company began the service as an in-house business venture to utilize vacant office space.

To start the business, studio manager Shimpei Takemura spent about a year studying history and receiving training to help put on kimono and armor.

Takemura said that the number of visitors who used the service in 2017 was about double that of 2016.

Most of the customers are foreigners — from the United States, France, Italy and other countries — who learned of the studio’s service on the internet, he said.

At Henshin Shashinkan Studio Nanairo, another such facility in Tokyo’s Asakusa area, customers can have their photos taken while dressed as oiran high-ranking courtesans.

After customers choose their favorite furisode long-sleeved kimono, it takes about an hour for the studio to apply makeup and style their hair in the gorgeously distinctive manner of an oiran.

The customers’ hair is decorated with long kanzashi hair pins, traditional Japanese combs and many other hair accessories. Then they wear kimono and pose for photos on opulent sets.

The photo studio was established in December 2014 by the Kyoritsu Maintenance group, which includes companies that manage and operate dormitories for students and company employees.

Mie Ichikawa, the manager of the studio, said the number of users has been steadily rising. The number has doubled from that at the time of the opening.

It also lets visitors wear geisha and other costumes, but most of them want to wear oiran costumes.

The oiran course takes about 2 1/2 hours and fees start from about $240 per person.

The studio said there are about as many Japanese users as foreigners.

Minerva Wong, 36, a flight attendant who came to Japan on a 10-day sightseeing trip with her husband from Vancouver was among the customers.

“I learned Japanese history and kimono when I was very young in elementary school,” she said, adding that the oiran makeover was something she had never experienced before.

“I think (the elaborate garments make it) very difficult to move, but it’s very pretty, very beautiful. It’s a good experience, one of the best experiences in Japan.”