Marubelldo

Marubelldo is a photography shop along the Shin-Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa, offering photography services and equipment to professionals and enthusiasts alike. The business provides both portrait sessions and the sale of photographic gear to suit different needs.

The shop opened on May 5, 1921, and survived both the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II air raids on Tokyo. This resilience allowed it to endure as an active photography institution for over a century.

The shop created the Marubell pose during the 1980s, a hand-to-face posture adopted by celebrities that became standard in Japanese entertainment photography. This distinctive style remains visible in how performers present themselves today.

The shop is open from 11 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays and 10:30 AM to 6 PM on weekends, located on a busy shopping street that is easy to reach. It is best to book photo sessions in advance to ensure availability.

The walls display bromide photographs of more than 3000 stars from Japanese entertainment history, including 1980s icons Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda. This collection visually documents the evolution of Japanese celebrity photography over decades.