Translation guide
A place where photographs are taken professionally, such as for portraits, weddings, or commercial shoots. In Japanese, the term varies depending on the type of studio and context.
A shop or studio where you go to have your photo taken by a professional photographer, often for formal portraits, family photos, or ID pictures.
Traditional term for a photo studio, often used for formal portraits, wedding photos, and family photos. Conveys a classic, established business.
We went to a photo studio as a family and took Shichi-Go-San photos.
Modern, often more casual term for a photo studio. Commonly used for family portraits, children's photos, and casual shoots.
A hybrid term that is also common, similar to フォトスタジオ.
A workspace used by professional photographers for commercial shoots, fashion, product photography, etc. Often a rental space with equipment.
In professional contexts, simply 'studio' is widely understood. Often refers to a rental photography studio with lighting and backdrops.
Today we have a product shoot at the studio.
Explicitly a 'shooting studio', used for video or photo shoots. Common in film and advertising.
We rented a shooting studio and filmed a commercial.
A more technical or artistic term, sometimes used by professional photographers. Less common in everyday speech.
He has his own photography studio.
A small, often automated booth for taking instant photos, such as purikura (sticker photos) or ID photo machines.
Short for 'print club', these are photo sticker booths popular among young people. Not a studio in the traditional sense, but often translated as 'photo booth'.
Let's go to the arcade to take purikura.
A photo booth specifically for ID photos (passport, resume, etc.). Usually found in train stations or convenience stores.
写真館 (shashinkan) sounds more traditional and formal, often associated with established businesses that do formal portraits and ceremonies. フォトスタジオ (foto sutajio) is a modern, casual term often used by chain studios for family and children's photography. Both can be used for similar services, but 写真館 carries a more classic image.
写真室 (shashinshitsu) means 'photo room' or 'darkroom' and is not used for a commercial photo studio. It might refer to a room in a school or facility where photos are developed.
A new photo studio opened in front of the station.
I had my profile photo taken at a photo studio.
I took a photo for my resume at the ID photo booth in the station.