現像所(げんぞうじょ)

げんぞうじょ
noun
photo developing lab; film processing facility
technology
1. photo developing lab; film processing facility
A facility where photographic film is chemically processed to produce negatives and prints. While declining due to digital photography, some still exist for professional and film enthusiast use.
フィルムを現像所(げんぞうじょ)に出(だ)す。
To send film to the developing lab.
この辺(あた)りには現像所(げんぞうじょ)がもう一軒(いっけん)もない。
There isn't a single photo lab left in this area.
デジタルカメラの普及(ふきゅう)で、多(おお)くの現像所(げんぞうじょ)が閉店(へいてん)した。
With the spread of digital cameras, many photo developing labs have closed down.

Compound of 現像(げんぞう) (photo developing; film processing) + 所(じょ) (place; facility). The suffix 所(じょ) is used for various facilities: 研究所(けんきゅうじょ) (research institute), 事務所(じむしょ) (office), 発電所(はつでんしょ) (power plant).

Once ubiquitous in Japanese neighborhoods, 現像所(げんぞうじょ) have become rare since the digital photography revolution. The remaining ones cater to professional photographers and film photography enthusiasts.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 写真屋(しゃしんや): photo shop — a retail shop that takes photos and handles developing, more casual term
  • 現像(げんぞう): developing; processing — the process itself
  • DPE店(てん): DPE shop — Development, Printing, Enlargement shop; a once-common term for neighborhood photo shops
general
Added 2026.5.8 20:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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