9 Travel Instagrammers Capturing Japan in a New Light

Sure Tokyo and Kyoto are stunning cities, but what makes Instagram such an incredible tool for travel inspiration is accounts like this. Based in Hokkaido, user Pikaring shares meticulously crafted shots of a corner of Japan you probably never knew even existed. Using a mixture of digital, film and iPhone photos, this feed is a soft, atmospheric display of Japanese countryside, which looks basically like something ripped out of the editorial pages of a travel magazine. For a little whimsy with your wanderlust, be sure to hit follow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfTHxxmFbuR/

Slowly but surely Japan is garnering a reputation for being a must-visit beach destination, and the work of Okinawa based photographer Yama_ok5 is definitely helping the cause. Wide angled landscape shots, close ups of rippling water, lush natural portraits, scrolling through this feed is basically the closest you can get to taking a tropical holiday while you’re on the commute to work. If you’ve never considered Japan as your ideal beach destination, you probably will now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhPwOqkHBhL/

A temple with its own Instagram account, yep welcome to modern age spirituality. But actually this is a pretty incredible and progressive way for a temple to share its beauty with the rest of the world. Located in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a historic tourist destination with one of the most incredible photo feeds in all of Japan. Perfectly lit, atmospheric images of snowcapped gardens and religious leaders in action, each image here feels like nothing less than a piece of world class art.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZLMT54g9ri/

Based in Kanagawa, nakinavy has gained quite an impressive following by balancing both gritty street shoots with the historical and the futuristic. From one shot of the city skyline of Osaka, to the endless bright orange rows of tori gates that lead up to a towering inari shine, what you’re going to get next on this feed is anyone’s guess, but one thing that’s consistent is the undeniably incredible pictures of Japan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgBmT_Kgxcm/

For something a little different to street shots and whimsical historical Tokyo, check out the work of 10_ya, a photographer with an uncanny eye for the atmospheric. Looking at these images and comparing them to your typical assumptions of what the country looks like, it’s hard to believe that they’re taken in Japan. From deep desert sand dunes, to mist coated fields of green, this feed is the ultimate in Japan travel inspiration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTMMDHSj2SM/

Although, in terms of subjects, _Tuck4’s images may have more common aesthetic connections to other street style shots of Japan, what separates him form the others is his undeniable style. Easy on the eyes but still gritty and fascinating, these images have a level of depth that only the most skilled photographer can draw out of an image. Also his use of colour, contrast and mix of street, landscapes and portraiture is what keeps this feed endlessly fascinating.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfBHXHOncpu/

For photos that look like they’ve been taken straight from the screen of a soft-focus blockbuster anime be sure to follow the work of hirobenz250. What’s so beautiful about these shots is the way the subject matter of the feed transforms with the passing seasons. One moment we’re ankle deep in mountainous snowfields, next we’re laying under the sakura covered branches of a cherry tree in spring. Also a master of time-lapse photography, the work of hirobenz250 is as much about capturing a feeling as it is about getting the perfect picture.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfvu4TzhhIt/

If you’ve visited before and are feeling that longing that’s all too common with Japan lovers, then be sure to follow yuma1983. One of Tokyo’s best street photographers, who manages to capture areas outside of the city with as much energy, depth and focus as he does the busy city streets. From the warm orange glow of izakaya lanterns, to the moody blue of the night sky unfolding over Mt Fuji, there’s so much to be said about his use of colour to perfectly encapsulate the feeling of the city.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg6NaFeHu7G/