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A beautiful coral head, covered in fish life, stands alone in the sand, Kerama Islands, Japan
 

Our Photographer of the Week, Yuta Shigeno, says the central theme of his work is “color.” A quick look through the Japanese photographer’s feature here and one would be hard pressed to disagree! What is perhaps even more remarkable is that every one of these pictures is from Yuta’s home country, showcasing the spectacular diversity of life and habitat found around the island nation.

Indeed, Japan stretches over a long north–south axis, creating an extraordinary range of marine environments. In the south, tropical waters nurture vibrant coral reefs teeming with vibrant life. In contrast, the northern seas experience drifting ice, where winter water temperatures can fall below freezing. Between these extremes lie regions shaped by the meeting of warm and cold ocean currents, producing ever-changing ecosystems filled with unique marine life. Yuta says that each location offers not only different subjects, but entirely different moods and colors.

In recent years, he has become particularly drawn to the northern waters of Japan and the fragile beauty of life beneath the drifting ice. Cold-water environments possess a quiet, almost otherworldly aesthetic. Through these images, Yuta hopes to reveal unfamiliar perspectives of the ocean and convey the hidden beauty that exists even in the most extreme conditions.

Yuta’s work has been exhibited widely throughout Japan, and in 2026 he will hold an exhibition at the Nikon Gallery focusing on Japan’s northern seas. Looking forward, he aims to further share Japan’s underwater beauty with global audiences and continue exploring the relationship between light, color, and the natural world beneath the surface.
 

A pair of anemonefish watch the photographer from the safety of their anemone home, Japan
 

A longnose hawkfish has chosen a wonderfully aesthetic perch among some blue sea squirts, Japan
 

A pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins cruise past the camera, Japan
 

A school of scalloped hammerheads passes overhead a reef covered in Anthias and butterflyfish, Japan
 

Miyako Island is famous for its caves and caverns, Japan
 

Two Japanese houndsharks engaged in mating behaviors at night, Japan
 

Cherry Anthias, a species endemic to Japan, gather to breed in a cut in the reef, Japan
 

A miniscule Shiho’s seahorse clings to a kelp frond, Japan
 

A freshly hatched smooth lumpsucker suction-cupped to a blade of kelp, Japan
 

Each winter, ice floes bring nutrients to Japan’s waters, nourishing huge kelp forests and seaweed meadows
 

Snow accumulates on the ice above a lion’s mane jelly, Japan
 

During the cold winter months, the surface of the ocean freezes solid in northern Japan
 

“Sea algae,” a type of plankton, coats the winter ice in an eerie yellow color, Japan
 

A lone sea angel drifts towards the icy surface, Japan
 

To see more of Yuta’s amazing underwater work from around Japan, please give him a follow on Instagram.