The smooth flavor of KIRIN Megumi is deeply rooted within the beer’s brewing process. Its producers use the First Press method to manufacture the ale that blends soft bitter notes with delicate fruity ones to deliver noble and distinctive aromas. This means that the beverage includes only the first press of liquid from the malt, which makes it classified as a top-quality beer.

The beverage brand joined forces with independent agency Infinity Squared to find the best way to honor this genuine brewing process. The creative company made its proposal that nothing can best express the freshness of the beer’s brewing process other than unaltered analogue photography.

Fascinated by their own idea, the two collaborators challenged a selection of Japanese artists and asked them to carefully capture the essence of particular objects, but without adding filters or other special effects to the final results.

To put the idea to work, the company launched “First Press Photography,” an international project that makes photographers capture perfection with just one press of a shutter button. The request was particularly provocative since the artists had to duel with themselves in the first place. To obtain the best image, they had to slow down, work patiently, focus more, add precision, and wait for the right moment.

The game started at the initiative of the Sydney-based agency. The creatives placed a camera loaded with a single roll of 35mm film in a special box and sent it on a journey across the Land of the Rising Sun. The camera gradually came into the hands of Nippon photographers, each having the right to express their authentic proposal through a single shot.

Below, you can admire the amazing pictures delivered by the artists who worked meticulously in order to maintain a premium quality of the photos. Thanks to their artful skills, they succeeded to give an outstanding meaning to purity. The resulting image gallery is a feast to your eyes. Check it out for yourselves:

Richard Lee photographed the Zenkoji Temple in Omotesando because he believes it is “a calm refuge from the busy shopping district that surrounds it. The beautiful light combined with the contemporary subject matter creates a serene but modern image of life in Japan.”

Yoshiro Ishii got inspiration from the iconic Shibuya crossing from Tokyo “rumoured to be the world’s busiest junction, the view point rises above the chaos and creates a more absorbing view of modern Japanese life.”

Naoko Chaio looked for something more natural: “The annual spring blossom is a beautiful sight in Japan, but what makes this shot rare is that it was taken at the end of the season in the little-known private garden of the Temple’s abbot. Secluded from tourists, the neatly tended gardens are a haven for those looking for a slice of tradition in high-octane Tokyo,” said the photographer about the beautiful gardens of Asakusa.

Artist Stasia Cholewa used her only given shot to catch a street moment: “Whilst often chaotic and exemplary of Japan’s fast-paced way of life, Nakano’s streets have a balance and symmetry to the photographer that makes an unpredictable streetscape the purest subject. The film burn on this image shows the wabi-sabi nature of capturing an image with only the first press of a film camera.”

Masa Onikata photographed a place where people go in search of serenity and a “momentary peace of mind. Shot on a late afternoon, for the moment the Japanese call Tasogare, which is when The Visible and The Invisible trade places.”

Taro Karibe turned his attention towards the unknown face of the big city: “In contrast to the more commonly photographed neon scene of Tokyo by night, this shot of Ginza by day shows the beauty in the everyday life in this booming metropolis.”

If you haven’t had enough, the unique photo shooting techniques adopted by the artists were brought to life in a one-minute-long video, including a mobile-friendly vertical version. Follow the camera’s long journey and let yourself be carried across Japan’s most beautiful places, pictured exactly how they are!

Credits:

Client: KIRIN

Advertising Agency: Infinity Squared, Sydney, Australia

Strategy: Tom Phillips

Planning Director: Tom Phillips

Planner: Alex Weetch

Creative: Infinity Squared

Production: Infinity Squared

Project Director: Sarah Reynolds

Director: Matt Earl

Producer: Jack Gow

DoP: Kevin Holloway

Editors: Matt Earl, Cameron Drew

Colourist: Marcus Timpson

Music Composition: Sam Cooke

Ep: Dave Jansen

Featured Photographers: Taro Karibe, Masa Onikata, Richard Lee, Stasia Kolewa, Yoshiro Ishii, Naoko Chiao