Japan’s Muscular Stock Photos, Oh My
So, you are on the lookout for stock photos? How about a wall of bare-chested men flexing in a tea field?
Welcome to the oddly delightful world of Japan’s muscular stock photos.
I know this is only the intro, but I’m guessing you are already somewhere between “what???,” and “I would like to see these photos. For scientific purposes, of course.”
Before we get to that part (settle down, and no more booing), it may be worth taking a quick peek at how we got here.
It all started with a guy called Akihito spotting what he thought of as a gap in the market for stock photos: ripped guys doing everyday Japanese things. And that is how Muscle Plus began, described by one Japanese publication as Japan’s premier source of “macho stock photos” that no one asked for, but everyone secretly enjoys.
Fun with muscles
The photos of building delts doing daily duties quickly took the internet by storm, in no small part due to the often playful nature of the photos. Some, as the one below, are absolutely delightfully camp.
Today it includes things like macho men grilling yakitori in an izakaya, frolicking in tea fields, balancing traffic cones on their heads, solemnly holding up business cards like they’re Olympic medals.
The images are free to use and you might spot them in small businesses, gyms, and even restaurants that have sprinkled them into ads, flyers, and event promotions.
A yakitori shop in Tokyo even collaborated with the models on a “macho grilling” campaign where your meat was grilled by, well, meat.
Who are these guys?
The men behind the photos are part of All Out, a group of Tokyo-based performers who also work as personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and even offer “Muscle Cafés” where fans can eat, chat, and—yes—touch muscles to their heart’s content. They’re part entertainers, part fitness pros, and all in on the joke.
It’s tempting to see this as just meme material, but it taps into a bigger trend: Japan’s quiet boom in health and wellness. Gym memberships have risen steadily in recent years, fuelled by changing lifestyles, social media fitness culture, and a desire to balance out long work hours with healthier routines. Muscles are no longer just for athletes—they’re aspirational, approachable, even playful.
Whether you view “Traffic Cones and Macho Men” as avant-garde art or simply internet silliness, the appeal is undeniable. As one Japanese site put it, the photos are “fun even though there’s no use for them.” But maybe that’s the point. In a country famous for blending seriousness with absurdity, these stock photos remind us that not everything has to be practical. Sometimes it’s enough just to laugh at a flexing man in a tea field.