This incredible collection of images captures moments so unique they’re unlikely to ever be replicated.

Taking memorable photographs actually has a lot to do with luck. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time, and with enough luck, you can take some truly outstanding photographs, in all senses of the word.

Japanese netizens have been sharing their favorite photos on Twitter using the hashtag #二度と撮れない写真を貼れ (“Nido to Torenai Shashin wo Hare”), which means “Post photos that can never be taken again”. There are several ways to interpret the hashtag, as it covers pictures taken with impeccable timing, funny coincidences, and things that just may not be what they were anymore, and that’s reflected in the photos that have been shared by hundreds of Twitter users.

Here is one fun coincidence: this leek that, once cut, seems to have hearts growing inside of it! It may be that such a perfect heart may never be found in a leek ever again, and that’s why it would be difficult to replicate this photo.

https://twitter.com/sunnyhawaiidano/status/995236686723301377

Perfect timing leads to great photos too. For example, this funny cat decided to yell at its owner at the exact same time that Godzilla, in his first form from Shin Godzilla,, roared on the screen behind it! The similarities are uncanny.

Speaking of funny pets, does this little rabbit come from Sailor Moon’s Moon Kingdom? Not only has it jumped absurdly high, but it’s making a mysterious crescent moon shadow too!

It’s even harder to get a candid shot of wild animals. This photographer was lucky to get such an outstanding shot of birds taking off at sunrise. With the exact angle of the shot and the sun just above the city-line, it’s definitely a special photograph.

Talk about good timing! It’s rare to be able to photograph wild Japanese serow, especially when they know you’re there, but this netizen was able to catch one right in between the legs of a Torii gate. These antelope creatures are considered a national symbol in Japan, which makes this photo even more amazing. Maybe it was the Forest God from Princess Mononoke, come to check on the health of the trees?

Nature has its beauty, that’s for certian. One user, a space photographer, took this shot of the 2001 Leonids Meteor Shower. Though we can see the Leonids Meteor Shower every year, 2001 was a special year to experience it, as the earth was passing through some fairly recent clouds of dust dispelled from the Leonids asteroid, which resulted in a spectacular show of light in the sky. Such a view might come only once in 100 years.

Another user also took a beautiful shot of the sky, but there’s something a little more dark about this photo that was taken near the top of a mountain. The photographer says they were surrounded by a thick fog, and for just a moment the fog cleared at the top to reveal the center of the Milky Way. Now that’s some luck.

Some photos that can’t be taken again aren’t quite about timing but are more thanks to history. The places and spaces can’t be photographed again in the same way because they simply don’t exist like that anymore.

Take these old photos for example. They were apparently taken by this user’s father after the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded and produced localized tsunamis that destroyed local fishing ports like this one, which is clearly completely flooded.

Another place that may never be the same? The Syrian capital of Aleppo. This netizen visited the ancient city 11 years ago, where they took these photos. After all of the fighting that has happened there, it’s unlikely that Aleppo will ever look so old and so beautifully untouched in this way ever again.

Old buildings are certainly a treasure, and it’s a dream come true for cosplayers when they can take advantage of an old building. This user was able to splash ink on the walls of their old house, and the result was an amazing photo shoot. Sadly they won’t be able to get similar shots ever again, because the house was torn down and rebuilt two years ago.

Another thing that was taken down? The much beloved and very nostalgic original Mobile Suit Gundam statue that used to stand in Odaiba. After it was dismantled it’s been replaced by the equally cool, transforming Unicorn Gundam, but fans will always miss the original that stood in its place, and now that it’s gone no one will ever be able to photograph it there again.

While we’re talking about things that don’t stand anymore, well, certainly the below photos are not something that really come to mind. But all the same, it certainly won’t be easy to replicate these photos, and that’s why they fall into the realm of “photos that can never be taken again”. This user says, “I never want to do this again”.

This user seems to miss the fun antics that they got into while in high school. This is a photo that can never be taken again, “In the sense that I’ll never be able to return to high school,” they wrote.

https://twitter.com/hf0219/status/995642354701762561

There are lots of “photos that can never be taken again” under the Twitter thread, so take a scroll through if you’re looking for more. We can also recommend the “water dress” shots that were taken by a Japanese photographer, or if history is more your thing, check out these old photos of samurai. “Photos that can never be taken again” fall into a wide range of categories, but one thing is for sure: they’re all unique, and lots of fun to browse through.

Source: Twitter/#二度と撮れない写真を貼れ
Featured image: Twitter/@hirooooka