A couple came face-to-face with a rare giant squid while diving in Japan.

Diving instructor Yosuke Tanaka, 41, and his wife Miki, 34, were on a day trip when locals at a fishing shop told them about sightings of the elusive 8.2ft-long beast lurking off the coast of Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture.

The pair went with local instructors and were amazed when the massive marine creature emerged after just 30 minutes on January 6.

Marine experts say it is rare for such large squids to appear close to the shore. But footage from Yosuke's underwater camera shows how the pink squid flapping as it floats through the ocean, oblivious to the nearby scuba divers.

Miki said: 'We swam together and took pictures. I was so happy that the squid was within my reach but its eyes were so big. It was so big that I started to feel scared.'

An honorary researcher at the National Museum of Nature and Science Tsunemi Kubodera said that it is rare for a giant squid from the deep sea to be swimming along the coast.

The squid is also believed to be between one and two years old. The researcher said that it is a medium-sized mature squid.