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Don’t have enough time to see Japan? You do now, with this amazing time-lapse video

Casey Baseel Nov 4, 2014
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With so much to see and do in Japan, it’s easy to forget that sometimes one of the most rewarding things to do is to take a few moments and do nothing at all. Whether you’re looking at people moving about some of the most bustling cities on the planet, witnessing the burst of light and color as the sun goes down and the neon lights come on, or watching as the fog rolls over a sacred mountain, Japan never lacks for amazing ambiance to soak up.

But with so many flavors of atmosphere to enjoy, it can be hard to find the time for all of them, especially if you’re tied up with work or trying to visit as many destinations as you can on a whirlwind tour. If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, though, this awesome time-lapse video of sights across Japan will show you all those cool things we talked about and more.

Australian traveler and photographer Alexander Chin just wrapped up a three-week trip in Japan. While that’s longer than most of us can afford to get away for, Chin didn’t spend all that extra time loafing in his hotel room. Instead, he planted his camera at some of the country’s most scenic and iconic locales, set it to fire off a shot once every three seconds, and edited the images into his newest video, The Land of the Rising Sun.

The video opens with Osaka Castle’s keep, backed by the towering skyscrapers of the country’s third largest city in shot that establishes the compelling way Japan combines its traditional and contemporary identities.

Chin next gives these aspects separate screen time, first turning his lens to Himeji Castle, where the magic of time lapse tantalizingly makes it seem like the ongoing renovations to what’s often called Japan’s most impressive stronghold will be completed in mere seconds. After that, it’s off to the observation platform at Roppongi Hills to gaze at the Tokyo skyline.

Japan’s capital is no less impressive on the ground, where Chin stops by Akihabara and Shinjuku, respectively home of such world-famous tourism destinations as the AKB48 theater and RocketNews24 office.

The nature of time-lapse photography turns pedestrians and even the weather into actors for the video. While at Kyoto’s Kinkakuji, a cluster of rain clouds passes over the pond in front of the Golden Pavilion, suddenly filling it with ripples.

In one of the coolest sequences, a ride on Osaka’s waterfront Tempozan Ferris wheel takes on a surreal quality, as the inherent jerkiness of the images almost makes it seem like the city has been transformed into a miniature diorama of the real thing.

Things look a little more full-scale from down on the ground and along the canal in the city’s Dotonbori entertainment district.

Chin goes far higher than the 112.5 meters (369 feet) of Tempozan, though. At 3,450 meters up Mt. Fuji, he and his fellow climbers are above even the clouds.

Another mountain serves as a vantage point at the top of Hiroshima Prefecture’s Mt. Misen, where the view is a lot lower than that from Fuji, but no less beautiful.

Finally, after bouncing back and forth all over Japan’s main island of Honshu, the video closes with a leisurely look at Osaka, as day turns to night.

Every spot that’s shown is achingly beautiful, and watching the whole thing is guaranteed to get your sense of wanderlust pumping. If you’re too busy to follow in Chin’s footsteps, though, his incredible video will give you plenty to daydream about in the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee, or green tea if you’re really committed to getting your fix of Japanese atmosphere.

Related: Alexander Chin Vimeo page
Source, images: Vimeo