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Here is a time-lapse video showing the past year of construction of the massive Tokyo Sky Tree broadcasting tower, which reached a height of 300 meters (984 ft) this month. When completed in December 2011, the tower will stand 634 meters (2,080 ft) tall, making it the tallest structure in Tokyo.
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The latest time-lapse video by Tokyo-based photographer Samuel Cockedey features captivating views of Mt. Fuji, Miyajima (Itsukushima Shrine), and Iwate prefecture.
The illustrious Rinpa Eshidan art crew has re-emerged with a dazzling new time-lapse painting performed on a skate ramp.
Tokyo-based photographer Samuel Cockedey presents more miraculous views of the Shinjuku cityscape in his latest time-lapse video (featuring minimal beats by Kusanagi).
Casual clothing brand Uniqlo has created the most captivating web calendar ever, featuring a random assortment of time-lapse tilt-shift imagery from locations across Japan and charming background music by Fantastic Plastic Machine. Highly addictive.
[Link: Uniqlo Calendar]
Here is some awesome time-lapse footage of the eruption of Mount Asama, an active volcano straddling the border of Gunma and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo, which suddenly awoke in the early morning hours of Monday, February 2. The video was shot between 1:55 and 2:30 AM.
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Other cameras captured the volcanic activity from different angles. The time-lapse videos below were created from photos shot at 10-minute intervals. The eruption occurs toward the end of each video.
Latest photos of Mt. Asama: 1, 2, 3.
[Link: Maechan.net]
This time-lapse video of the 2008 Inakadate rice crop art is composed of still images captured daily from June 1 to July 3, 2008 via the roof webcam at the adjacent town hall. The 3.7-acre work features the images of Daikoku, god of wealth (left), and Ebisu, god of fishers and merchants (right), which were created using five different colors of rice plants. On July 4, just as the crop was beginning to mature, the organizers shut down the webcam when they removed the JAL ad portion of the artwork at the request of the rice paddy owner.
Japanese construction firm Kajima Corporation is using an innovative new skyscraper demolition method to dismantle a pair of old company buildings in Tokyo. (Watch a time-lapse video.)
Unlike conventional demolition that begins at the top of the building, Kajima's new method starts on the bottom floor, where the support columns are cut and replaced with giant computer-controlled jacks. Once the floor is demolished and the debris removed, the entire building is lowered and work begins on the next floor. The process is repeated for each floor until the entire building is gone.
Kajima informally calls this the daruma-otoshi method, after the old Japanese game consisting of a daruma doll made of stacked pieces that players knock out one by one without toppling the doll. (Watch a super slo-mo video.)
According to Kajima, the daruma-otoshi demolition method -- which is now being used to dismantle a 75 meter (246 ft) tall, 20-story building and a 65 meter (213 ft) tall, 17-story building -- is safer and creates less noise and dust pollution because the work is kept close to the ground. In addition, this method cuts demolition time by 20% and makes it easier to separate and recycle the building materials.
[Link: Kajima]
