Now, chances are you’ve already seen many pictures and video footage from Japan, especially of tourist areas in cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. But this video, shared about a month ago on Vimeo, offers a look at these cities from a very unique perspective — from up in the air! The video, filmed by a tourist visiting Japan, was taken from the perspective of a remote-controlled drone attached with a camera. And while some of the shots captured are of well-known tourist spots, Internet users both inside and outside of Japan seem to have been impressed by how the unique angle gives the familiar scenes quite a new feel! Let’s see what some of the popular sites of Japan look like from up above.
Here’s the video taken by Gino Montalvo, who visited Japan earlier this year. According to his post, it was filmed using a drone, or remote-controlled aircraft called the DJI Phantom 2.
▼Not surprisingly, the video includes footage of the famous “scramble crossing” in Shibuya, both at night …
▼… and during the day. The sheer number of people there is always mind-boggling.
▼And here are some shots from above the Shinjuku Gyoen park.
▼You can see the cherry trees in full bloom, and the park looks absolutely gorgeous from the air, all covered in pink.
▼The video also has some very nice views of the entire park. 
▼Here’s the Odaiba area at night, recognizable by the life-size Gundam model exhibited in front of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. 
▼The Phantom 2 manages to get up-close and personal with the Gundam model. 
▼We’re also treated to a view of the Tokyo Skytree. 
▼And here’s Mt. Fuji, although the mountain top is hidden in the clouds.
▼Montalvo also traveled to Osaka, where this shot of Osaka Castle was taken.
▼And there’s also footage from Kyoto — here’s a view of the famous Fushimi Inari Taisha. 
Although the video is just three minutes and 40 seconds long, it’s quite a fun visual trip through Japan, isn’t it? And it’s particularly delightful that Montalvo was able to film when the cherry trees were in bloom, since they only last for about one week out of the year.
And in case you were wondering, the Phantom 2, which was used to film the video, is quite an awesome-loooking machine.
▼The DJI Phantom 2 — The “Vison+” version shown here comes complete with the camera and stabilizing device options at a price of US$1,299. A version without the options is also available for $679.
While filming with such a nifty-looking piece of flying machinery probably takes some skill and practice, the video here seems like so much fun that we wouldn’t be surprised if it made you seriously think about ordering one of them and learning some remote-controlled flying maneuvers. Well, if you ever do end up owning such a fancy gadget, we certainly hope you can record some great footage and share it with us!
Source: Vimeo (from Gino Montalvo) via GOTRIP! (Japanese), DJI site Phantom 2 page
Photo of DJI Phantom 2: DJI site Phantom 2 page
All other photos: Vimeo (from Gino Montalvo)