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Tokyo is so massive and bustling that sometimes it’s hard to remember that it doesn’t have a monopoly on urban splendor in Japan. Take Osaka, for example. Long Tokyo’s rival, in everything from business to baseball to samurai warfare, Osaka is known for its economic ambitiousness, comedic sensibilities, and tasty grub, but there’s one thing that’s often overlooked in media coverage of Osaka.

It looks absolutely beautiful at night.

With 2.6 million residents, Osaka is Japan’s third largest city. All those people need a lot of space, even in densely populated Japan, which means the city has no shortage of modern skyline to gaze at.

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Once the sun goes down, all those buildings’ lights go on, giving the videographers of Night Movie Channel of Osaka a huge canvas to work with.

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The group’s newest time-lapse creation, Glittering Osaka City Night, starts off with a dramatic overture and a shot of Osaka Castle. The park surrounding the fortress is one of the few patches of darkness you’ll see for the video’s entire runtime.

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As the camera pans over and around the city, we see that Osaka looks amazing by night, whether you’re gazing at it from 30 stories up, or perched somewhere a lot closer to street level.

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At one point, even the sky seems inspired to get in on the luminescent display. At roughly the 5:30 mark, either a plane or a shooting star goes streaking across the top of the frame.

▼ Quick, make a wish!

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As the pulsing music and gorgeous images fade out, the video closes with a request to “Please visit my website.” You got it, Night Movie Channel of Osaka, and when we get a chance, we’d like to visit your city, too.

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Related: Osaka at Night
Source: FC2
Top images: YouTube
Insert images: Livedoor, YouTube