Watch this mesmerising time lapse video of the world's busiest pedestrian intersection, in Tokyo

Although the brief cyber punk craze ended as far back as the early 1990s, even today it’s difficult not to think of Tokyo as the neon-drenched vision of the future. William Gibson’s classic Neuromancer opens with the now classic line to describe the city’s landscape, “The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.”

The video above shows a fast-forwarded view of the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan. Every two minutes, the flow of traffic stops and the thousands of pedestrians cross from five directions. It's insane, but also intoxicating, to watch as swarms of people gather at the traffic lights and then rush across, much like flies off to war.

The site also has a statue of Hachiko, the famous dog from the 1920s whose story was turned into a Richard Gere movie. It is also a rendezvous point amidst the frenzy.

The Shibuya Crossing has been immortalised in films like Lost in Translation, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Here’s a scene from Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation.

And a long, convoluted, chase sequence from Tokyo Drift.

Here's another time lapse of Shibuya crossing from 2011.

Time lapses, of course, lend themselves perfectly to shooting films of intersections or to create the feel of a city.

Here's an intersection in Kolkata, and with its old architecture, in stark contrast to Tokyo.

Some of these videos imagine intersections as beautiful images where things are happening. Often, they are a dull reminder of the fast-paced life in cities. Here's one of a street in Delhi reminding you of just that sentiment, the fun upbeat music notwithstanding.

For good measure, here's a time lapse covering Bangalore and Mumbai. It's chaotic and messy and slightly exoticised. But hey, it's set to Kolaveri Di and a fun watch.