Photo/Illutration Honeybees inside a beehive in Tokyo's Ginza district (Toshiyuki Takeya)

Editor's note: This is part of a series of videos offering an up-close perspective on the animal kingdom. A special 360-degree video camera system was set up in zoos and other facilities to show how the animals view their world as they interact.

Also visit our special 360-DEGREE LIVES page (http://t.asahi.com/360lives), where you can watch all the previous videos.

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Here's a thought the next time you decide to take a stroll through Ginza, Tokyo’s posh and glitzy shopping district. It is home to 100,000 or so honeybees that during the day fly all over the place to collect nectar.

The honeybees are kept on the rooftop of an 11-story, 45-meter-high building by members of the Ginza Honey Bee Project. Launched in 2006, the nonprofit organization is a pioneer in urban beekeeping in Japan.

With a 3-kilometer radius for flying, the honeybees collect nectar from flowers in Ginza, the Hamarikyu Gardens, the Hibiya Park and elsewhere. According to the organization, tulip trees along the roads surrounding the Imperial Palace produce more nectar than any other plants in the area, with about 100 kilograms of honey collected in one week in early May.

The project members expect to harvest 1 ton of honey this year. It will be used to make sweet treats at confectionery shops and hotels in Ginza.

When the camera was placed inside a beehive containing 15,000 honey bees, it showed hive frames, each measuring 25 centimeters tall and 35 centimeters wide, while 2,000 bees buzzed and crawled on both sides of the frame.

“In addition to promoting the benefits of Ginza, we want to pursue harmonious coexistence with the urban and natural environments,” said Akihito Tanaka, a publicist for the Ginza Honey Bee Project.

The honey is also sold at honey shop L’abeille in Matsuya Ginza department store.