The autumn equinox (Shūbun no hi) is a national holiday in Japan (as is Shunbun no hi, the spring equinox). This originated with a ceremony known as Kōreisai, which began in 1878 as a twice-yearly event to pay respects to past emperors and members of the imperial family. If 12 hours of daylight aren’t enough, one could theoretically stretch the day by starting near Japan’s east end, at Ebisu Iwa in Hokkaido (top) for the sunrise, then travelling all the way to Japan’s west end at Sunset Beach in Okinawa (bottom) for the sunset.