so ive been planning this trip to japan for like 6 months and only just realized i need to actually look into drone rules there. bringing my mini 3 pro and honestly kind of freaking out a bit. from what ive read you need to register with the DIPS system beforehand and there are like a ton of no fly zones especially around shrines and temples which is basically everywhere i wanted to shoot. anyone actually been through this process recently? and does it matter that im just a tourist, like do they still require the registration?

yeah did this last year, the DIPS registration is mandatory regardless of whether you're a tourist or not. took me maybe an hour to set up and you need to do it before you leave home obviously. the FISS system is separate and you use that to actually file flight plans. honestly the hardest part is just figuring out the websites because they're partially in japanese. DJI fly no fly zone map is pretty useless for japan btw, use the official MLIT map instead. also dont even think about flying near imperial palace or any of the big temples in kyoto, the fines are no joke

i went to osaka last spring with my mavic air 2 and just... didnt fly it much lol. got nervous about the rules and honestly the cities are so dense theres barely anywhere legal anyway. i did get some shots out near the countryside and that was totally worth it. just make sure your drone is under 100g if you want less paperwork headaches, the mini series under that threshold has different rules i think but double check that