taking my mavic 3 to japan next month, first time there and also first time flying internationally with my drone. ive heard japan is really strict but i cant find a straight answer on what i actually need to do before i go. do i need to register the drone with japanese authorities ahead of time or can i do it when i land or what. also heard something about needing insurance there which i dont currently have sorted out

mostly planning to fly in rural areas and maybe around some of the mountain regions, not trying to fly in tokyo or anything crazy like that. just want to get some landscape shots without getting my drone confiscated lol

you definitely need to register with the DIPS system before you go, its the japense civil aviation bureau thing. the registration itself isnt too bad but give yourself a few days cause sometimes the confirmation takes a while. also check the DJI fly app carefully once youre there, the geofencing in japan is pretty agressive and a lot of areas that look open on google maps are actually restricted. national parks are mostly a no go without special permission which can take weeks to get.

rural areas near like nagano or the japanese alps are more doable but still do your homework per location. honestly i spent more time researching than i did actually flying when i went but the shots i got were worth it

the insurance thing is real, i got caught without it years ago in a different country and it wasnt fun. for japan specifically i picked up a short term policy through allianz before my trip, covered the drone itself and third party liability. wasnt super expensive for a month. dont skip it