so im heading to tokyo and kyoto for 3 weeks and obviously bringing the mavic. ive heard japan is super strict but also seen a ton of footage shot there so im confused about what the actual rules are. do i need to register before i go or can i do it when i land? also curious if anyone has flown around fushimi inari or around the temples cause those shots look insane

yeah japan is no joke with their airspace rules. you need to register your drone with the MLIT before you fly, theres an online system for it and it took me like 2 days to get approved when i went last year. most of the temple areas are either in no fly zones or youll need a permit that basically nobody gets as a tourist. i flew out near the countryside and some of the coastal areas which were way more relaxed. honestly some of the best footage i got was nowhere near the famous spots anyway

dont quote me on this but i think the dji fly app shows the zones pretty well when youre there, just make sure you download offline maps before you go cause wifi isnt always great in the rural spots. also heard some people rent drones locally to avoid the whole bringing it through customs thing but idk how that works for insurance or whatever