so im heading to tokyo and kyoto in about 5 weeks and obviously bringing the mini 4 pro. ive been reading about japans drone laws and honestly its a bit overwhelming. from what i can tell you need to register the drone before you even enter the country but some posts i found are from like 2021 and the rules have changed since then. also heard something about needing a specific app to file flight plans but couldnt find a clear answer on whether thats mandatory or just for certain zones.

has anyone actually flown there recently and can tell me what the process was like? also curious about bamboo forests and temple areas — i assume those are all off limits but figured id ask since some of them look incredible from the air

went to japan last september with my air 3. the registration thing is real, you do it through the japan civil aviation bureau website, its called drone registration system or something like that. took me maybe 20 minutes and they email you a registration number you have to put on the drone. do it before you go, dont wait.

the flight plan app is called dronebird i think, or maybe its a different one now. honestly i ended up not flying much because almost everywhere tourist-y is either a no fly zone or you need special permits. i got some decent shots near mount fuji from a less crowded spot but i had to hike out a bit to find somewhere that wasnt restricted. arashiyama bamboo grove is definitely a no go, whole area around it is locked up tight.

not japan specific but general travel tip — always download the local airspace app before you land and check it while youre still on the plane wifi lol. saves you figuring it out when youre jet lagged and just want to go fly something. also keep your registration docs on your phone not just printed out, customs in some places actually ask about it