just got back last week. so i brought my mavic 3 over thinking id get incredible shots of like kyoto temples and mount fuji and whatever and honestly the rules over there kind of caught me off guard. i did research before going but i still wasnt totally prepared for how seriously they take it. had to register the drone through their DIPS system before i left which took a few days and i almost missed the window.

ended up not being able to fly most places i wanted because basically any populated area or near airports (which is everywhere near tokyo) requires additional permits that take weeks to get approved. did manage to get out to the countryside near nagano and fly there with no issues, that was genuinely beautiful and worth the whole hassle. but if youre thinking japan is gonna be like flying in rural canada or something, just be ready for a lot of red tape

ugh i had the exact same experience. went two years ago before they tightened things up even more and it was already pretty strict. the fuji area especially, everyone thinks theyre gonna get that iconic shot and then you realize basically the whole zone around it is restricted. your nagano idea is smart, i wish id done more research on less obvious spots

was the DIPS registration hard to do in english? i keep putting off a japan trip partly because of this stuff and ive heard the system isnt great if you dont read japanese