Hello from Japan

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.

 

[pelagic_one]

Welcome to the forum from the San Francisco Bay Area. Safe flying to you in 2021!

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[charlie japan]

I'm flying the Mavic 2 Zoom in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

I just back to dji store in Sapporo . They told me that it illegal to fly with a drone that it’s not bought in Japan . Because more than 200g you have to register In internet. The mavic mini 2 to in Japan get 199g . I thought to buy one in France in import, but they told me ‘ you couldn’t register your drone in Japan ‘.
is it right ?

 

[keio]

Short answer : no. But... yes
I explain how it was explained to me from a Japanese professional drone pilot : you can fly -officially- your drone anywhere IF outside of a DID/restricted area, under 150m height, by day time and with respect of the national laws and local restrictions (which are sadly everywhere...) without registering the drone (have a look here for more infos). Now, when u need to apply for a special area or conditions (flight over a DID, in restricted zone, by night, over 150m, etc), you need to ask the MLIT for authorization which then also requires to register the drone (here). Weight doesn't play any role in this situation, it's the flight area/conditions, the registration of the flight plan (here)+ device, and the radio frequencies used. That was now the theoretical part as it's written. In practice, things are much different : japanese laws says that the owner of a field (for example) owns not only the land, but also the sky over it up to 300m, so no flight without his authorization. Basically, wherever you go, out of a drone dedicated space, you can never be sure you're allowed to flight.

Now regarding the drones sold in Japan, they have some specific mark on them to identify the device as a japanese authorized/registered one, and i think thats what they were talking about. So, technically it's not authorized to use them here, but if the conditions are met and the device isn't different from its japanese counterpart, laws are respected, there should be no issue. At least, the MLIT never mentionned to me i had to buy the drone in Japan, when i wrote to them. Has nothing to do with the weight, imho, because i asked them this too in my message and here was their answer to this specific question :

"In addition to Japanese drone laws from the official website, custom rules such as regulations may be set in municipalities in prefectures, so please check.

Even in areas where aviation legislation is not required, if the land manager does not allow the drone to fly, it will not be allowed to fly.

Even if your drone weighs less than 200g, follow the rules given by the land manager.

(Please contact your local government office via the Internet, etc.)"

As you see, they insist on the local restrictions/land owner authorization. I think that asking DJI for such information is not necessary the best choice, as they obviously want to sell. ^^ Ask directly MLIT (and be very very patient...) by keeping your question short and clear, and giving them the exact specifications of your drone.

They also never mentionned any mandatory registration of the drone, except in the case of DID zones etc :

"When flying around the DID area, airports, and helipads, and when flying above an altitude of 150m, permission of the aviation law is required.

The following site is a summary in English.

Civil Aviation Bureau：Japan’s safety rules on Unmanned Aircraft (UA)/Drones - MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

When applying for a flight, the procedure must be in Japanese and the rules are in Japanese, so an interpreter is required. Can you prepare an interpreter?

航空：無人航空機（ドãƒãƒ¼ãƒ³ãƒ»ãƒ©ã‚¸ã‚³ãƒ³æ©Ÿç‰ï¼‰ã®é£›è¡Œãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒ« - 国土交通çœ

The following sites are online application sites.

https://www.dips.mlit.go.jp/portal/"

To resume a last time on the main question : weight is not the problem, registration is not mandatory as long it's not special conditions flight (requiring an application and a flight plan). Example : you go to a drone zone to practice like i did few weeks ago, you don't need anything except your gear and money. Same goes for a field etc, if you have authorization from the owner. note : national laws would still apply tho : under 150m, no night fly, etc.

Now, last words of my own summer experience in Hokkaido : i could take off 3 times in a 10 days trip all over the isle. There were shield at pretty every spot i had hope to fly, and when they weren't some, it was restricted by locals. So, basically, i could fly over the garden of the lodge i was staying in Furano, and 2 ninja flights (5 min, stationnary) near the coast and on the side of a road near fields in Furano also. If you are living here, i'd highly advice to invest as i'll do soon in a pilot license, to help to ease applications and talks with land owners.

Hope this could help a bit, let us know if you get any answer from MLIT.

 

[Return To Base]

I just back to dji store in Sapporo . They told me that it illegal to fly with a drone that it’s not bought in Japan . Because more than 200g you have to register In internet. The mavic mini 2 to in Japan get 199g . I thought to buy one in France in import, but they told me ‘ you couldn’t register your drone in Japan ‘.
is it right ?

I just back to dji store in Sapporo . They told me that it illegal to fly with a drone that it’s not bought in Japan . Because more than 200g you have to register In internet. The mavic mini 2 to in Japan get 199g . I thought to buy one in France in import, but they told me ‘ you couldn’t register your drone in Japan ‘.
is it right ?

What DJI store did you go to in Sapporo?
It is possible to fly a drone bought outside Japan if you follow the rules.
Please tell me specifically which drone you want to fly.
Depending on the location, you may need to obtain permission from the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

 

[charlie japan]

What DJI store did you go to in Sapporo?
It is possible to fly a drone bought outside Japan if you follow the rules.
Please tell me specifically which drone you want to fly.
Depending on the location, you may need to obtain permission from the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

thx for your answer. i was to dji HELICAM close to the sapporo station . i will buy Dji mavic mini 2 (French version 249g )

 

[charlie japan]

Short answer : no. But... yes
I explain how it was explained to me from a Japanese professional drone pilot : you can fly -officially- your drone anywhere IF outside of a DID/restricted area, under 150m height, by day time and with respect of the national laws and local restrictions (which are sadly everywhere...) without registering the drone (have a look here for more infos). Now, when u need to apply for a special area or conditions (flight over a DID, in restricted zone, by night, over 150m, etc), you need to ask the MLIT for authorization which then also requires to register the drone (here). Weight doesn't play any role in this situation, it's the flight area/conditions, the registration of the flight plan (here)+ device, and the radio frequencies used. That was now the theoretical part as it's written. In practice, things are much different : japanese laws says that the owner of a field (for example) owns not only the land, but also the sky over it up to 300m, so no flight without his authorization. Basically, wherever you go, out of a drone dedicated space, you can never be sure you're allowed to flight.

Now regarding the drones sold in Japan, they have some specific mark on them to identify the device as a japanese authorized/registered one, and i think thats what they were talking about. So, technically it's not authorized to use them here, but if the conditions are met and the device isn't different from its japanese counterpart, laws are respected, there should be no issue. At least, the MLIT never mentionned to me i had to buy the drone in Japan, when i wrote to them. Has nothing to do with the weight, imho, because i asked them this too in my message and here was their answer to this specific question :

"In addition to Japanese drone laws from the official website, custom rules such as regulations may be set in municipalities in prefectures, so please check.

Even in areas where aviation legislation is not required, if the land manager does not allow the drone to fly, it will not be allowed to fly.

Even if your drone weighs less than 200g, follow the rules given by the land manager.

(Please contact your local government office via the Internet, etc.)"

As you see, they insist on the local restrictions/land owner authorization. I think that asking DJI for such information is not necessary the best choice, as they obviously want to sell. ^^ Ask directly MLIT (and be very very patient...) by keeping your question short and clear, and giving them the exact specifications of your drone.

They also never mentionned any mandatory registration of the drone, except in the case of DID zones etc :

"When flying around the DID area, airports, and helipads, and when flying above an altitude of 150m, permission of the aviation law is required.

The following site is a summary in English.

Civil Aviation Bureau：Japan’s safety rules on Unmanned Aircraft (UA)/Drones - MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

When applying for a flight, the procedure must be in Japanese and the rules are in Japanese, so an interpreter is required. Can you prepare an interpreter?

航空：無人航空機（ドãƒãƒ¼ãƒ³ãƒ»ãƒ©ã‚¸ã‚³ãƒ³æ©Ÿç‰ï¼‰ã®é£›è¡Œãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒ« - 国土交通çœ

The following sites are online application sites.

https://www.dips.mlit.go.jp/portal/"

To resume a last time on the main question : weight is not the problem, registration is not mandatory as long it's not special conditions flight (requiring an application and a flight plan). Example : you go to a drone zone to practice like i did few weeks ago, you don't need anything except your gear and money. Same goes for a field etc, if you have authorization from the owner. note : national laws would still apply tho : under 150m, no night fly, etc.

Now, last words of my own summer experience in Hokkaido : i could take off 3 times in a 10 days trip all over the isle. There were shield at pretty every spot i had hope to fly, and when they weren't some, it was restricted by locals. So, basically, i could fly over the garden of the lodge i was staying in Furano, and 2 ninja flights (5 min, stationnary) near the coast and on the side of a road near fields in Furano also. If you are living here, i'd highly advice to invest as i'll do soon in a pilot license, to help to ease applications and talks with land owners.

Hope this could help a bit, let us know if you get any answer from MLIT.

Short answer : no. But... yes
I explain how it was explained to me from a Japanese professional drone pilot : you can fly -officially- your drone anywhere IF outside of a DID/restricted area, under 150m height, by day time and with respect of the national laws and local restrictions (which are sadly everywhere...) without registering the drone (have a look here for more infos). Now, when u need to apply for a special area or conditions (flight over a DID, in restricted zone, by night, over 150m, etc), you need to ask the MLIT for authorization which then also requires to register the drone (here). Weight doesn't play any role in this situation, it's the flight area/conditions, the registration of the flight plan (here)+ device, and the radio frequencies used. That was now the theoretical part as it's written. In practice, things are much different : japanese laws says that the owner of a field (for example) owns not only the land, but also the sky over it up to 300m, so no flight without his authorization. Basically, wherever you go, out of a drone dedicated space, you can never be sure you're allowed to flight.

Now regarding the drones sold in Japan, they have some specific mark on them to identify the device as a japanese authorized/registered one, and i think thats what they were talking about. So, technically it's not authorized to use them here, but if the conditions are met and the device isn't different from its japanese counterpart, laws are respected, there should be no issue. At least, the MLIT never mentionned to me i had to buy the drone in Japan, when i wrote to them. Has nothing to do with the weight, imho, because i asked them this too in my message and here was their answer to this specific question :

"In addition to Japanese drone laws from the official website, custom rules such as regulations may be set in municipalities in prefectures, so please check.

Even in areas where aviation legislation is not required, if the land manager does not allow the drone to fly, it will not be allowed to fly.

Even if your drone weighs less than 200g, follow the rules given by the land manager.

(Please contact your local government office via the Internet, etc.)"

As you see, they insist on the local restrictions/land owner authorization. I think that asking DJI for such information is not necessary the best choice, as they obviously want to sell. ^^ Ask directly MLIT (and be very very patient...) by keeping your question short and clear, and giving them the exact specifications of your drone.

They also never mentionned any mandatory registration of the drone, except in the case of DID zones etc :

"When flying around the DID area, airports, and helipads, and when flying above an altitude of 150m, permission of the aviation law is required.

The following site is a summary in English.

Civil Aviation Bureau：Japan’s safety rules on Unmanned Aircraft (UA)/Drones - MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

When applying for a flight, the procedure must be in Japanese and the rules are in Japanese, so an interpreter is required. Can you prepare an interpreter?

航空：無人航空機（ドãƒãƒ¼ãƒ³ãƒ»ãƒ©ã‚¸ã‚³ãƒ³æ©Ÿç‰ï¼‰ã®é£›è¡Œãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒ« - 国土交通çœ

The following sites are online application sites.

https://www.dips.mlit.go.jp/portal/"

To resume a last time on the main question : weight is not the problem, registration is not mandatory as long it's not special conditions flight (requiring an application and a flight plan). Example : you go to a drone zone to practice like i did few weeks ago, you don't need anything except your gear and money. Same goes for a field etc, if you have authorization from the owner. note : national laws would still apply tho : under 150m, no night fly, etc.

Now, last words of my own summer experience in Hokkaido : i could take off 3 times in a 10 days trip all over the isle. There were shield at pretty every spot i had hope to fly, and when they weren't some, it was restricted by locals. So, basically, i could fly over the garden of the lodge i was staying in Furano, and 2 ninja flights (5 min, stationnary) near the coast and on the side of a road near fields in Furano also. If you are living here, i'd highly advice to invest as i'll do soon in a pilot license, to help to ease applications and talks with land owners.

Hope this could help a bit, let us know if you get any answer from MLIT.

Thank you very much for your response. It help me so much . (i was affraid to buy a french drone!!) . I live in Hokkaido , i can speak japaness but i 'm new in the drone . also you said " it was restricted by locals" How can we see the local rules , i means sometime i saw a sign on the spot who is wrote ' NO FLY ZONE' or 'Drone not allowed ' . so i guess if it haven't a sign and in internet i don't find anything on the spot where i 'm , is ok to fly.

 

[keio]

Thank you very much for your response. It help me so much . (i was affraid to buy a french drone!!) .

Well, don't take my word for it tho ^^ I just shared my own experience, best is to ask them yourself to be 100% sure, but i don't see any reason why it should be forbidden tbh. Anyway, this "illegal" thing is crap imho, as long the device has same standards (which is the case as its DJI, even the radio frequencies can be set for JP, iirc the settings), should be fine. As for the weight, like i said, forget about it, you don't win anything : wanna fly DID etc, mini or not u need to apply. I hesitated to buy one in France too (je pense que nous sommes tous deux français ? ^^) but i thought it would be easier for SAV/support to get it here, especially we always get points for the next buy at Yodobashi, hehe.

 

[charlie japan]

Short answer : no. But... yes
I explain how it was explained to me from a Japanese professional drone pilot : you can fly -officially- your drone anywhere IF outside of a DID/restricted area, under 150m height, by day time and with respect of the national laws and local restrictions (which are sadly everywhere...) without registering the drone (have a look here for more infos). Now, when u need to apply for a special area or conditions (flight over a DID, in restricted zone, by night, over 150m, etc), you need to ask the MLIT for authorization which then also requires to register the drone (here). Weight doesn't play any role in this situation, it's the flight area/conditions, the registration of the flight plan (here)+ device, and the radio frequencies used. That was now the theoretical part as it's written. In practice, things are much different : japanese laws says that the owner of a field (for example) owns not only the land, but also the sky over it up to 300m, so no flight without his authorization. Basically, wherever you go, out of a drone dedicated space, you can never be sure you're allowed to flight.

Now regarding the drones sold in Japan, they have some specific mark on them to identify the device as a japanese authorized/registered one, and i think thats what they were talking about. So, technically it's not authorized to use them here, but if the conditions are met and the device isn't different from its japanese counterpart, laws are respected, there should be no issue. At least, the MLIT never mentionned to me i had to buy the drone in Japan, when i wrote to them. Has nothing to do with the weight, imho, because i asked them this too in my message and here was their answer to this specific question :

"In addition to Japanese drone laws from the official website, custom rules such as regulations may be set in municipalities in prefectures, so please check.

Even in areas where aviation legislation is not required, if the land manager does not allow the drone to fly, it will not be allowed to fly.

Even if your drone weighs less than 200g, follow the rules given by the land manager.

(Please contact your local government office via the Internet, etc.)"

As you see, they insist on the local restrictions/land owner authorization. I think that asking DJI for such information is not necessary the best choice, as they obviously want to sell. ^^ Ask directly MLIT (and be very very patient...) by keeping your question short and clear, and giving them the exact specifications of your drone.

They also never mentionned any mandatory registration of the drone, except in the case of DID zones etc :

"When flying around the DID area, airports, and helipads, and when flying above an altitude of 150m, permission of the aviation law is required.

The following site is a summary in English.

Civil Aviation Bureau：Japan’s safety rules on Unmanned Aircraft (UA)/Drones - MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

When applying for a flight, the procedure must be in Japanese and the rules are in Japanese, so an interpreter is required. Can you prepare an interpreter?

航空：無人航空機（ドãƒãƒ¼ãƒ³ãƒ»ãƒ©ã‚¸ã‚³ãƒ³æ©Ÿç‰ï¼‰ã®é£›è¡Œãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒ« - 国土交通çœ

The following sites are online application sites.

https://www.dips.mlit.go.jp/portal/"

To resume a last time on the main question : weight is not the problem, registration is not mandatory as long it's not special conditions flight (requiring an application and a flight plan). Example : you go to a drone zone to practice like i did few weeks ago, you don't need anything except your gear and money. Same goes for a field etc, if you have authorization from the owner. note : national laws would still apply tho : under 150m, no night fly, etc.

Now, last words of my own summer experience in Hokkaido : i could take off 3 times in a 10 days trip all over the isle. There were shield at pretty every spot i had hope to fly, and when they weren't some, it was restricted by locals. So, basically, i could fly over the garden of the lodge i was staying in Furano, and 2 ninja flights (5 min, stationnary) near the coast and on the side of a road near fields in Furano also. If you are living here, i'd highly advice to invest as i'll do soon in a pilot license, to help to ease applications and talks with land owners.

Hope this could help a bit, let us know if you get any answer from MLIT.

Thank you very much for your response. it help me a lot. i was afraid to buy a french version drone!!! I live in Hokkaido, i can speak japaness but i'm new in the Drone

Thank you very much for your response. It help me so much . (i was affraid to buy a french drone!!) . I live in Hokkaido , i can speak japaness but i 'm new in the drone . also you said " it was restricted by locals" How can we see the local rules , i means sometime i saw a sign on the spot who is wrote ' NO FLY ZONE' or 'Drone not allowed ' . so i guess if it haven't a sign and in internet i don't find anything on the spot where i 'm , is ok to fly.

lol, oui je suis Francais aussi!! je pense que sur le mini 2 mavic on peut changer la fréquence (mais si j'ai bien compris , cela importe seulement si je veux voler dans une zone ou il faut une permission ) aussi il y a beaucoup de Lac a hokkaido et le probleme c'est qu'il y a des Onsens au bord des lac . (mais selon la loi si il n'y a pas de panneau restriction, et si je suis a plus de 30metres on peu rien me dire ) j'avais hésiter longtemps avec le mavic air 2 mais qd je suis aller au magazin pas foto au niveau de l'encombrement et du pois. en tout cas vraiment merci pour tes reponses .

 

[keio]

Thank you very much for your response. it help me a lot. i was afraid to buy a french version drone!!! I live in Hokkaido, i can speak japaness but i'm new in the Drone

lol, oui je suis Francais aussi!! je pense que sur le mini 2 mavic on peut changer la fréquence (mais si j'ai bien compris , cela importe seulement si je veux voler dans une zone ou il faut une permission ) aussi il y a beaucoup de Lac a hokkaido et le probleme c'est qu'il y a des Onsens au bord des lac . (mais selon la loi si il n'y a pas de panneau restriction, et si je suis a plus de 30metres on peu rien me dire ) j'avais hésiter longtemps avec le mavic air 2 mais qd je suis aller au magazin pas foto au niveau de l'encombrement et du pois. en tout cas vraiment merci pour tes reponses .

Pas de quoi =) Je galère comme toi, mais rassures-toi, les japonais c'est pas mieux. =( C'est un vrai foutoir depuis qu'ils ont décidé de pondre de nouvelles lois, et c'est pas près de changer hélas... Comme je l'ai souligné dans mes précédents messages, malheureusement comme pour tout sur le sol nippon, il y a la théorie et la pratique... Donc, même si tu es en zone super blanche et loin de tout, tu dois tout de même avoir l'autorisation du land owner. Petit exemple, j'étais bien au nord, Shiretoko, et j'ai demandé au parc vu qu'ils n'avaient aucune restriction leur position vis a vis des drones, et après hésitation et conciliabule, ils sont revenus me dire que ct interdit. Bon, les ours affolés par un drone et tout, ok, je comprends. J'ai donc demandé ce qu'il en était hors parc, le long de la côte, histoire de montrer le littoral, mais là pareil : demande officielle au bureau en charge des affaires maritimes, lol. En gros, si tu dois demander ce sera non, c'est ainsi au Japon. Rails, lignes électriques, people, autoroutes et routes, rivières, c'est soumis à autorisation partout. C'est pas pour te décourager, hein, c'est juste pour que tu le saches. Si le coin est désert, en zone blanche et sans risques à priori, tu peux essayer mais en gardant à l'esprit que généralement tu ne peux pas, si jamais qqun râle. C'est ce qui est arrivé récemment à un japonais qui faisait voler son drone (un jouet, même pas la taille du mini, tu sais, les drones à 30 balles) dans un parc : un autre japonais est passé, et il a appelé les flics car il estimait que le drone allait très vite et était dangereux. Résultat de la délation : amende et condamnation. Le truc serait de rechercher auprès les localités ou encore des propriétaires terriens (fermiers) et voir si tu peux pas négocier, soit le type est sympa, soit tu peux essayer de lui proposer une contre-partie. Pour ma part, c'est ce que j'ai en tête : proposer des vues en 4k voire 8k si c de l'hyperlapse dans le cas d'une municipalité/d'un business, soit un petit billet chaque mois pour pouvoir faire voler ton drone tranquillos. L'alternative c'est de voler dans des coins déserts à des heures où personne ne risque de rôder... Mais bon.

 

[Steel63]

Good luck greetings from ? Florida

 

[PanamaMike]

Welcome to the forum, from the Republic of Panama!

 

[Thomas B]

Welcome to the forum from the deserts of Arizona! Enjoy.

 

[RkyMtnHigh]

I'm flying the Mavic 2 Zoom in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Welcome to the forum from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! I lived on Hokkaido for a little over a year many, many years ago, about 35mi/56km southwest of Kushiro on the eastern coast. Absolutely loved it there, and Japan in general. Happy and safe flying!

 

[Return To Base]

thx for your answer. i was to dji HELICAM close to the sapporo station . i will buy Dji mavic mini 2 (French version 249g )

In order to fly the 249g Mavic Mini 2 in Japan, it is better to get permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism if possible.
There are places where you can fly without permission, but you can fly with confidence if you have permission from the MLIT.
There is a precedent that the Mavic Mini, the previous model of the Mavic MIni 2, was fitted with an overseas version of the battery and weighed 249g, and the permission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism was obtained.
More worrisome is the frequency of the radio waves used by the drone. In Japan, drones other than 2.4GHz violate the Radio Law. There is a solution, but it is very laborious and expensive and is not recommended.
I don't know what frequency band the French Mavic Mini 2 uses. For example, the Mavic Air 2 will automatically switch to 2.4GHz when the power is turned on in Japan even in the overseas version.
First, check with DJI Support about the frequency.

 

[keio]

More worrisome is the frequency of the radio waves used by the drone. In Japan, drones other than 2.4GHz violate the Radio Law. There is a solution, but it is very laborious and expensive and is not recommended. I don't know what frequency band the French Mavic Mini 2 uses. For example, the Mavic Air 2 will automatically switch to 2.4GHz when the power is turned on in Japan even in the overseas version. First, check with DJI Support about the frequency.

What Return To Base said is correct, i have the jp version of Mavir Air 2 and could see this in its menu (can be overriden manually tho iirc). This is what i meant with radio frequencies in my earlier posts. If i'm fine with the 2.4GHz rule here as we need anyway to keep LoS on the drone, it is problematic tho because the signal is weaker = possibility to lose control/bad video feed over a certain distance. Have a look here to see further explanations between 2.4GHz vs 5.8GHz radio frequency. Another great source of informations about RF in Japan is this website which provides à FAQ in English (with more explanations about the "specific mark" i was talking about in my first post : the technical conformity mark, mandatory to fly a drone in Japan). This RF thing is a recurrent issue as well in the AR drone world as for RC devices or walkie talkie.

- Edit -
@Return To Base : the french DJI mini 2 has similar system as the JP version (if it's like my air 2 JP) : u can switch between the 2 modes (link)>

• Fréquence de fonctionnement[2]​

• 2,400-2,4835 GHz, 5,725-5,850 GHz

 

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from mChicago the Windy City.