Facts and credentials
Permit, licence, aircraft, insurance, coverage, prices and lead times on one page. Each answer states what it was checked against and when. Last updated: 2026-09-20.
Who we are
Who operates this service?
Kumakura Jiro Jimusho K.K., a company registered in Tokyo, Japan (corporate number 5013301035023; registered office 5-31-37-302 Nagasaki, Toshima-ku, Tokyo). The pilot and producer is Jiro Kumakura, who has filmed in Japan for overseas broadcasters and brands since 2018 and has held Japan's national drone pilot licence since 2024.
Company records and licence, checked 2026-09-06; corporate number and registered office checked against the National Tax Agency register on 2026-09-20.
What does the service do?
Aerial stills and video of buildings in Tokyo for overseas real-estate investors, asset managers and capital-markets teams: exterior stills for an Offering Memorandum, with video clips and a 60-second edited teaser as same-day add-ons, and renovation progress monitoring from fixed camera positions. We also fly for overseas productions, companies and agencies that need a licensed pilot in Japan.
Service list, checked 2026-09-20.
From when can flights be booked?
Bookings are open now for flights from 1 October 2026, the first day of the blanket flight permit.
Permit document, checked 2026-09-19.
Permit, licence and aircraft
Which flight permit do you hold?
A blanket permission and approval from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), issued by the Tokyo Regional Civil Aviation Bureau on 14 September 2026, No. 東空運航第28298号. It is valid from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, nationwide.
Permit document, checked 2026-09-19.
What does the blanket permit cover?
Flights over Densely Inhabited Districts (which includes all of central Tokyo) and flights within 30 m of people and structures, in daytime and within visual line of sight, under our flight manual.
Permit document and flight manual, checked 2026-09-19.
What does the blanket permit not cover?
Night flights, flights beyond visual line of sight and flights over event grounds. Flights over or beside expressways, heavily used roads and railways, flights near airports such as Haneda, and flights above 150 m need an individual permit, which takes about four weeks. We do not offer night flights, inspection, certification or thermal imaging.
Permit document and flight manual, checked 2026-09-19.
Which licence does the pilot hold?
Japan's national Second-Class Unmanned Aircraft Pilot licence, issued under MLIT, held since 2024.
Licence, checked 2026-09-06.
Which aircraft do you fly?
A DJI Mavic 3 Pro, registered with MLIT and fitted with Remote ID. It records 4K and 5.1K video in H.265 10-bit D-Log M and stills in JPEG and RAW. It is not the Cine version, so there is no in-camera ProRes.
Aircraft registration, checked 2026-09-06.
Insurance and paperwork
What liability insurance do you carry?
Third-party liability cover of JPY 100 million per occurrence, bodily injury and property damage combined, with zero deductible, underwritten by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance. The certificate is issued in Japanese and we send it with our own English translation for reference.
Insurer's certificate, checked 2026-09-07.
Which documents can you supply for vendor onboarding?
An English corporate extract, W-8BEN-E, bank confirmation, the insurance certificate, the MLIT flight permit, and English translations of the pilot licence and the aircraft registration.
Vendor pack list, checked 2026-09-19.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Confidential by default. We sign an NDA on request before receiving the address, and we do not publish a client's asset, including anonymised descriptions, without written consent. Source files are deleted 90 days after delivery unless the client asks us to keep them.
Terms, checked 2026-09-06.
Coverage and lead times
Where do you fly?
Mainly Tokyo's 23 wards. Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka are flown under the same rules with travel at cost. The blanket permit is valid nationwide.
Permit document and pricing, checked 2026-09-19.
How much notice do you need?
7 days where the blanket permit applies. 4 weeks beside an expressway, heavily used road or railway, near Haneda Airport (typically parts of Ota, Shinagawa, Minato and the Koto waterfront), above 150 m or over event grounds. 2 weeks for Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. We say which applies within 24 hours of receiving the address.
Feasibility table, checked 2026-09-19.
Where can you not fly?
As a rule, over Tokyo's public parks, over Tokyo Bay and from a public road or pavement. Within about 1,000 m of the Imperial Palace, the Diet, the Prime Minister's Office, embassies, defence sites, nuclear facilities and airports, flights are restricted under the Drone Act: the owner's consent and a police notification at least 48 hours ahead are required by law, and we say at the feasibility check whether we can fly. Flights stop in wind above 5 m/s or in rain.
MLIT documents, checked 2026-09-06; National Police Agency documents, checked 2026-09-20.
Prices and terms
What does it cost?
Exterior Stills for Offering Memorandum: from US$1,600. Video on the same day is an add-on: clips +US$800, or clips with a 60-second edited teaser +US$1,600. Renovation Progress Monitoring: first visit US$1,800, then US$1,200 per visit, minimum 3 visits. An individual permit adds US$1,000. Prices are for buildings in Tokyo's 23 wards within the blanket permit and exclude Japanese consumption tax. Work for productions and companies outside real estate is quoted per project.
Price list, checked 2026-09-20.
What are the payment terms?
50% deposit to confirm dates, balance net 30, by US-dollar bank transfer. For progress monitoring, each visit is invoiced separately on the same terms. Moving to a reserve day for weather is free when we postpone on the forecast by the day before; a flight called off on site on the day is charged for the observer and travel at cost (US$250). If MLIT refuses a permit, everything is refunded except the itemised permit-preparation work (US$600, detailed on the invoice; the filing itself is free).
Terms, checked 2026-09-20.
What are the cancellation terms?
Up to 7 days before the flight, a full refund minus direct costs; from 6 to 3 days before, a 50% charge; from 2 days before, a 100% charge. Cancelling with no reserve day incurs a 50% standby fee. Weather postponements are covered in the payment terms above.
Terms on the pricing page, checked 2026-09-20.
What is the liability cap and the governing law?
Liability cap: the contract value. Governing law: Japan.
Terms on the home page, checked 2026-09-20.
How do we enquire?
Use the enquiry form on the home page or email info@jirokumakura.com with the address, the purpose and the deadline. We reply within 24 hours, in English or Japanese, with whether the address can be flown, which permit applies and the notice needed.
Contact details, checked 2026-09-19.
Check an address
Send the address, the purpose and the deadline. We reply within 24 hours with whether it can be flown, which permit applies and the notice needed.