Drone photography of office buildings in Tokyo: permits, roof launches and what asset managers should ask
Central Tokyo is a Densely Inhabited District (DID) under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act. Any drone flight there needs MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) approval, filed through the DIPS system, plus coordination with the building manager. We also notify the local police before each flight. This page explains what applies to your building and what to ask a vendor.
Feasibility table: where the building is decides what applies
The table below is the same one shown on the home page. It is the fastest way to estimate lead time before you send us an address.
| Where the building is | What applies | Notice we need |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo 23 wards, away from expressways, heavily used roads, railways and Haneda Airport, launch from roof or site | Blanket permit + police notification + building manager consent | 7 days |
| Beside an expressway, a heavily used road or a railway | Individual MLIT permit | 4 weeks |
| Near Haneda Airport (typically parts of Ota, Shinagawa, Minato and the Koto waterfront); we check each address against the airport's height-limit system | Individual MLIT permit + airport coordination | 4 weeks |
| Within about 1,000 m of the Imperial Palace, Diet, embassies, defence sites, nuclear facilities | Restricted under the Drone Act: the owner's consent and a police notification at least 48 hours ahead are required by law, in addition to the MLIT permit. We say at the feasibility check whether we can fly | On request |
| Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka | Same rules; travel at cost. Quoted individually. | 2 weeks |
Regulatory descriptions on this page checked against MLIT primary sources on 2026-09-06 and National Police Agency documents on 2026-09-20.
Why a blanket permit matters
A blanket permit covers repeat flights within agreed conditions (DID, below 30 m from structures, daytime, visual line of sight) instead of a fresh application for every building. It is why most Tokyo buildings can be scheduled with 7 days' notice rather than four weeks.
Our blanket permit was issued by the Tokyo Regional Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) on 14 September 2026, No. 東空運航第28298号. It is valid from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, nationwide, for flights over Densely Inhabited Districts and within 30 m of people and structures. It does not cover night flights, flights beyond visual line of sight or flights over event grounds.
Can our own team fly a drone in Tokyo?
Rarely. The aircraft must be registered in Japan with Remote ID; drones bought abroad often use radio frequencies the Japanese Radio Act does not allow; and central Tokyo is a Densely Inhabited District where the operator must hold an MLIT permit. We fly; you brief the shot list.
How much notice do you need?
7 days where our blanket permit applies; 4 weeks beside an expressway, heavily used road or railway, near Haneda Airport, above 150 m or over event grounds. We tell you which within 24 hours of receiving the address.
What Haneda Airport means for your building
Buildings near Haneda Airport, typically in parts of Ota, Shinagawa, Minato and the Koto waterfront, sit under the airport's height-limit surfaces; we check each address against the airport's height-limit system. Flights there require an individual MLIT permit and coordination with the airport, which typically takes about four weeks rather than the 7 days that apply to the rest of the 23 wards. If your building sits in this zone, send the address early — the permit timeline, not the shoot day, is usually what sets the schedule for a marketing launch or an investment-committee deadline.
Do you launch from the roof?
Yes, with the building manager's consent; we bring the consent form in English and Japanese and file the police notification. If the roof is not usable we propose a site launch or a neighbouring roof.
Questions to ask any drone vendor for a Tokyo asset
- Which permit covers this address, and how do you know — blanket or individual?
- Will you file the police notification and the building-manager consent, or does our team need to?
- What is your third-party liability insurance limit, and can you provide a certificate before the flight?
- Will our building's identity or footage be used in your marketing without our written consent?
- What happens to the schedule if MLIT requests changes to the flight plan?
Will our asset appear on your website?
No. Nothing is published without written consent, including anonymised descriptions. NDA on request before we receive the address.
Check your building
Send the address and we will tell you within 24 hours which row of the table applies and what notice we need.