According to the Nikkei Newspaper on 16th December 2019, the Japanese government will oblige you to register retailed drones (small unmanned vehicle) as early as fiscal 2021.
Japanese government aim to commercialize its drone delivery service in fiscal 2022. Prevent dangerous flights, terrorism and espionage that could lead to accidents.
The ministry and the National Police Agency will soon hold a meeting of relevant ministries and agencies to decide on the policy. The ministry aims to submit a bill to revise the Civil Aeronautics Law to the ordinary diet session to be convened in January 20th. In addition to the mandatory registration, the ministry will work out by fiscal 2021 rules necessary for the commercialization of delivery services.
The drone registration system covers between 100,000 and 1 million drones in Japan. Owners, users, aircraft serial numbers and telephone numbers are registered with the government through an online system. Once registered, you can get an ID that looks like a license plate. Use the ID pasted on the fuselage.
In fiscal 2022 and later, the ministry will ask companies to register as soon as they purchase the products. If an individual buys a product at a retail store, he or she will be able to register on the Internet. It will seek cooperation from retailers selling drones.
Fines will be imposed if the aircraft is flown without registration. Currently, there are cases in which drone operators are fined up to 500,000 yen for violating the Civil Aeronautics Law. Ultra-small drones weighing less than a certain weight will be excluded from the registration system.
It has been pointed out that drones fly in dangerous areas without their owners being identified. In 2015, an airframe carrying a small amount of radioactive material was found on the roof of the prime minister’s official residence.
The number of arrests for violations of the Civil Aeronautics Act in drone flights more than doubled to 82 in 2018 from 2016. There are concerns that images taken without permission by drones could be leaked overseas.
If you have a registration number, you can immediately identify the owner and the user. In addition to the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Australia and China have introduced the system. Japanese industry has called for the introduction of the system as a rule for improving the environment.
From 2020, a system will be established to certify aircraft safety standards and user skills. The government also plans to establish a traffic control system on the assumption that drones will be commercialized. In the future, multiple drones will fly over a certain airspace. The registration number on the plane is used by the traffic control system to identify it.
At present, it is not allowed to fly without permission in DID (Densely inhabited District) areas. Applications must be submitted each time for approval, including flight objectives, date, time, route, manufacturer, and weight. The government plans to consider easing such regulations if it believes it is possible to manage air traffic safely under the registration system.
In fiscal 2021, the government and the private sector will start demonstration tests for commercial use of drones. The government hopes to commercialize drones as early as fiscal 2010. Specifically, the envisaged measures would include: (1) delivery of medicines and daily necessities; (2) patrols of children and the elderly on their way to school; and (3) construction and inspection of buildings.