News On Japan

ANA to start drone delivery service as Japan eases regulations

Apr 15 (Nikkei) - Japanese airline group ANA Holdings will launch a drone delivery service in the fiscal year through March 2023, using a vehicle developed by a German startup to carry daily necessities and medicines to Japan's remote islands and mountainous regions, Nikkei has learned.

ANA is preparing the service as the Japanese government takes steps toward relaxing drone regulations sometime in the same fiscal year.

It will be the first time for a domestic airline to start a drone transportation service.

ANA's German supplier is Hessen-based Wingcopter. The startup's drones can maintain a maximum speed of 240 kph over 120 km, more than 10 times farther than general-purpose drones.

ANA expects the service to transport daily necessities to remote islands as well as medicines and relief goods to disaster zones. It has been testing drone transportation on remote islands since 2018 and plans to deploy its airline expertise in flight route design and aircraft safety management.

In March, the government approved a bill to amend the Aviation Law, which includes expanded airspace and fewer regulations for drones. In fiscal 2022, the government is expected to allow drones to be flown out of the operator's sight in densely populated areas. ANA will prepare for commercialization based on this so-called "level 4" flying standard.

Even after drone flying is deregulated, only government-certified aircraft and qualified operators will be allowed to fly drones in populated areas. ANA sees this as an advantage for airlines.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Japanese government has decided to expand its tuition-free high school program this spring. Public high school tuition is now completely free regardless of household income, and starting next academic year, the scope of support for private schools will also be broadened.

Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa's Ryukyu heritage, suffered extensive damage in a devastating fire in October 2019 that destroyed the main hall and many other structures. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.

A deepening labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry is beginning to impact homebuyers, with some experiencing delays of more than six months before construction can even begin due to a lack of available carpenters.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

In response to a sharp rise in women soliciting prostitution on the streets of Osaka's Kita entertainment district, police and local authorities implemented countermeasures last year. But how effective have those measures been?

As Japan marks 80 years since the end of World War II, Angelita Oshiro, an 86-year-old second-generation Japanese woman living in Davao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, was finally granted the restoration of her long-awaited Japanese citizenship on April 2nd.

Cherry blossoms are now in full bloom. On April 2nd, crowds gathered along the Okawa River in Osaka to enjoy the hanami season. While spring typically lifts spirits, this year’s celebrations come with a pinch.While moods may be rising, so are prices.

A fire broke out on the morning of April 2nd at a farm in Kamishihoro, a town in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, killing approximately 20 cattle housed in a barn.

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Downtown, the popular comedy duo, has stepped down as official ambassadors for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, according to an announcement by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

A tour bus carrying over 20 foreign tourists collided with a van inside the Tokiwa Tunnel on the Dōō Expressway on March 31st, sending several people to the hospital.