TOKYO - The Japanese government on March 24th approved a bill to revise the drone regulation law, expanding no-fly zones to roughly a 1-kilometer radius around key facilities and strengthening penalties in response to growing security risks.
The proposed amendment, approved by the Cabinet, aims to tighten controls on small unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, by significantly widening restricted airspace around sensitive locations.
Japan’s current drone regulation law was enacted in 2015 following an incident in which a drone landed on the roof of the Prime Minister’s Office. Under the existing framework, critical sites such as the National Diet building, the Prime Minister’s Office, nuclear power plants, Self-Defense Forces bases, and U.S. military facilities in Japan are designated as “red zones,” where flights are strictly prohibited. In addition, surrounding airspace within a radius of approximately 300 meters—known as “yellow zones”—is also restricted.
Violations in red zones are subject to immediate enforcement, while in yellow zones, individuals who fail to comply with police orders to halt flights may face penalties of up to one year in detention or fines of up to 500,000 yen.
Nearly a decade after the law’s introduction, the capabilities of commercially available drones have advanced rapidly. Some foreign-made models can exceed speeds of 150 kilometers per hour, while payload capacity and transmission range have improved significantly.
Citing heightened concerns over potential terrorist threats enabled by these technological advances, the government has moved to revise the law.
Under the new bill, the yellow zones will be expanded to cover a radius of approximately 1 kilometer around key facilities, including the Prime Minister’s Office and nuclear plants. Authorities will also be granted the power to immediately crack down on unauthorized flights within these expanded zones. Violators will face penalties of up to six months in detention or fines of up to 500,000 yen.
The amendment further allows temporary flight restrictions over venues hosting events attended by the Emperor or the Prime Minister, as well as facilities used for international conferences involving foreign dignitaries, during periods designated by the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency or the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The bill is expected to be submitted to the current Diet session, and if enacted, will take effect 20 days after its promulgation.
Source: TBS
