More Local Japanese Govts Bypassing Permission to Use Drones During Emergencies Such as Bear Sightings, Wildfires

By Kazuki Koike / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:45 JST, March 8, 2026

Local governments are increasingly using drones during emergencies such as disasters without prior permission from the central government, which would normally be required.

The drones have been used to track bears last year mainly in the Tohoku region, which experienced serious damage by the animals, and to investigate the heat sources of wildfires that have raged across the country this winter.

At the end of October last year, a drone was flying over the center of Akita City searching for a bear that had entered a park, making use of its on-board camera and infrared temperature sensor. The drone had been dispatched by the Akita Drone Organization at the request of the city government.

Around the time, the city was experiencing a series of bear attacks, including one in which a woman in her 80s was found dead after being attacked near her home. Akita Prefecture saw what was approaching its worst number of human casualties from bear attacks and had requested the Defense Ministry to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to municipalities in the prefecture, with the situation becoming increasingly tense by the day.

The city flew a drone seven times over a two-week period, and in some cases actually spotted bears.

“We were able to conduct an efficient search in the large park while ensuring the safety of our employees,” said a city government official.

Exception for emergencies

To prevent accidents and ensure safe operation, the Civil Aeronautics Law requires prior permission and approval from the land minister to fly drones near densely populated residential areas such as parks or out of visual range. There is a special exception to this provision that allows municipalities to fly drones without prior permission if the situation is deemed urgent or of high public interest, and this was applied to the October operation in Akita City.

This exception was established in 2015, but only applied to limited cases. It attracted attention when it was applied to survey damage to port facilities after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024.

However, the criteria for applying the rule were unclear, and some municipalities claimed that they found it difficult to easily resort to it.

In order to resolve this issue, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry revised its guidelines for applying the exception in November 2024. The law specifically lists applications such as transporting medicine and food to disaster-stricken areas, patrolling houses whose residents have evacuated, inspecting dangerous areas and preventing risk to human life and property.

Used for wildfires, tsunami

Last July, when a tsunami warning was issued following an earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the town of Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, made use of the exception to fly a drone for the first time to urge beachgoers to evacuate.

The exception was also applied when a forest fire broke out in January on Mt. Ogi, which straddles the cities of Uenohara and Otsuki in Yamanashi Prefecture, drones were used to support firefighting efforts by investigating heat sources on steep slopes.

The land ministry website has posted examples of applications.

“More and more municipalities are applying the exception to utilize drones,” said a ministry official. “We hope they will actively use it for saving lives and other purposes.”

The Japan UAS Industry Development Association (JUIDA), which is working to promote the use of drones, welcomes the move as it allows drones to play an even greater role in times of disaster and other emergencies.

“The exception allowed by the central government is beginning to function effectively,” said JUIDA President Shinji Suzuki. “To use drones in emergencies, it is vital for municipalities to work with private organizations, which means they need to make preparations and coordinations in nonemergency times.”