Japan
Japan lets you freely photograph buildings, but selling images where a public artwork is the subject can infringe, and portrait rights apply to people.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Site or property owner for commercial shoots; many temples, shrines, gardens, and stations set their own rules
Cost: No permit for personal photography in public; commercial shoots and many managed sites need permission
There is no law against photographing people in public for personal use. Commercial shoots and many temples, shrines, gardens, and train platforms impose their own permission rules and signage.
Drone / airspace
Governed by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB); drones 100g and over need registration and remote ID, with no-fly zones over dense areas and airports
For the category detail, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes, but Japan recognizes portrait rights (shozoken) through case law; publishing a recognizable person, especially commercially, can create civil liability
Commercial use of someone's likeness without consent is a well-established basis for suit.
Freedom of panorama
Broad, with a commercial trap
Article 46 allows free use of architecture and artworks permanently installed outdoors, but excludes reproduction for the purpose of selling copies of an artwork. Buildings are freely photographed and sold; selling images where a public sculpture is the subject can infringe.
Practical notes
- You can sell images of buildings, but selling prints of a copyrighted public sculpture as the main subject can violate Article 46's anti-resale carve-out.
- Many shrines, temples, gardens, shops, and stations post photography or tripod bans; these are property rules and are enforced.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: