Location Shooting Handbook for JFC/FC Members, Local Government Licensing Authorities, and Producers

This is a comprehensive guidebook created by the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters of the Prime Minister's Office regarding location shooting for films, dramas, and other productions, aimed at smooth shooting realization among stakeholders.

Public Significance and Economic Effects of Location Shooting

The government supports location attraction and location shooting, recognizing that location shooting implementation through location attraction has effects beyond the benefits for private stakeholders. Location shooting is expected to have economic effects and regional revitalization through job creation, as well as effects leading to Japanese film industry promotion through human resource development and technical improvement, and inbound tourism promotion through global dissemination of Japan's natural and cultural attractions.

To realize these effective initiatives, the general flow of location shooting has been organized as shown in the diagram below. Smooth implementation of location shooting requires licensing authorities to approach with a basic attitude of considering together with shooting implementation entities, taking into account the social significance of location shooting, with active responses including situation-appropriate advice and appropriate stakeholder introductions being desired.

Establishing Cooperation Systems Among Related Organizations

For foreign film productions, overseas producers serve as ordering parties while Japanese producers often handle substantial production work roles for shooting in Japan, requiring more complex coordination. To provide support tailored to location shooting-related licensing and consensus-building efforts to gain understanding from surrounding residents, Film Commissions (FC) have been established in each region to support producers.

Contact information for FCs in each region is listed in the handbook reference materials, with the handbook appendix serving as a case study collection for location shooting. To enhance predictability regarding licensing, past shooting examples are included for high-demand shooting locations (Shibuya Scramble Crossing, around Shinjuku Station, airports, etc.) and special shooting (car action, explosions, etc.).

Streamlining Licensing Procedures

While locations included in this case study collection are covered, it should be noted that actual licensing cannot be guaranteed. Producers may need flexible responses including consulting with FCs as necessary and considering shooting content changes, taking into account local conditions of intended shooting areas and regional residents' reactions to films to be shot.

What permits are needed for location shooting? Various licensing may be required depending on location shooting content (car action, explosion scenes, etc.) and location (roads, parks, harbors, parks, etc.). Pages 18-23 of this handbook list main licensing windows and application offices for location shooting.

Specific Examples of Road-Related Permits

For road-related matters, it is necessary to understand the difference between road use permits and road occupation permits. Generally, road use permits are required when using roads for location shooting. Additionally, road occupation permits are required when installing certain objects or facilities on roads such as benches or signs for continuous road use. Furthermore, road use permit applications must be made to police stations with jurisdiction over location shooting areas, while road occupation permit applications must be made to offices managing the roads.

For national highways, regional development bureaus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism serve as windows, while for locally managed national highways, prefectural roads, and municipal roads, respective road managers serve as windows. To proceed with these procedures smoothly, it is important for producers to conduct sufficient prior coordination with FCs and related organizations.

Considerations for Shooting Implementation

Appropriate support for producers requires dissemination and penetration of requirements at licensing sites and requests for smooth responses, sharing licensing information with JFC/FC, providing appropriate advice and information to producers (applicants), and streamlining through efficient procedures. Additionally, regarding response windows for location shooting, compliance-based location shooting implementation, matters requiring attention when shooting overseas works in Japan, building cooperative systems with JFC/FC and local government licensing authorities, and consideration for regional residents' understanding are necessary.

The article concludes that by organizing reference information for location shooting and strengthening cooperation among stakeholders, foundations have been established to simultaneously realize Japanese film industry promotion and regional economic revitalization.