Japan

Japan is becoming a top location for international shoots, with seasoned production staff, world-beating locations and an expanded incentive programme that gives film and TV projects increased flexibility.

The incentive, launched in 2023 following a pilot scheme, now has a two-year window, expanded from the previous one-year arrangement. This allows projects benefitting from the scheme — which offers a rebate of up to 50% on production costs — to take better advantage of the country’s four distinct seasons.

Features to benefit from the rebate in recent years include Benny Safdie’s sports biopic The Smashing Machine from A24, David Tomaszewski’s Yoroï from Cinéfrance Studios and Hikari’s Brendan Fraser-led Rental Family from Searchlight Pictures.

Incentive-driven TV productions include season two of Apple TV’s Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, the upcoming adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer from Skydance Television, Anonymous Content and Japan’s Wowow, and the second season of Drops Of God, also from Apple TV.

Shooting in Japan for both seasons of Drops Of God, based on a Japanese manga about sibling rivals aiming to inherit their late father’s vast wine collection, was “very positive”, says the show’s producer Klaus Zimmermann. “There is a high degree of professionalism and people are reliable. You know you’re getting what they promised you.”

Japan’s iconic locations are its biggest draw; from unique mountainscapes and urban areas, to hot springs and beaches, temples and shrines. 

Tokyo-based Japan Film Commission provides access to a network of more than 120 regional and municipal film commissions spanning the country, from Sapporo Film Commission in the mountainous north to Okinawa Film Office in the islands of the south. Tokyo Location Box provides advice on locations and permits on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Permits are notoriously complicated to acquire, and partnering with local production services, like Toho Tombo, Plus B, Zizo, BFF Kyoto, and more is essential to getting the right permits. 

Bilingual crews are growing in number as more international productions come to Japan. Studio space is limited compared to some regions, but these facilities are upgrading to accommodate rising demand. Toei offers soundstages in Tokyo and Kyoto; the former has cutting-edge virtual LED walls while the latter has a large outdoor backlot for samurai-period productions. Toho Studios in Tokyo has eight stages, the largest of which measures in at 1,415 square metres. Production house The Seven recently opened its M6 Studio soundstage in Yokohama, just outside Tokyo.

Japan spans latitudes from snowy northern Hokkaido to subtropical Okinawa, offering a range of climates and scenery. International and regional airports, as well as the Shinkansen bullet train and well‑maintained roads make for easy travel.

Commercial buildings and residences, as well as roads and other infrastructure in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, are smaller than western counterparts, so productions used to arriving on location with large trucks and significant amounts of equipment may need to factor in longer load-in times and tight spaces.

Contact : Ruriko Sekine, secretary general and film commissioner, Japan Film Commission sekine@japanfc.org