Delivery drone company Matternet is expanding its Asia operations with its latest partnership with Japan Airlines to bring drone delivery to Tokyo, Japan. The partnership will see Matternet’s M2 drone system deployed as a part of Japan’s drone logistics project.

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Drone footage has captured the aftermath of recent heavy rains in Japan that have caused landslides and flooding throughout Ashikita, a city in the Kumamoto prefecture. The flooding has reportedly taken the lives of 58 so far.

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Japanese mobile service provider Rakuten Mobile has announced it will begin to use drones for inspections to replace the need for humans to manually check its base station. The drones will take various photos of each mask for later inspection by the team.

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Japan is reportedly planning to bring in a licensing system for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights in preparation for an increase in drones flying in the skies above delivering goods and assisting government agencies in day-to-day tasks.

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Drones demonstrated their usefulness during a recent Tokyo Metro Co. demonstration, showing reporters how it’s utilizing drones to improve tunnel safety. The inspection drones were flown at the Koto Ward facility in Tokyo and have been using drones since the 6th of February to inspect tunnels.

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New legislation in Japan could land you in jail for up to one year, if you’re convicted of flying a drone while drunk. The new law that was passed by the country’s parliament last week aims to curb the growing use (or misuse) of drones. Pilots convicted of drunk drone flying can also face a fine of up to ¥300,000 which is about $2,763 USD.

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