Public Photography in Japan: Laws, Rules, and Etiquette

Photo by Alexandre Chambon on Unsplash

Inbound tourism to Japan is booming, and that means more and more shutterbugs from around the world are discovering this paradise for photography lovers.

Before you dust off your DSLR camera and favorite fixed-focus lens, be aware that the written and unwritten rules of public photography in Japan may be stricter than what you’re used to back home. Although I’m something of a photographer myself, I wouldn’t stake my entire livelihood on the craft. So, I reached out to Tia Haygood, a Tokyo-based professional photographer and Kokoro Media alum, to help set the record straight.

A Matter of Privacy

Tia Haygood of TOPTIA Photography is an established and certified Tokyo portrait photographer.

Let’s start with the good news. Photography in most public places is legal in Japan. However, conflict can occur when it comes to Japan’s privacy laws and cultural norms that value high levels of privacy.

“It isn’t a criminal offense to photograph people’s faces in public, but it can be a civil offense if the person who has been photographed finds their likeness published anywhere. They can make a case against the photographer on the grounds of breach of privacy,” says Tia. “The threat of being…