Filming in Japan
Filming Made Easy
with Your Fixer in Japan
When filming in Japan you must take on board several different considerations. These range from knowing where and how to rent crew and kit to understanding local customs. Your specialist fixer in Japan can guide you through any potential minefields that might otherwise delay or hinder filming. From helping you to organize visas and film permits, to guiding you through the social etiquette and customs you’ll need to uphold while filming in Japan, with Japan Fixer in your corner you’ll be able to overcome any challenges and complexities that appear.
Cultural facts
Japanese society is openly polite with many social customs and ways of showing respect. A friendly hug might be considered charming in many Western countries, but in Japan, it’s wholly inappropriate to touch people randomly. Bowing is how you greet people in Japan but be aware that it’s considered bad manners to hold eye contact with someone when you are doing so. When you are greeting people, hierarchy counts, so always greet the highest-status person first or the elder person in the group.
Weather when filming in Japan
Japan indeed experiences the four seasons. But, when filming in Japan, the weather can be very varied depending on the region. For example, in east Japan, where Tokyo is situated, summers tend to be hot and humid, while winters are cold, often with a lot of snowfall. Western Japan also has long hot summers, with high temperatures, those winters are more moderate. Winter in the mountainous regions of Northern Japan experiences vast snowfall, while you can expect a subtropical oceanic climate on the islands. Okinawa and Amami.
Tax rebate in Japan
Japan has recently (2023) launched a location production incentive scheme that offers a rebate of up to 50% of qualifying expenditure of qualifying expenditure in the country on large-scale international film and TV projects filmed in Japan. There is an upper limit of JPY1 billion ($6.4 million) on the disbursement. Smaller projects may also be able to access tax rebates. Our expert fixers in Japan can guide you in navigating all the red tape and paperwork necessary to meet the specific requirements.
Filming in Japan
Filming in Japan is a thrilling, inspiring experience. The country is home to a unique history as well as an exhilarating modern urban culture, and the weather is changeable enough for you to experience sub-tropical temperatures and sensational snowfall on the same trip, depending on where you’re filming.
But there may be a lot of bureaucracy such as managing visas and finding film permits, as well as other challenges you may not be expecting that could set back you and your media production.
That’s why having a dedicated fixer in Japan, who can guide you through these potential minefields, needs to be a serious consideration. Not only will they make filming in Japan so much easier, but they’ll manage the issues behind the scenes so that you can go ahead and make those scenes shine!
