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US influencer pulls drone stunt twice in Tokyo, Japan

Drone footage of the Tokyo Skytree has recently caused a stir online in Japan when locals discovered the man operating the drone, an influencer from the United States (US), did not have permission to fly it in the area.

To make matters worse, internet sleuths also found that the same man had also pulled a similar stunt last year when he used his drone to film the Tokyo Tower.

According to FNN, local reporters reached out to the influencer, who did not confirm that he had the necessary authorisation.

Man flies drone without permission in Tokyo

On 19 May, Joel Elman, an aerial cinematographer based in Los Angeles, posted a short clip showcasing the Tokyo Skytree on his Instagram.

However, soon after he made the post, it went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Source: @joel on Instagram

Netizens flooded his comments to denounce him.

When the post was shared on X, it received a similar response with many calling for harsher punishments for touristsin Japan who break the law.

Source: @joel on Instagram

According to FNN, Japanese law prohibits flying drones over populated areas or altitudes of over 150m without permission. The Tokyo Skytree stands at 634m.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism confirmed to reporters that they did not give the man permission to fly the drone.

Not his first rodeo

In addition to filming at the Tokyo Skytree without permission, Mr Elman had seemingly also done something similar last year.

Commenters quickly found that the drone operator had posted a video featuring the Tokyo Tower on 22 May 2024.

While the 2024 post was similarly bombarded with recent comments that denounced Mr Elman’s actions, older comments also asked him if he received permission to film.

Comment 1: Where did you get permission?Comment 2: Illegal.Source: @joel on Instagram

FNN’s news team reached out to Mr Elman asking if he had received permission to fly his drone in Tokyo.

The response they received contained only a generic description of the footage without addressing the question posed.

“We used the unique perspective of a drone to explore the architectural beauty of Tokyo. The Skytree is a powerful symbol of the skyline and spirit of Tokyo,” read the email.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently working with police to investigate the incident.

Also read: Tourist who flew drone over Marina Bay fined S$12K

Tourist who flew drone over Marina Bay fined S$12K

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