No-pictures buildings in Japan (shooting from street forbidden by law)
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 1 Aug, 2023
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The only case I’m aware of where it’s actually illegal to photograph something from a public place is when that something is a US military base or affiliated facility in Japan. Here’s the Mutual Cooperation and Security Treaty under Article VI Facilities and Areas and the Special Criminal Act Attendant upon the Enforcement of the Agreement Regarding the Status of United States Armed Forces in Japan (phew!):
日本国とアメリカ合衆国との間の相互協力及び安全保障条約第六条に基づく施設及び区域並びに日本国における合衆国軍隊の地位に関する協定の実施に伴う刑事特別法
第六条
合衆国軍隊の機密（合衆国軍隊についての別表に掲げる事項及びこれらの事項に係る文書、図画若しくは物件で、公になつていないものをいう。以下同じ。）を、合衆国軍隊の安全を害すべき用途に供する目的をもつて、又は不当な方法で、探知し、又は収集した者は、十年以下の懲役に処する。
Basically, violating the “confidentiality” (機密) of a US Army base by providing “documents, diagrams, etc” with a “purpose” of harming the Army is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
Now you might well reasonably object that that doesn’t say anything about photography, but this is apparently how the bases’ well-posted ban is justified. And if you’re tempted to argue the point with the military police who’ll come stop you if you try, bear in mind that Article 2 of the same law also makes it an unambiguous crime not to GTFO promptly when told to do so, with a maximum penalty one year in prison.
And, while I can’t prove a negative, that’s it, although I understand a similar restriction applies to Japanese army self-defence forces bases as well. There are plenty of owner-imposed restrictions on indoor photography in private places, and the aforementioned privacy restrictions that make publishing identifiable photographs of anybody tricky, but neither of these is a matter of criminal law. (Assuming, again, that you cease, desist & leave when told to do so and thus don’t become a trespasser.)
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘