Location Agreements

Location deals in Japan sit inside the Civil Code (minpo). When heritage is involved, the Cultural Properties Protection Act (bunkazai hogo-ho) applies as well.

Our contracts team drafts releases that suit each property type. That spans Tokyo office towers in Marunouchi and time-honoured machiya houses in Kyoto's Gion district. It also covers coastal estates in Okinawa and industrial bases around Yokohama. Each release sets out access dates, allowed work, restore duties, and clear liability limits. Every release is bilingual, so Japanese owners and global producers sign from the same grasp of scope.

Fee talks draw on our ties with property holders and neighbourhood associations (chonaikai). They also draw on the Kyoto and Tokyo Film Commissions. Together these ties give an average fifteen per cent saving against standard quoted rates. We also add cover certificates, damage deposit setups, cancellation clauses, and extension options that handle weather shifts and reshoots.

Heritage settings call for extra care. These include temple complexes in Kyoto, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, and UNESCO-listed sites across the country. For these, deals honour the rules set by religious authorities and cultural agencies. That keeps each shoot legally clean and culturally respectful.

Speed matters when a schedule shifts. Standard releases turn around inside forty-eight hours from our Japanese-compliant templates. A rush track is there when a backup site goes live at the last minute. Each signed agreement is stored, indexed, and tracked through the shoot, so the right document is on hand when a ward officer or owner asks. The Tokyo Location Box and regional commissions know our filing format well.

Liability terms protect both sides of the deal. Every release sets clear damage limits, names the insurer, and folds in the certificates the owner needs. We tie deposit and restore duties to the property's real condition, logged before the first setup. For drone, stunt, or pyro work, we add specific indemnity clauses. That clarity keeps a minor on-set mishap from turning into a dispute that stalls your shoot.