Drone flights banned near Riga Royal Hotel Osaka November 14-15

Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Yoshinobu Kusunoki published National Police Agency Notice No. 10 in the Official Gazette on November 2, designating the Rihga Royal Hotel as a facility where a target special VIP is located. Due to this designation, the flight of small unmanned aircraft, etc., will be prohibited for two days, from November 14 to November 15, over the hotel, its grounds, and certain surrounding areas. The notice takes effect on the date of publication and imposes direct restrictions on the use of airspace in central Osaka during this period.

The legal basis for the notice is the provisions of Article 3-2, Paragraphs 1 through 3 of the Act on Prohibition of Flight of Small Unmanned Aircraft, etc. over Areas Surrounding Important Facilities (Act No. 9 of 2016). This article grants the authority to designate the facility where a target special VIP is located, its grounds/zones, and the surrounding areas of the target facility; this notice defines these three scopes as a single integrated area. The prohibition applies not only to the facility itself but to a surface area that includes the business district on the opposite bank of the river.

Official Description of Designated Facility, Period, and Location

The details of the designation indicated in the notice are as follows:

• Target Facility: Rihga Royal Hotel
• Period: From November 14 to November 15, Reiwa 8
• Location: 5-3-68 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
• Grounds of the facility where the target special VIP is located: 5-3 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City (limited to the portion shown in the drawing attached to the notice)
• Legal Basis: Article 3-2, Paragraphs 1 through 3 of the Act on Prohibition of Flight of Small Unmanned Aircraft, etc. over Areas Surrounding Important Facilities

The prohibited area is not limited to the facility’s grounds but extends to the surrounding town blocks demarcated in the drawing separately listed in the notice. Since the drawing divides the area into target and non-target sections even within the same block, operators must verify the boundaries in the drawing rather than relying solely on town names.

Surrounding Area Spans Over 40 Town Blocks Across Four Wards

The areas listed in the notice as the surrounding area of the target facility span the following four wards.

• Fukushima Ward: Sagisu 1-chome to 3-chome, Tamagawa 1-chome to 4-chome, Noda 1-chome to 3-chome, Fukushima 1-chome to 5-chome, 6-chome and 7-chome, 8-chome, Yoshino 1-chome and 2-chome
• Nishi Ward: Utsubohonmachi 1-chome to 3-chome, Edobori 1-chome to 3-chome, Enokojima 1-chome and 2-chome, Kawaguchi 1-chome and 2-chome, Kyomachibori 1-chome to 3-chome, Tosabori 1-chome to 3-chome, Nishihonmachi 1-chome, 2-chome, and 3-chome
• Kita Ward: Umeda 2-chome and 3-chome, Oyodonami 3-chome, Sonezakishinchi 2-chome, Dojima 2-chome and 3-chome, Dojimahama 1-chome and 2-chome, Nakanoshima 2-chome, 3-chome to 6-chome
• Chuo Ward: Awajicho 4-chome, Imahashi 4-chome, Kawaramachi 4-chome, Kitahama 4-chome, Koraibashi 4-chome, Doshomachi 4-chome, Hiranomachi 4-chome, Bingomachi 4-chome, Fushimimachi 4-chome

The scope includes the financial and business districts of Nakanoshima, Dojima, and along the Tosabori River, as well as the commercial clusters in southern Umeda. Many town blocks are subject to the limitation “limited to the portions shown on the map,” and the areas are finely partitioned by roads and rivers.

Two Days Overlapping with the Imperial Visit Schedule

The Official Gazette, in the Imperial Family section dated October 22, published the itinerary for the Imperial Visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to Osaka Prefecture, designating the Riga Royal Hotel as the residence for the first day (November 14). On that day, they will arrive at Osaka International Airport from Tokyo International Airport via special aircraft. On the second day (November 15), the itinerary includes visits to the Kishiwada Municipal Namikiri Hall (Nankai Namikiri Hall, ceremony venue), Rinku Park (release venue), and the Osaka Prefectural Sunagawa Special Needs High School, before returning to Tokyo via special aircraft from Kansai International Airport.

The current flight prohibition period coincides exactly with the stay in Osaka for this Imperial Visit. In central Osaka City, the operation of small unmanned aircraft for security, news gathering by media organizations, and logistics/infrastructure inspection drones overlap; therefore, flights within the target area will be suspended for two days. Operating companies are required to take practical measures, such as establishing alternative routes, advancing filming and delivery schedules, and securing news-gathering methods from outside the restricted area.

Since the target area includes the government and business districts of Nakanoshima and the transportation hubs of Umeda and Dojima, the impact extends beyond security and news reporting. Operators engaged in drone logistics demonstration flights or construction and equipment inspections must re-examine their flight plans from November 14 to 15 and proceed with verifying the boundaries based on the maps attached to the notification.

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• National Police Agency Notice No. 10 (Designation of Special VIP Presence Facilities, etc. based on the provisions of Article 3-2, Paragraphs 1 to 3 of the Act on Prohibition of Flight of Small Unmanned Aircraft, etc. over Areas Surrounding Important Facilities), Official Gazette, November 2, 2026
• Imperial Household Matters “Schedule of Imperial Visits,” Official Gazette, October 22, 2026
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