On March 24, Japan Post tested the use of drones in a residential area in Okutama, west of Tokyo, 2km from the post office. The special delivery took about 5 minutes, much faster than delivery by truck (15 minutes).
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| Japan Post tested drone delivery in Okutama, west of Tokyo on March 24. (Source: Nikkei) |
Several companies have been testing drone deliveries on remote islands and mountainous areas. The March 24 test by Japan Post was considered a milestone because it was a Level 4 flight, the most difficult level because the drone operates beyond the line of sight in residential and urban areas.
Starting in 2020, Japan Post began lower-level tests in Okutama, flying over uninhabited mountains and rivers, resulting in longer routes. Moving up to Level 4, the company reduced delivery times by flying directly over houses and roads.
Shinya Koike, senior director at Japan Post, said it is necessary to continue to understand local governments and residents before expanding the service.
With online shopping becoming more popular than ever, parcels are getting smaller and more frequent. If drones were used for home delivery, it would be much easier to get essentials like food and medicine to vast mountainous areas.
Since the government relaxed regulations for Level 4 flights in December 2022, only Japan Post has submitted an application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism .
Still, as of March 15, about 90 people had submitted the pilot licenses needed for Level 4 approval, suggesting other companies may be on the move.
Seven-Eleven Japan and ANA Holdings began testing last fall with the goal of commercializing drone delivery services to remote islands like Kyushu by 2025. Convenience store chains FamilyMart and Lawson are also considering the same.
The test revealed many issues that needed to be addressed, including weather. A recent Japan Post flight scheduled for March 23 was postponed to the following day due to rain.
Express delivery company Sagawa Express also wanted to test delivering small packages but ended up using trucks due to the severe weather.
Another series of tests by telecom operator KDDI found that drone inspectors were required during takeoff and landing, meaning more maintenance staff would be needed in addition to pilots. That would add to the pressure on the logistics and delivery industry, which is already suffering from labor shortages.
To popularize drone delivery, the Japanese government said it needs to develop a drone traffic management (UTM) system to control and manage flight plans, maps and location information while preventing collisions between drones.
As of September 2022, about 310,000 drones have been registered with the government.
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