Japanese government ministers gathered on Friday to discuss regulations to prevent the harmful use of drones after the incident sparked concerns that they could be used for terrorist attacks.
“We will swiftly consider steps to strengthen the security of important facilities, rules for operation and legal regulations” concerning the use of unmanned aircraft, Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary, said.
Japan is likely to set restricted areas for drones around government buildings, nuclear plants, airports and other sensitive areas, as in the case of the US and the UK. Japanese aviation laws do not currently prohibit drones at or below 250m above ground except near airports.
Mr Suga previously declined to comment when asked if the drone was linked to a terrorist act. Japanese police are still investigating how and when the drone landed, but no injuries or damages were reported.
A police official said the drone, about 50cm wide, was equipped with what appeared to be a camera and a plastic container with unidentified liquid. The container is believed to be the source of a tiny amount of radioactive caesium, although the level is considered to be harmless to humans. No explosives were found.
There is currently no criminal penalty that can be imposed for this incident, according to Masahiro Kobayashi, a lawyer and expert on the safety of robots.
“The need for regulations had been pointed out before, but no one took any action until this incident occurred,” he said.
Source: Financial Times