Japan doesn't regulate photography through one law built around a single definition of "commercial photography" — it's a patchwork of separate rules that trigger on different things: occupying space, running photography as a business, or the nature of a religious site. This guide breaks down how those rules actually work, checked against official notices at Kyoto Gyoen, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Showa Kinen Park, and Rikugien, including what a real Tokyo garden permit process actually involves.

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