EXCLUSIVE: Drone World Cup to Be Held in Japan for 1st Time

June 14, 2018

Paris- The first world drone race in Japan will be held by 2020, informed sources have told Jiji Press.

An international competition joined by drone racers from Asian countries has taken place in the country, but this will be the first world meet, the sources said.

Gaining approval from the World Air Sports Federation, or FAI, Tokyo-based technology developer Aerial Lab Industries Inc. will organize the drone world cup, they said.

Although where to hold the event has yet to be decided, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, stands a chance, they added.

The first world competition supervised by the FAI was held in 2016 in France, joined by more than 200 drone racers from 17 countries. The number of world drone races is increasing every year, with more than 20 such events planned for 2018, including in South Korea and Brazil.

But drone races are still relatively unknown in Japan.

The organizer will try to attract many people by making use of virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies. It also plans to holding a musical festival on the sidelines of the race.

"I hope the competition will contribute to technological innovations for drones and lead to more practical applications of them in society," Aerial Lab President Shuhei Komatsu said. Jiji Press