用語集28 terms
you'll actually hear

Filming permission — the umbrella term for any location clearance, from a police station, ward office, railway operator or landowner.

Location scout. A paid, scheduled day in Japan — not a free courtesy visit.

Film commission. Coordinates and advises; does not itself issue the permit.

On-site attendance, most often railway staff supervising a shoot on their property. Usually billed hourly.

A signed pledge, commonly required by railway operators and private locations before filming.

The shooting schedule and cast-per-scene grid — your closest equivalent to a call sheet.

Production coordinator — holds the day-to-day schedule together, logistics rather than creative.

Setup or blocking — the prep phase before rehearsal, tracked separately under Eiteki's hours guideline.

Crank-in and crank-up — first and last day of principal photography.

A scheduled shooting holiday within the production week.

A complete rest day — no shooting, no scouting, no prep. Required every two weeks under Eiteki.

Japan's qualified invoice system for consumption tax, since October 2023.

A registered qualified invoice issuer — the only vendor type entitling the buyer to full tax credit.

A tax-exempt business — common among small freelancers, often not a registered invoice issuer.

Close invoices at month end, pay at the end of the following month — the standard cycle.

Japan's consumption tax — 10% standard rate, 8% for certain food and beverage items.

Production company — owns creative, casting, crew, delivery and liability.

Production service — executes someone else's creative: permits, logistics, coordination. Often used interchangeably with "fixer."

Director of photography. Camera and lighting often run as fully separate departments in Japan.

Art department — scope can cover ground a US production splits separately across art, wardrobe and set dressing.

Japan Film Production Adequacy Organization — certifies film productions against its working-hours guideline, revised April 2026.

METI's content-industry subsidy umbrella, including Japan's location incentive for overseas productions.

Visual Industry Promotion Organization — operates the JLOX+ location incentive.

Japan's business identity account, required before applying for the incentive through jGrants. Takes 1–2 weeks to issue.