Accurate measurement of forest structures is crucial to understand forest ecosystem functions and their dynamics. With the recent development of UAV and Lidar technology, now we can derive detailed three-dimensional data of forest canopy structures that were previously unattainable through conventional fieldwork. In this study, 11 permanent forest plots in Japan with varying functional types and latitudes were selected and scanned using a UAV equipped with Lidar, and we investigated the differences in forest structural attributes including the upper canopy distribution and vertical leaf distribution across different forest types. We hypothesized that the outer canopy of warm-temperate broadleaved forests would be more complex than cool-temperate conifer forests. We observed that more than half of the canopy cover across all forest plots was located at a height range of 15 m to 20 m, and that forests with frequent gaps tended to have a multi-layered canopy compared to those with fewer gaps perhaps reflecting their history of forest regeneration irrespective of forest types. Our analysis of forest leaf area distribution revealed that leaves in broadleaved forests are mainly concentrated in the outermost layer, whereas in conifer forests, leaves are distributed throughout the height of the trees.