Japan registers the trademark that was filed first, and it opens the opposition period only after registration. This guide shows how the Japan Patent Office (JPO) examines an application, the two government fees, and the dates to plan for.
plus JPY 32,900 per class at registration; JPY 8,600 for each further class at filing
Typical time
7 to 11 months
with no objection
Opposition period
2 months
after registration
Lasts
10 years
from registration, renewable every 10 years
How filing works
Four Steps, From the Search to the Certificate
1
Check Earlier Trademarks First
Japan registers the earlier application, so a search comes first. The JPO's J-PlatPat database shows trademarks that are the same or similar for similar goods or services.
2
A Qualified Local Attorney Files
A qualified local attorney files your application with the JPO. It is written in Japanese and lists your goods or services class by class.
3
Examined by the JPO
An examiner checks that the trademark is distinctive and is not blocked by an earlier one. The JPO's current guide is 6 to 10 months from filing to the start of examination, depending on the class.
4
Registered, Then Open to Opposition
After a decision to register, the registration fee is due within 30 days and the trademark is registered. The two-month opposition period starts when the registration is published.
What is different here
Six Facts About Filing in Japan
The Earlier Application Is Registered
When two applications cover the same or a similar trademark for similar goods or services, the JPO registers only the earlier one. The filing date decides, and earlier use alone does not.
Opposition Comes After Registration
The JPO registers the trademark first and then publishes it in the trademark bulletin. Anyone has two months from that publication to file an opposition.
Two Government Fees, Two Dates
The application fee is paid at filing. The registration fee is due within 30 days of the decision to register, for the full 10 years or in two five-year parts.
A Representative in Japan
An owner with no address or business office in Japan can act before the JPO only through a representative there. A direct application runs in Japanese.
Similar Group Codes, Not Classes
The JPO gives goods and services a five-character similar group code, and items with the same code count as similar. Two similar trademarks can both be registered when their goods or services are not similar.
The Use Requirement Is Three Years
You register for goods or services you sell or plan to sell in Japan. If a registered trademark goes unused in Japan for three years in a row, anyone can ask the JPO to cancel it for those goods or services.
Timeline
What Happens, and When
The usual path, with no objection and no opposition.
Day 1
Application Filed
The filing date fixes your place in line under the first-to-file rule.
Months 6 to 10
Examination
A JPO examiner takes up the application and issues a decision to register or a notification of reasons for refusal.
Within 30 days of the decision
Registration
The registration fee is paid, the trademark is registered, and the trademark right begins.
2 months from publication
Opposition Period
Anyone can oppose the registration within two months of its publication in the trademark bulletin.
Every 10 years
Renewal
Renewal is filed in the six months before the term ends, for another 10 years.
What it costs
Government Fees at the JPO
Step
Government fee
Note
Application
JPY 3,400 plus JPY 8,600 per class
JPY 12,000 for one class (Japanese yen)
Each further class
JPY 8,600
Paid at filing
Registration
JPY 32,900 per class
For 10 years, or two payments of JPY 17,200 per class
Renewal
JPY 43,600 per class
For 10 years, or two payments of JPY 22,800 per class
Anyone can file an opposition within two months of the publication of your registration in the trademark bulletin. A panel of three or five JPO administrative judges then decides to maintain the registration or to cancel it. Before a cancellation, the owner is told the reasons and can reply in writing.
You can still renew within six months after the term ends, with a surcharge equal to the renewal fee. If that period also passes, the trademark right is treated as expired from the end of its term. The Trademark Act still allows a restoration when the delay was not intentional. That request is due within two months of being able to file and no later than six months after the late period, with a recovery fee.
It is the examiner's notice that something stands in the way of registration, sent before any decision to refuse. You can answer with a written argument or an amendment within the time limit in the notice, and a one-month extension costs JPY 2,100. In Japan a reason that affects only some goods or services refuses the whole application unless it is resolved, for example by amending the list.
Yes. The JPO offers accelerated examination with no government fee for a trademark that is already in use in Japan, or well prepared for use, and that fits one of its listed cases. In 2025 the first result came 1.9 months after the request on average. Applications that reach Japan through WIPO's Madrid System are not eligible for now.
