Japan trademark search
How to search and register a trademark in Japan, from official sources. Signa does not sync the JPO register yet. It holds WIPO Madrid designations that cover Japan.
Search the JPO register
J-PlatPat Trademark Search is Japan Patent Office's own search tool.
- Search by
- word mark, pronunciation (similarity or simple text), figure classification, Nice class, similar group code, applicant or right holder, representative in Japan, opponent, application or registration number
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Free
- Yes
- Account required
- No
- Limits
- Publication searches cover only electronic gazettes from 2000 onward, and a search by class also returns marks in other classes linked by similar group codes.
How to search
- Open J-PlatPat Trademark Search and switch the interface to English with the link at the top if needed.
- Choose Information on application/registration or Publication as the search target type.
- Under Trademark (mark), enter the mark in Trademark (for search) or a reading in Pronunciation (similarity or simple text search); separate keywords with a space for an OR search.
- Optionally add a class or similar group code under Goods/services and an applicant or right holder under Other search keywords, then click Search.
- The result list shows application and registration numbers, the mark, class, holder, filing and registration dates and status; click Details for the full record. Use Trademark Number Search in the Trademark menu to look up a known number.
Register a trademark in Japan
What JPO requires, as the official sources below state it.
- How to file
- National application at the JPO; Madrid designation
- Filing languages
- Japanese
- Local representative required for applicants abroad
- Yes
- Several classes in one application
- Yes
- Classification
- Nice Classification
- Application fee
- JPY 3,400 plus JPY 8,600 per class; on registration a further registration fee of JPY 32,900 per class, or JPY 17,200 per class for each of two five-year installments
- Renewal fee
- JPY 43,600 per class, or JPY 22,800 per class for each of two five-year installments
- Fees as of
- 2026-04-06 (JPY)
- Opposition
- 2 months from publication of the trademark gazette issued after registration (post-registration)
- Term
- 10 years from the registration date, renewable for 10 years at a time
- Non-use
- Open to cancellation after 3 years without use
Good to know
- An applicant with no permanent address or residence (or, for a legal entity, office) in Japan must appoint a representative resident in Japan, such as a patent attorney, as Patent Administrator (Patent Act, Article 8). Overseas residents cannot submit documents or pay fees to the JPO directly.
- All documents must be filed in Japanese; the applicant's name and address are transliterated into katakana.
- Any person may request cancellation of a registered mark for goods or services on which it has not been used in Japan for three consecutive years or longer (Trademark Act, Article 50).
Madrid Protocol and regional systems
Japan is a member of the Madrid Protocol since 2000-03-14, so an international registration filed through WIPO can designate it.
What Signa holds for Japan
JPO records are not covered by Signa yet. International registrations designating Japan are searchable through WIPO Madrid data.
Get this data via the API
Query the WIPO records that cover Japan in the same format as every other office.
GET/v1/trademarks?jurisdictions=JPSearch the trademarks Signa holds that cover Japan
curl "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?jurisdictions=JP" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SIGNA_API_KEY"Hear when Signa adds the JPO register
Leave your email and we will write once, when JPO records are searchable on Signa.
Where these facts come from
Checked 2026-11-12.