{"id":185,"date":"2026-11-01T15:28:38","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T06:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-similarity-test\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:33:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:33:14","slug":"japan-trademark-similarity-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-similarity-test\/","title":{"rendered":"How Japan Judges Trademark Similarity: Appearance, Sound and Meaning Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;Our brand name is different from the Japanese registration by one letter. Is that enough?&#8221; &#8220;Does a Chinese-character mark conflict with a katakana mark?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Whether two marks are <strong>similar<\/strong> decides both whether your application is refused in Japan and whether your use infringes someone else&#8217;s right. In this article, Japanese Patent Attorney Toru Kano of BrandAgent explains how similarity is judged in Japan and what it means for overseas brands.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#f1f8e9;border-color:#a5d6a7;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#4caf50;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Key points of this article<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japan compares marks by <strong>appearance<\/strong>, <strong>sound (pronunciation)<\/strong> and <strong>concept (meaning)<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The final question is overall: is there a risk that consumers will confuse the source?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The goods and services must also be identical or similar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">In Japan, <strong>pronunciation<\/strong> very often decides the case \u2014 including how a foreign word is read in katakana.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The three tests<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">1. Appearance<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Do the marks look alike? For word marks, the letters, their order and overall shape are compared; for logos, the shapes and composition. Example: &#8220;ABC&#8221; and &#8220;ABG&#8221; may be similar in appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">2. Sound (pronunciation)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">How are the marks read aloud in Japan? This is the test that most often decides similarity. English or Chinese-pinyin brand names are compared by how a Japanese consumer would naturally pronounce them in katakana. Example: &#8220;FUJIYAMA&#8221; and &#8220;FUJIYAMAH&#8221; sound almost identical.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">3. Concept (meaning)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Do the marks call up the same meaning or idea? Example: &#8220;\u592a\u967d&#8221; (sun, in kanji) and &#8220;SUN&#8221; share the same concept and may be similar even though they look and sound different. For Chinese-character marks this test is important, because many Chinese words share meaning with Japanese kanji.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">An overall judgment<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Similarity in one of the three aspects does not automatically make the marks &#8220;similar&#8221;, and difference in one aspect does not make them safe. The examiner \u2014 or a court \u2014 considers the three aspects together with the trade circumstances, the goods and services and the typical customers, and asks whether consumers are likely to be confused about who provides the goods.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Aspect<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Likely similar<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Likely not similar<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Appearance<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Very close letters or design<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Completely different design<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Sound<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Almost the same reading in Japanese<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Clearly different reading<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Concept<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Same meaning or image<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Unrelated meaning<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Similar goods and services matter too<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A refusal or infringement also requires that the goods or services be identical or similar. In examination, the JPO uses &#8220;similar group codes&#8221; to decide which goods are similar \u2014 goods in different Nice classes can still be similar, and goods in the same class can be dissimilar. Very famous marks, however, can be protected even against use on unrelated goods.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#ffebee;border-color:#ef9a9a;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#ef5350;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Points for overseas brands<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Changing one letter rarely helps if the Japanese pronunciation stays the same.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A mark in Chinese characters can conflict with a Japanese kanji or katakana mark through meaning or reading.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">For logo marks combining text and a figure, the text part is often compared on its own.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Search in Japan before you launch \u2014 a mark that is clear in China may not be clear in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Can we judge similarity ourselves?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. A first check is possible, but the overall judgment (especially Japanese pronunciation and similar group codes) needs experience. We do a free prior search when you instruct us to file.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. A similar mark already exists in Japan. Should we give up?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Not necessarily. Options include changing the mark, narrowing the goods, a non-use cancellation of the earlier mark, or \u2014 since 2024 \u2014 a consent from its owner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Are logos and word marks compared differently?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Yes. For figurative marks, appearance carries more weight; for marks containing words, the readable part is usually compared by sound and meaning too.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Summary<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#f1f8e9;border-color:#a5d6a7;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#4caf50;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Key points<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japan judges similarity by appearance, sound and concept, as an overall assessment of confusion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The goods and services must also be similar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japanese pronunciation often decides the outcome for foreign brand names.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Search in Japan before you file or launch.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"related-articles\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Related articles<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-similarity-refusal\/\">Refused for a Similar Trademark in Japan? Article 4(1)(xi) Explained by a Japanese Patent Attorney<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark_search\/\">Trademark Search in Japan: How to Check Prior Marks Before Filing (and What People Miss)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-consent-system\/\">Japan&#8217;s Trademark Consent System (Since April 2024): Requirements, Documents and Limits for Foreign Applicants<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark_infringement\/\">Accused of Trademark Infringement in Japan? How to Respond to a Warning Letter or an Amazon\/Rakuten Complaint<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f0f7ff; border: 2px solid #0066cc; padding: 20px; margin: 24px 0; border-radius: 6px;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Planning to protect your brand in Japan?<\/strong><br \/>\nTell us your mark and your products \u2014 we will reply with the classes you need and a fixed quote, free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">BrandAgent Patent Office (Kyoto, Japan)<br \/>\nToru Kano, Japanese Patent Attorney<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0066cc; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en\/trademark_lp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Get a free quote for your Japanese trademark<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does the Japan Patent Office decide whether two trademarks are similar? A Japanese patent attorney explains the three tests \u2014 appearance, pronunciation (sound) and concept \u2014 plus similar goods, with examples relevant to Chinese and English brand names.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trademark"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions\/211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}