{"id":271,"date":"2026-11-01T18:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T09:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-name-address-change\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:32:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:32:23","slug":"japan-trademark-name-address-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-name-address-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing the Owner's Name or Address on a Japanese Trademark: Pending vs Registered (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;Our company moved to a new address \u2014 do we need to update our Japanese trademark?&#8221; &#8220;We changed our company name. Is that a transfer?&#8221; &#8220;Our Japanese registration still shows the old address. Will that cause problems when we enforce it or renew it?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">These questions come up all the time with overseas brand owners. Company addresses change after relocations or local administrative reorganisations, and names change after rebranding or restructuring \u2014 but the Japanese trademark register does not update itself. In this article, Japanese Patent Attorney Toru Kano of BrandAgent explains how to change the owner&#8217;s name or address on a Japanese trademark, how the procedure differs for pending applications and registered marks, and why it is not the same as a transfer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">*Information as of November 2026. Check the latest official fees on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpo.go.jp\/system\/process\/tesuryo\/hyou.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JPO fee table<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox st-mybox-class\" style=\"margin: 18px 0; padding: 16px; border: 2px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 10px; background: #fafafa;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>What you will learn<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 10px 0 0 18px;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The difference between a change of name\/address and a transfer<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Which procedure applies to pending applications and to registrations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Official costs and the documents you need<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Why an outdated register causes trouble at renewal, enforcement and on Amazon<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">How foreign owners handle the change through a Japanese attorney<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Change of name or address vs transfer: two different procedures<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A <strong>change of name or address<\/strong> (in Japanese, <em>hyoji henko<\/em>) means the owner stays the same; only the way the owner is described changes. Typical examples are a company moving its head office, or &#8220;ABC Co., Ltd.&#8221; renaming itself &#8220;ABC Technology Co., Ltd.&#8221; without becoming a different legal entity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A <strong>transfer<\/strong> (assignment) means the right moves to a different person or company \u2014 for example from a Chinese parent company to its Japanese subsidiary, or to a buyer of the business. People often call both &#8220;changing the owner&#8221;, but in Japan they are completely different procedures with different documents and different costs.<\/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>Important<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A change-of-name\/address request cannot be used to put the trademark into another company&#8217;s name. The JPO states that a change to a different right holder requires a request for registration of transfer. Before anything else, confirm whether your situation is a rename of the same company or a move to a new company.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Pending application or registered trademark? The procedure differs<\/span><\/h2>\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%;\">Status<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Procedure<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Official cost<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Pending application<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Notification of change of address \/ name<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">None<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Registered trademark<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Request to record a change in the registered owner&#8217;s name\/address<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Registration tax JPY 1,000 per registration<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>International registration (Madrid) designating Japan<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Recorded by WIPO (form MM10)<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">See WIPO&#8217;s fee schedule<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Pending applications: a simple notification<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">While the application is pending, nothing is entered in the trademark register yet. Your attorney files a notification updating the applicant&#8217;s address or name with the JPO. There is no official fee, and it can be filed at any time during examination.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Registered trademarks: recording the change in the register<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Once registered, the owner&#8217;s name and address are recorded in the JPO&#8217;s trademark register. To change them, a request to record the change is filed, with a registration tax of JPY 1,000 per registration. If you own five registrations, the tax is due for each of the five.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">According to the JPO&#8217;s guidance, a change of both address and name can be covered in one request, and several registrations of the same owner can be combined in a single filing. Where an address changed only because the local authority renumbered or renamed addresses (Japan&#8217;s residential address system), the change can be exempt from the tax \u2014 this mainly concerns Japanese addresses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A point many owners miss: the applicant ID record<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The JPO gives each applicant an identification number, and the applicant&#8217;s name and address are stored with that number. The JPO warns that recording a change in the register does <strong>not<\/strong> update the information stored with the identification number.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you have both pending applications and registered marks \u2014 which is common for growing brands \u2014 you may need both the register change and a separate update of your applicant ID record. Otherwise the old address will keep appearing on your next filing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Why an outdated register causes problems<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Your trademark does not disappear because the address is out of date. But the mismatch tends to surface at the worst possible moment:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Renewal:<\/strong> registrations are renewed every 10 years. If the owner details in the register no longer match your current details, the change usually has to be dealt with together with the renewal \u2014 not ideal close to the deadline.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Transfer:<\/strong> if you later sell the brand or move it to a Japanese subsidiary, the assignor&#8217;s details must match the register. An outdated address adds a step before the transfer can be recorded.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Enforcement:<\/strong> warning letters, customs applications and court actions normally rely on an extract of the register. If the owner shown there does not match your company&#8217;s current details, you have to explain and prove that it is the same company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Marketplaces:<\/strong> brand programmes and IP complaint forms on platforms such as Amazon ask for trademark owner information. A mismatch between your details and the registration may lead to extra questions. Marketplace requirements change frequently, so always check the latest seller guidelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Documents you need<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>The request itself:<\/strong> prepared by your Japanese attorney, listing the registration numbers and the old and new details.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Power of attorney:<\/strong> when the request is filed by an attorney. The JPO states that the applicant&#8217;s seal is not required when an agent files. In our practice, a power of attorney with your company name and the representative&#8217;s name typed is enough \u2014 no handwritten signature is needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Evidence of the change:<\/strong> for example an updated business licence or a certificate from the company registry. Have it ready in case it is needed for your case.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Japanese translations:<\/strong> any foreign-language document attached to a JPO filing must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. We can prepare it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Change of name\/address vs transfer at a glance<\/span><\/h2>\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%;\"><\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Change of name\/address<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Transfer<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>When<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Same company, new name or address<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Right moves to another person\/company<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Pending application<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Notification (no official fee)<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Notification of succession (official fee JPY 4,200)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Registered trademark<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Registration tax JPY 1,000 per registration<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Registration tax JPY 30,000 per registration (JPY 3,000 for inheritance\/merger)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A transfer also requires more documents, such as a deed of assignment. If you are planning a restructuring, tell us early so we can choose the right procedure and the right order of steps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Tips for foreign owners, especially from China<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>You act through a Japanese attorney:<\/strong> an owner with no address or business office in Japan files these procedures through a Japanese patent attorney.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Japanese spelling of your address:<\/strong> foreign addresses are written in Japanese (mainly katakana) in JPO records. The new address should be written consistently with how your earlier filings were recorded, so we check the existing records before drafting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Send the official new name in the original language:<\/strong> the Chinese name on your business licence and your official English name help us record the change accurately.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Check all your Japanese rights at once:<\/strong> trademarks, designs and patents are recorded separately. If your company changed its name, list everything you own in Japan so nothing is left behind.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Working with BrandAgent<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">BrandAgent has handled more than 4,000 applications, and every case is handled personally by a licensed Japanese patent attorney. We communicate in English and Chinese, and you can pay by PayPal (in JPY) or bank transfer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The work for a change of name\/address or a transfer depends on the number of registrations and what has changed, so please send us your registration numbers and the new details for a free quote. If you are filing a new Japanese trademark under your new name, our fees are JPY 25,000 per class at filing and JPY 25,000 per class at registration (excluding consumption tax), and the prior search is free when you instruct us to file.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Will our trademark lapse if we do not update the address?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. No. But the outdated details can delay renewal, transfers and enforcement, so it is best to update them when the change happens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. We changed our company name. Is that a transfer?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. If it is the same legal entity, it is a change of name, not a transfer. If the right moves to a different company, it is a transfer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. We own ten Japanese registrations. Do we file ten times?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. They can be combined in one filing, but the registration tax of JPY 1,000 applies to each registration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Do we need to sign the power of attorney?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. In our practice, no. We prepare it with your company and representative&#8217;s name typed in; the JPO does not require a seal when an agent files.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Our mark is an international registration designating Japan. Can the JPO change it?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Changes to an international registration are recorded by WIPO (form MM10) and then apply to the designation of Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\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%;\">A change of name\/address keeps the same owner; a transfer changes the owner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Pending applications: notification with no official fee. Registrations: registration tax JPY 1,000 per registration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Recording the change does not update your JPO applicant ID record \u2014 check both.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Outdated details can delay renewal, transfers, enforcement and marketplace procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Foreign owners file through a Japanese patent attorney; foreign-language documents need a Japanese translation.<\/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_assignment\/\">Buying or Selling a Japanese Trademark: Assignment Procedure, Documents and Costs<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-applicant-change\/\">Changing the Applicant of a Pending Japanese Trademark Application: Process and Documents<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-power-of-attorney-documents\/\">Power of Attorney and Documents for Japanese Trademark, Patent and Design Filings (Foreign Applicants, 2026)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark_renewal\/\">Japanese Trademark Renewal: Deadlines, Official Fees and Procedure for Foreign Owners<\/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>Need to update your Japanese trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nSend us your registration numbers and your new name or address \u2014 we will reply with the right procedure and a 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 to update the owner&#8217;s name or address on a Japanese trademark (pending vs registered), official costs, documents, and how it differs from a transfer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271","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\/271","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=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":281,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions\/281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}