{"id":375,"date":"2026-11-07T17:20:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T08:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/can-foreign-company-file-japanese-trademark-itself\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T17:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T08:24:11","slug":"can-foreign-company-file-japanese-trademark-itself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/can-foreign-company-file-japanese-trademark-itself\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Foreign Company File a Japanese Trademark Itself? Japan's Representative Rule Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;We registered our trademark ourselves in the US and the EU. Can we just file in Japan online too?&#8221; &#8220;We already have a Japanese subsidiary \u2014 does the application have to be in its name?&#8221; &#8220;I am a foreigner living in Tokyo. Do I need an attorney?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">We hear these questions every week from overseas brand owners, cross-border sellers and foreign entrepreneurs. Many offices around the world let applicants file on their own. Japan is different: whether you can file yourself depends not on your nationality, but on whether you have an address \u2014 or, for a company, a business office \u2014 in Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">In this article, Japanese Patent Attorney Toru Kano of BrandAgent explains who can file a Japanese trademark without a representative, what happens if an overseas applicant tries anyway, and how to decide whether the parent company or the Japanese subsidiary should own the mark.<\/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%;\">Japan&#8217;s rule for applicants without a domicile or business office in Japan<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Companies with a Japanese subsidiary or branch, and foreigners living in Japan<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What happens if an overseas applicant files directly<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The Madrid route \u2014 and where you still need a Japanese representative<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Filing in the parent&#8217;s name or the Japanese subsidiary&#8217;s name<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The short answer: it depends on where you are based, not your nationality<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japanese law calls a person who has no domicile or residence in Japan \u2014 or, for a corporation, no business office in Japan \u2014 an &#8220;overseas resident&#8221; (<em>zaigaisha<\/em>). The Patent Act (Article 8), which also applies to trademarks, says that an overseas resident must carry out procedures before the Japan Patent Office (JPO) through a representative who has a domicile or residence in Japan. In practice, this representative is a Japanese patent attorney (<em>Benrishi<\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The JPO&#8217;s guidance on filing procedures is explicit. An overseas resident may now file a <strong>patent<\/strong> application directly, but this relaxation does not extend to trademarks: for <strong>trademark<\/strong> applications (and also design and utility model applications), an overseas resident cannot file without a representative in Japan. All later procedures \u2014 responding to a refusal, amendments, paying registration fees and so on \u2014 must also go through the representative.<\/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%;\">Who is filing?<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Can file without a Japanese representative?<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Overseas company with no office in Japan<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Individual living abroad (any nationality, including Japanese)<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Japanese subsidiary (a Japanese company, e.g. a KK or GK)<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Yes, in its own name<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Foreign company with a business office in Japan<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Generally yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Foreign national living in Japan<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Note that nationality is irrelevant. A Japanese citizen living in Singapore is an overseas resident; a Chinese or American national living in Osaka is not.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What happens if an overseas company files directly?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">According to the JPO&#8217;s formality examination manual, an application filed by an overseas resident without a representative in Japan is treated as an unlawful procedure that cannot be corrected. The JPO notifies the applicant of the reasons, gives an opportunity to submit an explanation, and then dismisses the application. A dismissed application does not secure a filing date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">This is a real risk in a first-to-file country like Japan. If your own filing is dismissed and someone else files the same brand in the meantime, the other party&#8217;s application comes first. The time you &#8220;saved&#8221; by filing yourself can cost you the brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">You may also wonder whether a business trip to Japan helps. The manual&#8217;s exception for overseas residents staying in Japan applies only to a person who <strong>already has<\/strong> a patent administrator (representative) in Japan. Flying to Tokyo to file in person does not turn an overseas company into a domestic applicant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Companies with a Japanese subsidiary or branch<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A Japanese subsidiary \u2014 for example a <em>kabushiki kaisha<\/em> (KK) or <em>godo kaisha<\/em> (GK) \u2014 is a Japanese company. It can file a trademark in its own name without a representative, just like any domestic company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">But the subsidiary is a separate legal person. Having a subsidiary in Japan does <strong>not<\/strong> allow the overseas parent to file in its own name without a representative. If the parent is to be the owner, the parent is still an overseas resident and needs a Japanese representative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A foreign company that has its own business office in Japan (for example, a registered Japanese branch) is generally not an overseas resident, because the test for a corporation is whether it has a business office in Japan. In such cases we check the details \u2014 the address to be entered in the application must correspond to that office.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Foreigners living in Japan<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you live in Japan, you have a domicile or residence here and can file a Japanese trademark yourself, whatever your nationality. Online filing requires the JPO&#8217;s filing software and an electronic certificate. Paper filing is possible, but the JPO charges an electronic-conversion fee for paper filings that could have been made online: JPY 2,400 per procedure plus JPY 800 per page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Two points to watch:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>All documents are in Japanese.<\/strong> The application, the list of goods and services, and any notice of refusal and your response must be in Japanese, following JPO formats.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>If you move abroad, the rule changes.<\/strong> If you leave Japan while the application is pending, or later want to renew the registration from abroad, you will need a Japanese representative for those procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The Madrid route: no representative at filing \u2014 but not always<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you already have a trademark application or registration at home, you can designate Japan in an international application under the Madrid Protocol, filed through your home office. In that case you do not need a Japanese representative to designate Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">However, the JPO&#8217;s trademark examination manual says that when an international applicant wants to file procedures in Japan \u2014 such as a written opinion or an amendment in response to a provisional refusal \u2014 the applicant must appoint a representative resident in Japan. In other words, Madrid lets you start without a Japanese attorney, but if the JPO raises an objection, you will need one anyway, usually under time pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Also note that under the JPO guidelines, the division of applications (Trademark Act Article 10) does not apply to international trademark applications. A national Japanese application gives you more flexibility if only some goods are refused.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Deadlines are counted in Japan<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Once your representative is appointed, JPO notices go to the representative, and deadlines run from the JPO&#8217;s dispatch date \u2014 not from the date your team in another time zone reads the email. Some useful numbers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Response to a notice of reasons for refusal:<\/strong> the period is stated in the notice. According to the JPO&#8217;s formality manual, it is generally 3 months for overseas residents and 40 days for applicants in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Extensions:<\/strong> one request within the period extends it by 1 month (official fee JPY 2,100); a request after the period has expired can extend it by 2 months (JPY 4,200), unless you already filed your response within the period.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Registration fee:<\/strong> must be paid within 30 days after the decision of registration. The trademark right arises only when the registration fee is paid and the mark is registered.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Parent company or Japanese subsidiary: whose name should you file in?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">This decision matters more than the filing itself. Changing the owner later requires a transfer (assignment) recording at the JPO, with its own documents and fees.<\/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%;\">Owner<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Advantages<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Points to watch<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Overseas parent<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Brand stays with the brand owner; consistent global portfolio; unaffected if the Japanese entity is sold or closed<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Needs a Japanese representative for every procedure<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Japanese subsidiary<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Local management; can handle procedures itself<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Brand ownership split across countries; must be transferred if the subsidiary is restructured<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Japanese distributor<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Quick and cheap for the brand owner<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">High risk: the mark may become a bargaining chip if the relationship ends<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">For most overseas brand owners, we recommend that <strong>the parent company owns the Japanese trademark<\/strong> and licenses the Japanese subsidiary or distributor to use it. Use by a licensee counts as use of the mark: in a non-use cancellation trial, use by the owner, an exclusive licensee or a non-exclusive licensee in Japan is taken into account (the owner must be able to show the license exists \u2014 put it in writing).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Marketplaces may also care who the owner is. For example, Amazon.co.jp&#8217;s Brand Registry page states that the trademark owner must enroll the brand, and an authorised agent is added as a user. If your Japanese subsidiary runs the store but the parent owns the mark, plan the account set-up accordingly \u2014 and check the latest marketplace guidelines, as these rules change.<\/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>Do not let your distributor file 'just to save time'<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A Japanese distributor can legally file your brand in its own name, because it is a domestic applicant. If the relationship later breaks down, getting the mark back can require negotiation or a legal dispute. If a distributor must hold the mark for a period, agree in writing that it holds it for you and will assign it back on request.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What you need to prepare as an overseas applicant<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Applicant&#8217;s name and address<\/strong> in the original language (we prepare the Japanese version and can also record the original-language name and address)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>The mark<\/strong>: the word, or the logo image exactly as you will use it<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Goods and services<\/strong> you sell or plan to sell in Japan (we draft the Japanese descriptions and classes)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>A power of attorney<\/strong> (we provide the form)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Priority details<\/strong>, if you filed at home within the last 6 months and want to claim Paris Convention priority<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Cost guide<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Official JPO fees: filing JPY 3,400 + JPY 8,600 per class; registration (10 years) JPY 32,900 per class. BrandAgent&#8217;s fees: <strong>JPY 25,000 per class at filing and JPY 25,000 per class at registration<\/strong> (excluding Japanese consumption tax). The prior search is free when you instruct us to file, and consultations and quotes are free. For one class, the total is JPY 94,900 (official fees 44,900 + our fees 50,000). We communicate in English and Chinese and accept payment by PayPal (in JPY) or bank transfer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Can we file ourselves and appoint an attorney only if there is a problem?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Not for a national Japanese application. An overseas resident needs a representative from the filing itself; a direct filing is dismissed. The Madrid route lets you designate Japan without a representative, but you need one to respond to a provisional refusal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Our Japanese subsidiary is filing. Does it need an attorney?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Legally no \u2014 it is a Japanese company. In practice, many subsidiaries still use one, because the goods descriptions, classes and responses to refusals require experience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. I live in Japan on a work visa. Can I file in my own name?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Yes. If you have a residence in Japan, you can file yourself. If you move abroad later, you will need a representative for later procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Can the owner be changed from the subsidiary to the parent later?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Yes, by recording a transfer at the JPO, but it takes extra documents and fees. It is easier to decide the owner before filing. Ask us for a free quote if you need a transfer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Who will handle our case?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Every case is handled personally by the licensed patent attorney. BrandAgent has handled more than 4,000 trademark applications, many for overseas applicants.<\/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%;\">Without a domicile, residence or business office in Japan, you must file a Japanese trademark through a Japanese representative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A direct filing by an overseas applicant is dismissed and secures no filing date.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japanese subsidiaries and foreigners living in Japan can file themselves; the overseas parent cannot.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Madrid lets you designate Japan without a representative, but responding to a refusal requires one.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Decide the owner first; usually the parent owns the mark and licenses the Japanese entity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\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 a Japanese representative for your trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nTell us your brand name, logo and products \u2014 we will reply with the classes you need, advice on whose name to file in, 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<br \/>\nMore than 4,000 trademark applications handled<\/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>Can an overseas company file a Japanese trademark without a Japanese attorney? The domicile rule, subsidiaries, residents of Japan, Madrid, whose name to use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trademark"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.4 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can an overseas company file a Japanese trademark without a Japanese attorney? 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