Trademark renewal fees in Japan: costs, due dates and grace period
You renew a Japanese trademark with the JPO, in JPY, every 10 years from the registration date. The renewal window opens six months before expiry. Miss it and the fee doubles. Japan also lets you pay in two five-year installments, though doing so costs more overall.
What are the trademark renewal due dates in Japan?
Japan counts the 10-year term from the registration date. The renewal window opens six months before the expiry date and closes on it.
The first renewal falls due 10 years from the registration date, payable to JPO. Renewal can be requested from six months before the expiry date, and not earlier.
For example, if the registration date is 2016-01-20, the renewal window opens on 2025-07-20 and the deadline is 2026-01-20.
Each renewal extends protection for a further 10 years, on the same window. Protection is renewable indefinitely, with no limit on the number of renewals.
For example, once renewed in 2026, the next renewal will be due by 2036-01-20.
In Japan, trademarks are renewed through the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the government agency responsible for administering intellectual property rights. Renewal is required to keep a Japanese trademark registration active.
Japan is a member of the Madrid Protocol. If your trademark is an International Registration designating Japan, the renewal of that international registration is handled through WIPO Madrid System procedures. However, provisional refusals from the JPO are common for Madrid designations, and a local representative is required to respond to them.
Foreign applicants without a residential or business address in Japan must appoint a registered Japanese patent attorney (benrishi) for all procedures with the JPO, including renewals and payments.
Your renewal window opens six months before expiry, here 20 Jul 2025, and the deadline is 20 Jan 2026. Miss it and the mark can still be renewed until 20 Jul 2026 at double the renewal fee. Each renewal adds another 10 years, with no limit on how many times.
Official trademark renewal fees by year in Japan
Official fees payable to the JPO, per class, in JPY. One renewal covers one class; every further class is charged on top.
| Fee type | Official fee (JPY) |
|---|---|
| Renewal, per class (lump sum, 10 years) | 43,600 |
| Renewal, per class (each of two five-year installments) | 22,800 |
| Late renewal, per class | 87,200 |
| Typical 3-class renewal (lump sum) | 130,800 |
The renewal fee can be paid as a lump sum for the full ten years, or in two five-year installments. Two installments cost more in total than paying once. Missing the second installment ends the right retroactively at the five-year mark, with its own late window and surcharge. The late renewal surcharge equals the renewal fee itself, so a late renewal costs double.
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Missed a trademark renewal deadline in Japan?
Japan allows a late renewal after the term expires, and the surcharge is equal to the renewal fee itself, so a late renewal costs double. Where the holder had justifiable reasons for missing even that window, the Trademark Act provides a restoration route, although a restored right does not reach back over acts done while the mark was lapsed.
If the renewal deadline of 20 Jan 2026 is missed, the mark stays renewable until 20 Jul 2026. Settle the renewal fee and the late fee inside that window to keep it in force.
Trademark renewal fees in other jurisdictions
The same schedule, deadlines and grace rules, in the jurisdictions we are asked about most.
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Looking for a different jurisdiction?
Trademark renewal fees and deadlines in every jurisdiction we cover.
Other IP renewals in Japan
Trademarks aren't the only rights that lapse without renewal. Japan also protects patents and designs. Each on its own schedule and fee scale.
Patents
Renewal deadlines, grace periods and official fees for patents in Japan.
Designs
Renewal terms and official fees for registered industrial designs in Japan.
1. When is the first trademark renewal filing due in Japan?
The first renewal must be filed within 6 months before the expiry of the 10-year registration term. Unlike some jurisdictions, Japan does not allow renewal applications to be filed more than 6 months before the deadline. The JPO does not issue renewal certificates but sends a postcard confirming receipt of the renewal request.
2. Can I renew my trademark after missing the deadline?
Yes. If you miss the on-time renewal window, Japan allows renewal within a 6-month grace period after the expiry date, but the fee is double the standard renewal fee: JPY 87,200 per class instead of JPY 43,600. After the grace period, the trademark right expires retroactively, though a separate restoration procedure may apply in cases of justifiable delay.
3. How long does a Japanese trademark last?
A Japanese trademark registration lasts 10 years from the date of registration, and each renewal extends it for another 10 years. There is no limit to the number of times a trademark can be renewed, as long as renewal fees are paid on time.
4. Does the JPO require proof of use for renewal?
Proof of use is not required for renewal in Japan. However, a trademark that has not been used for three consecutive years following registration may be subject to a cancellation trial filed by any third party. No other maintenance declarations are required after registration.
5. Can renewal fees be paid in installments?
Yes. The JPO allows renewal fees to be paid either as a lump sum for the full 10-year term (JPY 43,600 per class) or in two installments of JPY 22,800 per class, covering 5 years each. Paying in installments results in a higher total cost than the lump-sum route.
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