Hague — Japan Designations
Japanese Support for Hague Design Registrations
Local representation, refusal responses and Japan-specific submissions for international design registrations designating Japan.
We assist overseas counsel with the Japanese part of Hague matters. Send the international registration number, relevant notice and publication details so that we can confirm the required action and costs.
- Refusal analysis with comments
- JPY 20,000Response preparation and translation are separate.
- Appointment filing
- JPY 10,000Where a Japanese representative must be appointed.
- Renewal route
- Through WIPONo separate Japanese annual annuity payments.
Working with your international portfolio
Japan Designation Support for Overseas Counsel
The JPO examines Hague designations under Japanese design law. An international registration does not remove the need to meet Japan’s substantive requirements or complete any required Japan-specific submissions.
We review the Japanese objections, relevant reproductions and prosecution history, then explain the proposed response and costs in English.
How We Can Assist
- Appointment of a Japanese representative for JPO procedures.
- Analysis of Notifications of Refusal and preparation of written opinions or amendments.
- Priority document submissions and review of DAS arrangements.
- Submissions concerning an exception to lack of novelty.
- Extension requests, appeals and protection reporting.
For a direct Japanese design application, please see our domestic design services. The filing, registration and annuity charges for domestic applications do not apply automatically to Hague designations.
Fees and scope
Responses to JPO Notifications of Refusal
Send the complete notification, all cited materials and the published reproductions. We confirm whether the proposed response requires argument, amendments, drawing work or additional evidence before starting.
| Service | Professional fee | JPO official fee |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting a Notification of Refusal without comments | No fee | None |
| Analysis and reporting of a Notification of Refusal with comments | 20,000 | None |
| Filing a notification of appointment of representative | 10,000 | None |
| Preparing and filing a response, including a written opinion and/or amendment | 20,000–100,000* | None |
| Requesting an extension before the response deadline | 10,000 | 2,100 |
| Filing an appeal against a decision of refusal | 60,000–200,000* | 55,000 |
The analysis fee and response fee are separate components. If both are instructed, we provide one combined estimate showing the total, together with any appointment, translation, drawing work and official fees. The response range alone is not the combined cost.
* Time-based work is charged at JPY 40,000 per hour, aggregated per matter and billed in 15-minute units of JPY 10,000. Scope and estimated costs are confirmed before work begins. For multiple designs, we identify the design numbers and work covered by the estimate.
Illustrative Combined Estimate
For one design, assuming appointment is needed, a JPY 20,000 analysis and a straightforward response estimated at JPY 20,000:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Appointment filing | 10,000 |
| Refusal analysis with comments | 20,000 |
| Response preparation and filing | 20,000 |
| Total professional fees | 50,000 |
This example excludes translation, additional drawing work, evidence preparation, applicable tax, disbursements and the JPY 4,000 charge per incoming remittance. A more complex response requires a different estimate. There is no automatic analysis-fee credit under the Hague items in our schedule.
Confirm the Actual Response Deadline
For holders outside Japan, the ordinary response period is three months from the JPO’s dispatch of the notification. We check the actual notice, residence details and procedural status. Please do not calculate the period from the date you forward the notice to us.
The table shows an extension request filed before the deadline. If a deadline has already passed, send us the notice immediately so that we can assess the available procedure and quote any additional work.
Japan-specific submissions
Priority Documents and DAS
A priority claim in the international application may require follow-up in Japan. We check whether a compliant priority document was supplied with the international application or can be retrieved through DAS.
| Service | Professional fee | JPO official fee |
|---|---|---|
| Submitting a certified copy of a priority document to the JPO | 10,000 | None |
Where a further submission is needed, the ordinary period is within three months from the date of international publication. Please send the priority details, any DAS access code, copies of submitted documents and the international publication date.
If you receive an “Important Notice for Hague Users” or a “Final Notice,” send it to us promptly. We review the stated requirements and deadline for that notice; do not assume that the original document arrangements were complete.
The JPY 10,000 item above is for certified-copy submission. We confirm separately the handling required for a DAS issue, correction or other exceptional procedure; a certified copy is not requested where the existing compliant document or DAS arrangement is sufficient.
Previously disclosed designs
Exception to Lack of Novelty
If the design was disclosed before filing, tell us the dates and circumstances of each relevant disclosure. We can assess the Japanese exception requirements and the evidence needed for the specified designs.
| Service | Professional fee | JPO official fee |
|---|---|---|
| Submitting the certificate for the exception to lack of novelty | 20,000 | None |
For Hague designations, where the necessary declaration or proving document has not been properly submitted with the international application, Japan-specific steps ordinarily must be completed within 30 days from international publication. We check the declaration, attachments and design numbers before advising on any further submission.
The deadline runs from international publication, rather than from a later JPO refusal. Please contact us before publication where possible. Eligibility for the exception depends on the disclosure and filing history; a submission alone does not guarantee acceptance.
Document preparation, reconstruction of disclosure evidence, translation and other work beyond the stated submission item are separately scoped and estimated.
After examination
Grant Reporting and WIPO Renewals
Reporting Protection
Reporting a decision to grant protection is provided without an additional professional fee under our Hague schedule.
Japan’s individual designation fee is paid to WIPO with the international application. The domestic Japanese design filing and first-year registration handling charges are not added merely because Japan grants protection.
Renewing the International Registration
Hague international registrations are renewed through WIPO. Separate Japanese annuity payments are not required for the Japan designation.
The USD 20 domestic design annuity service is not the renewal procedure for a Hague registration. Please provide the international registration number and intended renewal scope so that we can confirm the appropriate arrangements and any separately agreed assistance.
Japan local representation and management of the international registration at WIPO are separate. Our Japanese appointment does not automatically authorize a WIPO transaction or replace the existing international representative. Future monitoring, renewals and payment responsibility follow the agreed mandate.
English communication
Translation and Additional Work
We can arrange translation of the refusal and cited materials, provide English comments, and coordinate the response with your instructions. Translation is charged separately at the rates in our full fee schedule.
| Work | Professional rate |
|---|---|
| Japanese to English or Chinese translation | JPY 20 per Japanese character |
| AI-assisted English-to-Japanese translation, checked by a Japanese patent attorney | JPY 20 per English word |
| Human English-to-Japanese translation, checked by a Japanese patent attorney | JPY 30 per English word |
| Consultation, searches and expert opinions | JPY 40,000 per hour |
The two English-to-Japanese options are alternatives for the same translation scope. We confirm the relevant source text and character or word count before starting. Redrawing reproductions, creating missing views and substantive drawing revisions require a scope-specific quotation.
Getting started
Information to Send With Your Instructions
Registration and JPO Materials
- International registration number and holder details.
- The design number or numbers concerned and complete published reproductions.
- The international publication date and available international application documents.
- The complete JPO notice, including annexes, dispatch date and stated deadline.
- Cited designs, prior responses and any existing Japanese representative’s details.
Priority and Disclosure Information
- Priority country or office, application number and filing date.
- Priority documents, DAS details and records of earlier submissions.
- Any declaration or documents submitted for an exception to lack of novelty.
- Disclosure dates, circumstances and supporting materials where relevant.
- Your requested work, reference, billing details and reporting requirements.
From Instructions to Completion
-
Review
We identify the designs, JPO objections, document requirements and relevant dates.
-
Confirm
We confirm acceptance, authority, the proposed approach and combined estimate.
-
Submit
We file the agreed appointment, response or required documents and report in English.
-
Follow Up
We report developments and coordinate subsequent action within the agreed mandate.
Please send instructions at least five business days before a deadline and earlier if translation, evidence or drawings are needed. For initial inquiries, provide non-confidential information. An inquiry does not establish an engagement or transfer deadline responsibility. Wait for written acceptance before sending confidential materials.
Frequently asked questions
Hague Japan Designation Questions
Does a Hague registration automatically satisfy Japanese design requirements?
No. The JPO examines the Japan designation under Japanese design law. Required documents and any refusal must be addressed through the applicable procedure.
Do we need to appoint a Japanese representative?
An overseas holder needs a representative in Japan for the JPO procedures described on this page, such as refusal responses and required local submissions. Send us the intended action so that we can confirm the appointment and authority needed.
Does the response range include the analysis fee?
No. The JPY 20,000 analysis fee and the JPY 20,000–100,000 response range are separate. We provide a combined estimate showing all instructed components. There is no automatic credit of the Hague analysis fee against the response fee.
Can priority documents be handled through DAS?
Yes, where the priority office and filing meet the applicable DAS requirements and the retrieval information is sufficient. We check the access details and existing submissions before deciding whether further JPO action is needed.
When are novelty-exception documents due?
Where further Japan-specific submissions are required, the ordinary deadline is 30 days from international publication. Send any declaration, attachments and disclosure evidence promptly; we confirm the precise requirements for the designs concerned.
Is a separate Japanese annual fee payable after protection is granted?
No. Hague registrations are renewed through WIPO. The domestic Japanese design annuity service does not apply to renewal of the Hague Japan designation.
Is there a fee for reporting grant of protection?
No additional professional fee is charged for reporting a decision to grant protection under our Hague schedule.
Can you assist with a direct Japanese design application instead?
Yes. We handle direct Japanese design applications, including filing and prosecution. Their filing, registration and annuity fees are shown on our Designs page and in the full fee schedule.
Fee schedule revised 4 November 2026. These are associate rates for work instructed by overseas IP professionals. Professional fees exclude Japanese consumption tax; qualifying export services to non-resident clients are exempt. Any applicable tax, official fees, translation and disbursements are identified in the quotation.
JPY is our default invoice and settlement currency. Payment is by bank transfer, with 30-day terms for approved credit accounts; new relationships or material official-fee outlays may require advance payment. A JPY 4,000 bank/administration charge applies once per incoming remittance, including a consolidated payment. Official fees are charged at the rates applicable when paid.
Official guidance: JPO Hague FAQs · JPO priority and novelty-exception documents · WIPO Hague System overview. We confirm the requirements and actual notice for each matter.
Discuss Your Hague Matter in Japan
Send the international registration number, design numbers, relevant notice and publication date. We will confirm the required action and estimated costs.
Email: info@cita2ip.com · Japan Standard Time: UTC+9