Sub Navigation
Promotion
Free patent databases
esp@cenet
Search 60 million patent documents online
Search 60 million patent documents online
Register Plus
Procedural information on all European patent applications
Procedural information on all European patent applications
ESPACE EP
Full-text of the most recent four weeks of EP-A and EP-B publications
Full-text of the most recent four weeks of EP-A and EP-B publications
Learning area
Find seminars and other educational events offered by the EPO or consult e-learning modules online
URL: Location: Home→Patents→Patent information→East Asian patent information→Virtual helpdesk→Japan→Numbering system
Numbering system - Japan
Document types and kind codes
KOKAI (A, U) - enlarge
- unexamined patent publication (A)
- unexamined utility model publication (U)
KOKOKU (B, Y) - enlarge
- examined patent publication (old law) (B)
- examined utility model publication (old law) (Y)
TOROKU (B, U) - enlarge
- granted patent publication (new law) (B)
- granted utility model publication (new law) (U)
KOHYO (A, T) - enlarge
- PCT application entering national phase in Japan (A, T)
SAIKOHYO (A) - enlarge
- Japanese PCT application entering national phase in Japan (A)
Number formats
yy-nnnnnn
- two digits for the year (y)
- up to six digits for the number (n)
- application number, unexamined publication number, examined publication number (old law)
- from 2000 onwards: four-digit Western year (yyyy-nnnnnn)
- seven digit number (n), no year
- grant numbers
Japanese imperial years vs. Western years
SHOWA (SHO, S)
reign of Emperor Hirohito
1926 to 1989
HEISEI (HEI, H)
reign of Emperor Akihito
1989 to date
SHOWA + 25 = Western year
HEISEI + 88 = Western year
NOTE: the last year SHOWA is the first year HEISEI (SHOWA 64 = HEISEI 01 = 1989)