Sub Navigation
Promotion
Learning area
Find seminars and other educational events offered by the EPO or consult e-learning modules online
URL: Location: Home→Patents→Patent information→Asian patent information→Virtual helpdesk→Japan (JP)→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)