yes. Within 3 years from the date of application, or within 3 months from the date of receipt of the rejection decision, the patent type can be changed from design to invention/utility model at the request of the applicant.
A conversion fee shall be paid for patent type conversion. Once the original patent application is converted, it will be deemed withdrawn.
- yes. - Within the period of 9 years and 6 months from the date of application for the invention patent, or within 3 months from the date of receipt of the notification of rejection, the patent type of the invention patent may be changed from invention to utility model/design upon request
- A request to change the patent type from invention to utility model/design can be filed within three months from the date of the JPO’s first decision to reject the application
 - A conversion fee shall be paid for patent type conversion. Once the original patent application is converted, it will be deemed withdrawn. 
- Inventions under the via Paris Convention : 12 months from the earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT inventions: 30 months from the earliest priority date.
 
- 20 years, and the validity period of patents for pharmaceutical inventions and pesticide inventions can be extended to 25 years upon application. 
- Grant fee: The applicant needs to pay the granted fee within 30 days after receiving the granted notice, which is the annual fee for the first to third years.
- Annuity: From the 4th year from the date of granted, the annual fee will be paid year by year, and the payment can be postponed within 6 months after the overdue period, but at the same time, 200% of the annual fee of the current year must be paid as a penalty. The amount of the annual fee depends on the number of Claim, and the annual fee can be paid for several years in one lump sum.
 
- Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" accepted. 
- yes 
- The JPO conducts formality examination and substantive examination of the design patent application, and the substantive examination starts automatically, and the applicant does not need to submit a separate substantive examination request. JPO mainly examines the novelty and inventiveness of designs. - (*Secret design: applicants can request that their design remain secret for 3 years from the filing date).
 
- Grant fee: The applicant should pay the granted fee and the annual fee for the first year within 30 days after receiving the granted notice.
- Annuity: The annual fee shall be paid year by year from the second year from the date of granted, and the payment of the annual fee may be postponed within 6 months if the annual fee is overdue, but a 200% penalty shall be paid at the same time.
 
- 5-7 months 
- Filing Language: Japanese - via Paris Convention - via Nationalization of PCT - Necessary documents: - Abstract
- Abstract Drawing
- Claim
- Specification
- Drawing
 - Necessary documents: - Abstract
- Abstract Drawing
- Claim
- Specification
- Drawing
 - Attachments (if any) - Sequence Listing (PDF format and TXT format)
- Microorganism preservation certificate and its Japanese translation
- Microorganism survival certificate and its Japanese translation
- Scanned Copy of Certified Priority Document / DAS
- Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of priority
- Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
- Notification issued by CNIPA notify the applicant the application has passed through the security review
 - Attachments (if any) - WIPO Publication
- ISR/IPRP
- Entering the Japanese national phase 19/28/34/41 amended
- Sequence Listing (PDF format and TXT format)
- Microorganism preservation certificate and its Japanese translation
- Microorganism survival certificate and its Japanese translation
- Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of priority
- Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
 
