Foreign-language patent applications have been accepted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) with effect from July 1995. It should be noted, however, that foreign-language applications are limited solely to English for the present and that no similar arrangement is currently available for utility model applications.

A patent application including an English language specification which contains one or more claims and is accompanied by a petition for patent prepared in Japanese will be accepted by the JPO, provided that a Japanese translation of the specification filed in English follows within one year and two months from the priority date of the patent application including the English specification.

In principle, amendments to the description, claims and drawings need to be made within the scope of matters described in the Japanese-language description, claims, and drawings as originally filed.

If the application is filed in English, amendments can be made within the scope of matters contained in the English version of specification. This is possible by submitting a statement of correction of an incorrect translation.