Intended readers: international brands and Amazon sellers planning to sell in Japan.

What Is the Amazon Japan Brand Registry?

Amazon Japan Brand Registry is Amazon’s official program that lets brand owners protect their intellectual property, control product detail pages, and unlock brand-only tools (ads, analytics, A+ Content) on amazon.co.jp.

Important: To enroll in Brand Registry Japan, you must have a Japanese trademark that is registered or pending at the Japan Patent Office (JPO) for the exact brand name you’ll use on Amazon.

If you sell in multiple countries, you enroll separately in each marketplace and typically need a valid local trademark for that country.

Eligibility & Trademark Requirements (Japan)

You can apply for the Amazon Japan Brand Registry if you meet all of the following:

  • You own the brand (or are an authorized rights holder) for the products sold on Amazon Japan.
  • You hold a Japanese trademark (JPO) that is:
    • A word mark (standard characters), or
    • A logo mark that contains the brand wording (pure image-only marks without wording are not accepted for enrollment).
  • The brand name exactly matches the JPO trademark (spelling, spacing, punctuation, capitalization).
  • You can provide product or packaging photos showing the brand name/logo permanently affixed (not a sticker/temporary label) to items you sell or intend to sell on Amazon Japan.

Tip: If you’re undecided between a word mark and a logo, a word mark is generally more flexible for Brand Registry and future line extensions.

Learn the process: How to Register a Trademark in Japan (JPO)
Need help with filing? Get a Free Trademark Quote

Benefits of Joining Brand Registry in Japan

By registering a trademark in Japan, you become eligible to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry Japan.
Enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry Japan gives brand owners access to a wide range of programs designed to support brand protection, improved conversion, and long-term business growth.

For businesses planning to open their own store and expand operations on Amazon Japan, registering a trademark with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and utilizing Amazon Brand Registry Japan is effectively essential. Trademark registration not only enables Brand Registry enrollment but also provides a solid foundation for building and protecting your brand in the Japanese market.

The key benefits of enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry Japan are outlined below.

1. Open an Amazon Store (Brand Store)

By enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry Japan, you can create your own Amazon Store (Brand Store) within Amazon Japan, complete with a dedicated brand URL.

An Amazon Store allows you to showcase your full product lineup, as well as communicate your brand story, values, and unique positioning directly to shoppers. This helps customers better understand your brand and encourages stronger engagement and trust.

When combined with Sponsored Brands advertising, your Amazon Store can also be promoted in high-visibility placements across Amazon Japan, driving qualified traffic directly to your branded storefront and supporting increased conversions.

2. Improve Conversions by Enhancing and Optimizing Product Detail Pages

(1) A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content)

Under the standard Amazon listing format, product detail pages are limited to relatively simple information. However, by enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, brand owners can significantly enrich their product pages with A+ Content—at no additional cost.

A+ Content allows you to present detailed product specifications, comparison charts, high-quality images, videos, assembly or usage instructions, as well as your brand story, including brand history and product lineup. These enhanced content modules help shoppers better understand your products and brand, leading to increased trust and higher conversion rates.

(2) A/B Testing (Split Testing) Tools

Once you are a registered brand owner under Amazon Brand Registry, you also gain access to Amazon’s A/B testing (split testing) tools.

With A/B testing, shoppers viewing a product detail page are randomly divided into two groups. One group is shown Version A of the content, while the other group is shown Version B. By comparing performance metrics such as page views and purchase rates, sellers can determine which version of the content is more effective.

This data-driven optimization enables continuous improvement of product pages and can lead to higher engagement, increased conversions, and improved sales performance on Amazon Japan.

3. Enhanced Advertising and Customer Reviews

(1) Access to Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display Advertising

By enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, brand owners gain access to Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display advertising options. These ad formats allow you to show brand-focused video or image ads to highly relevant shoppers in high-visibility placements, such as the top of search results pages and product detail pages.

These advertisements can drive increased traffic to your Brand Store and product detail pages, helping to expand brand exposure on Amazon Japan. Sellers may also use Amazon-provided AI-generated images at no additional cost, making it easier to create compelling and visually appealing ads. Effective advertising campaigns can significantly enhance brand awareness, encourage purchases, and support long-term customer relationships.

(2) Amazon Vine (Early Reviewer Program)

Enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry also provides access to Amazon Vine, Amazon’s official early reviewer program. Through Vine, brand owners can provide product samples to Amazon-approved reviewers (Vine members) and request the creation of customer reviews.

Reviews from Vine members are widely regarded as trustworthy and informative, helping shoppers make well-informed purchasing decisions. Positive feedback from Vine members can increase consumer confidence in your products and contribute to improved conversion rates and sales growth on Amazon Japan.

4. Stronger Brand Protection and Counterfeit Prevention

(1) Use of Project Zero for Counterfeit Removal

As your product sales grow, unauthorized or bad-actor sellers may attempt to take advantage of your brand. If left unaddressed, such activity can lead to lost sales, damaged brand reputation, and customer confusion caused by counterfeit products.

Through Project Zero, a self-service tool provided by Amazon, brand owners can directly remove counterfeit or unauthorized listings. Amazon continuously monitors listing updates on a daily basis and helps detect potentially infringing listings. When a listing is identified as counterfeit, brand owners can take immediate action to remove it themselves, without having to submit repeated reports to Amazon.

The ability to quickly eliminate counterfeit listings without ongoing back-and-forth with Amazon is a significant advantage for brand owners selling on Amazon Japan.

(2) Use of Transparency for Authenticity Verification

Enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry also enables access to Transparency, Amazon’s product authenticity verification program. With Transparency, a unique, secure code is applied to each product’s packaging, ensuring that only genuine products are shipped to customers.

Customers can scan the code using the Amazon app to verify that the product is authentic, submit reviews, and access brand-provided content. This system ensures that every shipped unit is confirmed as genuine, helping to protect both your brand and your customers while preventing counterfeit products from entering the supply chain.

5. Data Analytics and Business Insights (Brand Analytics)

Brand Analytics is an official customer data analytics tool provided by Amazon to brand owners enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. This tool allows sellers to access valuable insights, including high-volume search keywords on Amazon, data on competing products that shoppers compare with your listings, repeat purchase behavior, and basket analysis.

For sellers aiming to increase sales and optimize performance on Amazon Japan, Brand Analytics is an essential tool for making data-driven decisions and refining product, pricing, and advertising strategies.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Amazon Japan Brand Registry

  1. Confirm your JPO trademark details
    • Use your registration number (if registered) or application number (if pending).
    • Ensure the brand wording on the trademark exactly matches your enrollment brand name.
  2. Prepare compliant product photos
    • Real photos (not mockups) of actual products/packaging sold or planned for sale on Amazon Japan.
    • The brand name/logo must be clear and permanent.
    • File types: .jpg/.png/.gif, under 5 MB.
  3. Create/Access Brand Registry account
    • Sign in with your Seller Central (or Vendor) credentials at the Brand Registry portal and choose Japan as the marketplace.
  4. Submit enrollment
    • Enter brand name, select the trademark office: Japan, and input the JPO number.
    • Upload your brand logo (transparent/white background preferred), product photos, and fill distribution/licensing info.
    • Select relevant product category and provide key ASINs or links (if applicable).
  5. Verification code
    • Amazon sends a verification code to the trademark owner’s official contact (often your JPO representative/Benrishi).
    • Enter that code in Brand Registry to complete verification.

Timeline: Amazon’s review is typically a few days to ~2 weeks after you submit and verify. (Trademark registration itself is separate and can take ~6–12 months unless accelerated.)

Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

  • Trademark doesn’t match brand name → Refile or enroll using the exact mark; avoid stylistic changes during enrollment.
  • Image-only logo (no lettering) used for the trademark → Not eligible for initial enrollment; use a word mark or a logo with the brand wording.
  • Temporary labels or unclear branding in photos → Use permanent, clearly visible branding on product/packaging.
  • Trademark just filed yesterday → Allow time for data to appear in public records; if rejected, resubmit once searchable.

FAQ: Brand Registry Japan

Q1. Do I need a Japanese trademark?
Yes. For Amazon Japan Brand Registry, you need a JPO trademark (registered or pending) that exactly matches your brand name.

Q2. Can I apply while my trademark is pending?
In many cases yes—you can apply with a JPO application number. Amazon may still verify via a code sent to the trademark owner’s contact.

Q3. Which trademark type is best?
A word mark (standard characters) is generally the most flexible. A logo mark that includes the wording also works; image-only marks do not.

Q4. Is Brand Registry the same as “brand approval” on Amazon?
No. Brand approval is a catalog step to show a brand name on listings. Brand Registry is a separate program for brand protection and brand tools.

Q5. How long does enrollment take?
After submission and code verification, days to a couple of weeks is typical. The trademark process at JPO is separate (about 6–12 months; faster with accelerated examination if eligible).

Q6. Does Brand Registry cost money?
Amazon charges no enrollment fee. Your cost is the JPO trademark filing/registration and any attorney fees to obtain/maintain the mark.

Best Practices After Enrollment

  • Build your Storefront and add A+ Content to top ASINs first.
  • Launch Sponsored Brands/Display; test keywords and creatives with A/B testing.
  • Monitor Brand Analytics (search terms, query performance) to guide SEO and ad bidding.
  • Use the infringement report tool proactively; consider Project Zero/Transparency if you face persistent counterfeiters.
  • For bundles/sets, apply for GTIN/JAN exemptions where appropriate.

Why trademarks come first (and how we can help)

Brand Registry is only as strong as your underlying Japanese trademark. Getting the right classes/specifications and avoiding refusals will save time and protect your future catalog.

We don’t provide Amazon Brand Registry submission services, but we do help foreign sellers obtain Japanese trademarks (JPO) quickly and correctly.

Need a Japanese trademark for Brand Registry Japan?

APEX Patent Solutions helps international brands file and prosecute trademarks with the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
Contact us or Get a Free Quote to secure your brand in Japan.