Patent
Japan is a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The deadline for entering the national phase via the PCT is 30 months. A simply signed power of attorney is required. A Japanese translation of the specification must be submitted. Patent protection lasts 20 years. For a pharmaceutical product patent, a 5-year extension can be added to the 20 years, providing 25 years of protection.
Utility Model
The requirements are the same as for patents. Utility model protection lasts 6 years.