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Enjoyment of the copyright shall not be subject to any formality in Japan.A copyright comes into effect automatically without registration.Although it is possible to register some matters related a copyright in Japan, registration does not protect a copyrighted work any better. It merely clarifies the life of the copyright or the relationship of the right to those of others.

The following information can be registered:
(1) Registration of the true name
  A person whose true name has been registered shall be presumed to be the author of the work which is the subject of said registration.
This will make authentication of authors easy in a lawsuit.

(2) Registration of the date of first publication
  Works having the date of first publication or the date of first having been made public registered shall be presumed to have been first published or first made public on said registered date.
This will clarify the starting point of the period of protection provided by the copyright.

(3) Registration of the date of creation(Computer program works only)
  Works having the date of creation registered shall be presumed to have been created on the registration date.
This will also clarify the starting point of the period of protection provided by the copyright.

(4) Registration of the transfer of the copyright or a restriction on the disposal of the copyright
  As a result of the registration, you can assert that you have or do not have a copyright against a third party effectively.

In fact, these systems are rarely used.However, we are often asked about this Japanese registration system regarding copyright.

Please note that the cost and the procedure differ for each of the registrations. In addition, they also differ depending on whether the work is computer program or not.