A Concise Guide to Asian Patent Information

The European Patent Office's new "Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on Japan, China and Korea" webpage provides answers to common questions about industrial property in Japan, China, and Korea. For cases where your question is not answered there, you can also write to them via a webform. If your question is of general interest, and if you agree, they will add it, together with their answer, to the FAQ site. Otherwise all information will be treated confidentially.

Among other things, the site provides an explanation of the Japanese patent numbering system, including how to convert the listed Japanese Imperial Years to Western Years: