Getting a .jp Domain – How and Why to Do It

If you’re intending to expand into a new country with your business, you may need a ccTLD.

These top-level domains use country-specific extensions that denote that you not only do business in a country, but your website is also based in that country. While not 100% essential – your .com website will usually be accessible in your country of choice – having a ccTLD can offer a massive credibility boost to your business.

Which brings us to the .jp domain.

This ccTLD applies specifically to Japan, so read on to discover how to get one and why having a .jp domain is a good idea.

How to Get a .jp Domain

Japan has more stringent criteria to fulfill to get one of its ccTLDs than many other countries.

Starting with the basic .jp extension, an individual must have both a contact address and telephone number based in Japan before you can register your domain. The same applies to Japan’s company-specific domain extension – .co.jp – along with a requirement for the company to be incorporated in Japan. Furthermore, companies in the country can only have a single .co.jp domain, meaning you have to choose carefully.

Furthermore, Japan offers ccTLDs broken down into specific prefectures and regions. For instance, you have the option of purchasing an Osaka.jp extension if you want to appeal specifically to people in Osaka, and so on for other regions.

These requirements bring us to an important question:

Is it possible to register a .jp domain if you don’t have a contact address and phone number in Japan?

You can as long as you use a trustee service, such as that offered by Register.Domains. These services see a company serve as your intermediary by registering the domain in the name of its local representatives before making it available for your use.

Why Get a .jp Domain?

Now that you know how to get a .jp domain – specifically the stringent requirements you have to meet – the next question is why get one at all?

Reason 1 – Boost Company Credibility Within Japan

Japan has one of the world’s largest ecommerce markets, with Statista anticipating it’ll be worth $203.3 billion by 2028. That gives you an obvious reason for wanting to expand your business into the country. However, you may find it difficult to do so without a .jp domain for one reason:

Credibility.

Many Japanese ecommerce customers favor websites with a .jp extension because of the requirement to have a phone number and address registered within the country. That requirement assures them that the business exists – making them less likely to be scammed – meaning the criteria for getting a .jp domain can work in your favor when you expand into the country.

Reason 2 – Brand Protection

The next benefit relates to all ccTLDs, not just the .jp extension.

If you have any intention of taking your company global – whether now or in the future – protection of your brand is imperative. By failing to claim the .jp domains that use your trademarks and tradenames, you’re opening the door for others to do so. Worst yet, you won’t enjoy the legal protections for those trademarks and tradenames that you have in the U.S. in another country.

So, registering a .jp extension allows you to get ahead of the issue. You may not even build a site on the domain – rather redirect it to your existing URL – but you’ll have it in the bag if you ever need to use it.

Reason 3 – Search Engine Benefits

Google and Yahoo! Japan are Japan’s top two search engines, with both giving priority to domains that have the .jp extension.

Again, there’s a credibility factor at play thanks to the requirements in place for obtaining one of these domains. However, it’s also worth noting that these are local variants of two of the major search engine providers, meaning both will favor domains with .jp extensions because there’s a higher possibility they’ll deliver what the searcher wants.

You can take advantage of that fact by registering a .jp domain to achieve higher search engine rankings for your business in Japan.

Register Your .jp Domain Today

The major barrier you likely face in registering a .jp domain is that you don’t have a presence in Japan. You can’t supply a phone number or address, and your business isn’t incorporated in Japan.

Register.Domains can do all of those things for you.

As a trustee service provider, we can get you set up with a .jp domain – along with the many variations of the extension – that you control.