The process of applying for Japanese patent through PCT:
PCT patent application has to go through two stages: the international stage and the national stage. International applications must first be examined at the international stage and then at the national stage. The filing of the general application, international search and international preliminary examination are completed in the international stage, while whether to grant the patent right is completed in the national stage by the international bureau designated by the national intellectual property organizations.
National application →PCT application → international search report and written opinions → international publication → request international preliminary examination → international preliminary examination report → enter a specific country stage.