Japan Patent Attorney Exam: Admission-Ticket Photo Spec and How to Create It

Make a Benrishi (patent attorney) exam photo that meets the Japan Patent Office spec, from a smartphone shot, for ¥200. Valid for short-answer, essay, and oral stages.

Official spec data
Dimensions40mm × 30mm
Face lengthNot specified
Top marginNot specified
BackgroundNo official color specified — a plain, light-colored wall under even lighting is recommended
Shoot-by windowTaken within 6 months of application
Official issuerIndustrial Property Council, METI / Japan Patent Office (JPO)

View the official source(Last verified: 2026-05-26)

Verbatim official spec

The verbatim official spec from the JPO patent attorney exam guide is shown below in the original Japanese.

  • 試験当日には、受験票に写真(大きさ縦4cm×横3cm、脱帽、正面、上半身、6か月以内に撮影したもの)を必ず貼り付けて持参
  • サングラス・マスク着用の写真など受験者本人を確認できない写真の場合は受験できない

Why this spec matters

The Japan Patent Attorney (Benrishi) exam is one of Japan's hardest qualifications — about 3,500 candidates per year and a 7–8% pass rate. The photo spec itself is simple (30×40mm), but the operational quirk is critical: in addition to the online submission at application time, you must physically glue the photo onto your admission ticket and bring it on exam day. The same ticket is reused across all three stages (short-answer, essay, oral), so a single spec issue — missing photo, wrong size, expired beyond 6 months — cascades across multiple exams. The JPO also explicitly states that photos with sunglasses or masks make you ineligible to sit the exam.

How to create it for ¥200

With a smartphone and ¥200, you can prepare the Benrishi exam photo all at once before the short-answer stage.

  1. 1

    Take the photo on your smartphone

    Stand against a plain, light-colored wall in a bright room. Face the camera directly, no hat, no mask, no sunglasses, neutral expression, eyes on the lens.
  2. 2

    AI removes the background and aligns to spec

    Upload the photo. AI removes the background, detects your face, and auto-crops to the 30×40mm ratio. Fine-tune face position to 0.1mm precision.
  3. 3

    Print at a Japan convenience store via QR code, then glue onto the ticket

    After payment, a QR code and 8-digit user number arrive by email. Print on L-size paper at any Japan conbini from ¥30, then glue the photo onto your admission ticket before exam day.

Create a Spec-Compliant Patent Attorney Exam Photo for ¥200

AI auto-adjusts your smartphone shot to the 30×40mm JPO spec. A QR code for convenience-store printing is emailed to you — glue the print onto your admission ticket before exam day.

Create now — ¥200

What Ramune AI ID Photo offers

Even for a tight spec like My Number, you can finish the entire shoot → process → print workflow in your browser.

Cropping screen with horizontal and vertical guidelines to adjust face position, width, hairline, and chin in 0.1mm units

0.1mm face position adjustment

Drag the hairline, chin, and face-width guides — or type the millimetre value — to fit inside even a 4mm-wide regulatory window like the My Number spec.

Auto-generated L-size print sheet

Multiple photos optimally arranged on L-size paper with cut marks. Print directly at home or at a convenience store.

AI removes the background automatically

Walls or objects in the original shot are auto-removed; AI converts the photo to the plain background the spec requires.

AI skin smoothing with a natural finish

Auto-reduces blemishes and uneven tone while keeping a natural look. Choose between the original and the smoothed version.

Print at 55,000 convenience stores nationwide

Scan a QR code at the multi-copy machine in 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, Ministop, or Poplar — L-size prints from ¥30.

5-language support, no app required

Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese — works entirely in your smartphone browser without installing an app.

Frequently asked questions

Is the online photo I submitted at application time enough?
No. In addition to the online or paper submission at application, the JPO explicitly requires that you "glue the photo onto your admission ticket and bring it on exam day." You need photos for both, meeting the same spec (30×40mm, no hat, front-facing, upper body, within 6 months).
Are regular clear-lens glasses okay?
Yes. Clear lenses that don't obscure your eyes or eyebrows are fine. The JPO only rejects sunglasses, tinted lenses, and masks — anything that prevents identification. Watch out for frame thickness or reflections that cover the eye area.
Do I need separate photos for the short-answer, essay, and oral stages?
The same admission ticket (with the same glued photo) is used across all three stages. However, if more than 6 months pass between the short-answer date and the oral exam, your photo may go out of date — in that case, prepare a fresh photo before the essay or oral stage to stay safe.
Color or black-and-white?
The official guide doesn't specify, but color is the convention because it makes identification more reliable. What matters is that background, clothing, and facial features are clearly distinguishable.

Create a Spec-Compliant Patent Attorney Exam Photo for ¥200

AI auto-adjusts your smartphone shot to the 30×40mm JPO spec. A QR code for convenience-store printing is emailed to you — glue the print onto your admission ticket before exam day.

Create now — ¥200
Japan Patent Attorney Exam Photo 30×40mm | ¥200 — Ramune AI ID Photo