Topics: 2006

General-use JP Domain Names Exceed 500,000

- In Just 5 Years since Launch -

On November 2, 2006 JPRS announced that the cumulative number of registered General-use JP domain names (EXAMPLE.JP) as of November 1, 2006 had reached 505,615, within 5 years and 9 months since the service was launched in February 2001. Including the number of Organizational/Geographic type JP domain names such as EXAMPLE.CO.JP, JP domain names as a whole now total 866,495. According to a study by JPRS, .jp ranks 10th in the number of registrations among the ccTLDs worldwide.

As of November 1, the number of ASCII General-use JP domain names is 382,897 and that of Japanese General-use JP domain names is 122,718, a record-high. The total number of ASCII and Japanese General-use JP domain names combined increased by 19% from a year ago.

Organizational type JP domain names are for organizations, and there are limits as to the number of names that one can register. On the other hand, General-use JP domain names can be registered by not only organizations but also individuals, and there is no limit on the number of names that each registrant can register. General-use JP domain names are widely used in various media including TV programs, newspapers, magazines and street advertisements, and are steadily taking root in Japanese society. In addition, about 40% of the General-use JP domain names are registered by individuals (research by JPRS), indicating that the General-use JP domain names help individuals to communicate on the Internet.