The taxonomy of the lichen genus Cresponea in Japan was examined, and three species are recognized. Cresponea japonica A.Sakata 8. H.Harada sp. nov. is described as new based on specimens growing on trunks of Ginkgo biloba and Podocarpus macrophyllus from Chiba-ken and Shizuoka-ken, on the Pacific side of central Japan. It is characterized by pruina spreading from the disc towards the top of the apothecial margin, a low hymenium (38 - 5B um high), dark brown epithecium, colorless hymenium and subhymenium, small asci (40 - 50 x 10 - 13 urn), and small ascospores (15 - 24 x 3 - 5 urn) with (3 -) 4 - 5 septa. C. macrocarpoides (Zahibr.) Egea & Torrente, previously known from a very limited number of localities in the Paleotropics, was shown to be common in the warm temperate zone in Japan, and an English description la provided. C. proximata (Nyl.) Egea & Torrente is the most common species of Cresponea In Japan. Detailed illustrations are provided for all the three species based on the Japanese collections. These three species can be distinguished by both anatomy and external morphology, in particular the distribution of pruina, the thickness of the apothecial margins and the shape of young apothecla. All specimens react UV+ faint yellow, but the lichen acids responsible were not identified by TLC. anatomy, Cresponea, Japan, morphology, new species, taxonomy