diff --git a/src/github/operations/branch.ts b/src/github/operations/branch.ts
index 86197da96..7bcf9f212 100644
--- a/src/github/operations/branch.ts
+++ b/src/github/operations/branch.ts
@@ -58,12 +58,15 @@ export function validateBranchName(branchName: string): void {
     );
   }
 
-  // Strict whitelist pattern: alphanumeric start, then alphanumeric/slash/hyphen/underscore/period
-  const validPattern = /^[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9/_.-]*$/;
+  // Strict whitelist pattern: alphanumeric or Unicode letter start, then those plus
+  // slash/hyphen/underscore/period/@. The `@` is valid in git branch names; only `@{`
+  // is reserved (checked separately below). Unicode letters (\p{L}) support non-ASCII
+  // branch names (e.g. Japanese, Chinese characters).
+  const validPattern = /^[\p{L}\p{N}][\p{L}\p{N}/_.\-@]*$/u;
 
   if (!validPattern.test(branchName)) {
     throw new Error(
-      `Invalid branch name: "${branchName}". Branch names must start with an alphanumeric character and contain only alphanumeric characters, forward slashes, hyphens, underscores, or periods.`,
+      `Invalid branch name: "${branchName}". Branch names must start with an alphanumeric or Unicode letter character and contain only alphanumeric characters, Unicode letters, forward slashes, hyphens, underscores, periods, or @.`,
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/test/validate-branch-name.test.ts b/test/validate-branch-name.test.ts
index 539932dd0..9f26e1d02 100644
--- a/test/validate-branch-name.test.ts
+++ b/test/validate-branch-name.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ describe("validateBranchName", () => {
       expect(() => validateBranchName("refs/heads/main")).not.toThrow();
       expect(() => validateBranchName("bugfix/JIRA-1234")).not.toThrow();
     });
+
+    it("should accept branch names with @ character", () => {
+      expect(() => validateBranchName("TICKET-123@add-feature")).not.toThrow();
+      expect(() => validateBranchName("user@branch")).not.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it("should accept branch names with non-ASCII Unicode characters", () => {
+      expect(() => validateBranchName("feat/add-機能追加")).not.toThrow();
+      expect(() => validateBranchName("修复/bug-123")).not.toThrow();
+      expect(() => validateBranchName("фича/новая")).not.toThrow();
+    });
   });
 
   describe("command injection attempts", () => {