Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and two replication studies in the Japanese population (7,907 cases and 35,362 controls), we identified two gene loci associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility (NFKBIE at 6p21.1, rs2233434, odds ratio (OR) = 1.20, P = 1.3×10−15; RTKN2 at 10q21.2, rs3125734, OR = 1.20, P = 4.6×10−9). This evidence concerns the gene RTKN2 and rheumatoid arthritis.