While a signature is all you need to authorize a contract in most countries outside East Asia, in Japan a personal seal, known as inkan or hanko in Japanese, may be needed. If you don’t need to sign contracts, then you probably don’t need one. A lot of foreign residents get a hanko just because it makes them feel like less of an outsider and they can avoid delays when Japanese people would use ut. If you do run into a situation where you require a hanko, the whole process from ordering your inkan to registering it can be done in three days or less.
A hanko/inkan (used interchangeably) is a carved stamp that can be used in any situation where an individual, or an individual on behalf of a company, might otherwise use a signature or initials. Examples include:
- Signing contracts,
- doing your banking (at a bank)
- receiving a parcel
The necessity for a hanko and even the type of hanko may vary depending on the situation.There are three common types used by both individuals and corporations.
- jitsu-in (実印),
- ginko-in (銀行印)
- mitome-in (認印).
What are the rules for a hanko?
The only rule for what can be put on a hanko is that it has to be at least part of your name. You can use your whole name, your last name only, or even just your first name. You can’t register an inkan with characters that aren’t part of your name (either Latin alphabet or katakana). You can have your name on the inkan in either Latin alphabet or in katakana. If you choose katakana, make sure you have a katakana version of your name registered (this may be recorded on the back of your residence card) at your city office or they may reject the inkan.
For security reasons (to reduce the possibility of counterfeiting), it’s recommended to Japanese people that they use their full name on the hanko. However, non-Japanese names often contain a lot more characters and space is limited, so just your last name or only first and last name might be preferable.
The diameter of the inkan must be between 8 mm and 25 mm. A 25 mm one is a huge hanko, and you may have trouble fitting it on forms that are made for smaller hanko. As a rule, a 13.5 mm diameter hanko can fit two rows of three characters while a 16.5 mm diameter hanko can fit two rows of five characters. If you go to a small neighborhood hanko shop, they might be able to do squeeze more on to the same space.
Jitsu-in
A jitsu-in (literal meaning “actual/true seal”) is the one you would use when signing a contract. If you’re a freelancer and you need to sign a contract with a company, you need a jitsu-in. The same goes for other situations like setting up a company or buying a house. For the jitsu-in to have legal standing, you must register it at your city office. After you’ve registered it, they’ll also issue you with a “inkan card” which will allow you to print certificates of seal registration. When signing an important contract, you’ll often need to impress your seal and provide the certificate to prove that it’s your inkan and that it’s registered.
Ginko-in
A ginko-in is simply a hanko for financial transactions. Instead of registering it with your city office, you just register it with your bank(s). It can be used to withdraw money from your account or sign up for a loan, so you should look after it. While Japanese patrons are typically required to register a ginko-in when they open a bank account, most banks don’t require it of foreign customers. One big exception is when you start a company. Since a company isn’t a real person and can’t sign anything, you need to register a ginko-in when you open an account.
Mitome-in
A mitome-in is your regular, everyday hanko which you use for everyday things—like receiving parcels or for stamping on an invoice if you are a freelancer. The mitome-in is not registered anywhere and has no legal standing.
Some people use the same inkan for all three different purposes, but given that the jitsu-in is equivalent to your signature, and it can be easily copied, the less you use it the better. Also, for almost any situation where a mitome-in is needed, a simple signature will suffice.
How to order a Hanko
Just order it from a Hanko shop.
Hankoya used to be a fixture of every neighborhood of Japan, but now the physical shops are more difficult to find than they used to be.
Online hankoya include hankoya.com, Hanko-Store.com and office supplies giant Askul. They're not available in English
When ordering, you start by choosing the material. Prices start at €17.05 * for the smallest, cheapest wooden hanko and go up into the tens of thousands of yen if you want one made from premium materials like silver or titanium.
Hankoya.com clearly states that they do not use elephant or mammoth ivory, with a message on the site regretfully informing hanko shoppers that the material is no longer available. Foreigners may wish to avoid shopping at stores that still do stock ivory. One shop that continues to use elephant ivory is “Hankoyasan 21″—one of the biggest chains with stores throughout Japan.