Below is the short description of each Hanko seal type. It can be used to sign basic contracts in the office or as a signature in simple daily procedures. This type of Hanko is more official compared to Mitome-in because it is registered with the bank. Ginko-in is needed to open, get access, and manage your bank account s , or to get a loan. Some banks do not require this type of Hanko seal from foreigners. However, be sure to check the exact information from your bank.
Each of them is unique in design and details and must be registered with the government. Thus, every Jitsu-in Hanko looks different from the others, despite the fact that some Japanese people have the same names. It allows to protect the owner of the seal from instances of forgeries since the original design of every stamp is securely archived by the government. If there are doubts about the authenticity of a Jitsu-in seal, impressions can be compared to the originals held by the government.
That is why unlike a Mitome-in, where you can put a part of your name or your casual name, Jitsu-in has to be inscribed with your official name the way it is written in your ID see the next paragraph. Jitsu-in Hankos are usually reserved for the most important transactions, like buying a house or starting a company.
Such certificates are often provided as an attachment when you impress you Jitsu-in stamp onto the document. For a person with a Japanese name that is usually 4 or 5 Japanese characters called kanji.
The surface of the stamp is more than enough to fit a Japanese name in full length. However, in the case of non-Japanese names situation is different: there are no kanji for the majority of non-Japanese names.
Thus, you can either use a katakana transliteration or your original name written in Latin letters. Still, sometimes the whole name will not fit onto the surface. In such cases, it is possible to use only a part of a name.
This option is viable for almost any types of Hanko, but there are some things that you have to keep in mind when choosing the name to be inscribed on your seal. Due to their half-formal nature of Mitome-ins, they can contain almost any inscription: for example, only your first name, or the short name, or initials, etc. However, It is important to remember, that for a Ginko-in and especially for a Jitsu-in you have to have the official transliteration of your name either in Japanese or in Latin exactly the way it is written in your passport, residence card, bank card, etc.
You can still use a part of it, but it has to coincide with your identification documents. For more information fill in the form or call us and we connect you to our client servicing team directly. As it was already mentioned in this article earlier, having a stamp is an important part of doing business in Japan. If you are just visiting Japan for a short time will you most likely have no need any Hankos.
In many daily, business, and banking-related situations it can be replaced with a signature. Especially if you are acting as a sole entity as a person, not as a corporation. However, if you are starting a company and plan to stay for a longer time, you will need at least two Hankos. Some companies might have even more stamps for other miscellaneous duties, for example, invoicing. Still, the classical option for many companies is a set of three Hanko seals that are the same in functions to the personal Hankos.
These are Kaku-in, Ginko-in, and Kaisha Jitsu-in. Let us take a look at them and their application. This is a square stamp that is basically a Mitome-in for a company. Since there can potentially be many people in the company, the personal stamp of its director or other representative is not enough.
Mitome-in can represent a person on a document, but Kaku-in represents the whole company at once. However, it is still the less formal of all the corporate seals and can be pressed onto the least significant documents. This Hanko seal serves the same purposes as a personal Ginko-in, but it also represents the whole company. These stamps are registered with the bank and are more powerful and official then Kaku-in seals. This is the most important and the most powerful stamps of all.
Since we tend to mix up inkan and hanko due to the similarity, we sort by name according to where to use them. An officially authorized seal. A jitsu-in seal is used in official documents such as for company establishment and real estate registration.
If you register your seal at a municipal office, you are authorized to use it as your jitsu-in. The seal registration can be made under a personal name or a company name. As for the types of jitsu-in to register, they will generally accept round-shaped seals. There are not many strict requirements as long as the seal will not wear away like rubber stamps. To take an extreme example, you will be able to register a hanko stamp purchased at a 1 Yen store.
However, such easy-to-get seals should not be registered for security reasons. A copy of the seal certificate is issued at a municipal office and is also obtainable at most major convenience stores. If you ask an agent for a copy on behalf of you, the seal registration card is essential, and the copy is issued only at a municipal office. A seal registered at a bank, required when opening a bank account. Recently, there are not many banks that require the seal. We use a ginko-in only when going to the bank and asking at the counter for transactions, such as withdrawing money.
Similar to jitsu-in, round-shaped seals will be accepted as ginko-in. Thanks for the post, Mark. Great info! I just got one as a gift from a friend, a pretty expensive one, too, it looks like, and I was wondering how to take care of it. Can i just use some water and a old toothbrush, or is that a bad idea? Mine is wooden, btw. And really cool thing I saw at the shop we went to; the owner had certified mammoth tusk that you could get your inkan made out of.
Still, if I ever became rich, that would be an awesome thing to have. And a super cool conversation starter. Thing is, the only people who ever see my hanko are bank tellers. Do they do mammoth tusk iPhone cases?
As for cleaning it, I guess cleaning it with a soft toothbrush might work. But to be honest, how many times a year does it get used? Ten, tops? Mammoth tusk?!? It looks like no one has replied to this recently, but I just wanted to share my personal experience with anyone who might be interested. I guess I got lucky.
However, my understanding is that you can basically use whatever characters you want. Just make sure that whatever you use to open a bank account matches the one you use for any other applications you fill out i. Thanks Chris, great info here. Much appreciated. I actually bought one today without research and it cost quite a bit. I will write off the cost as a souvenir…wishing I had of checked your post beforehand though.
Just a quick question. Had it at least 15 years and only thought to ask now! I invested in a very nice carved ebony hanko when I arrived in , it has served me faithfully for almost 30 years.
I loved your joke! I had a little katakana hanko I used at the bank. I was so proud of it, but my Japanese girlfriend laughed at it and said it looked like a toy. Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
What is a Hanko? What is an Inkan?
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