Name Stamps, Hanko, and Inkan

A hanko or inkan is used in place of signatures in Japan. For foreigners, the legal precedent of inkan is still up in the air. Many can live in Japan without needing one of these trademark Japanese items, but there have been some instances where bureaucracy and governmental setbacks require foreigners to register one. For example, they are used to confirm incoming packages, apply for a bank account, get a cell phone, connect to the internet (installation only, obviously), and so on. One AEON teacher applied for a bank account, only to be rejected a week later because “he didn’t use his inkan.” Supposedly this was a rule at this particular branch of the bank, and not the bank as a whole. It can happen like that in Japan.

So where do you get this mysterious name seal? Easy – ANYWHERE. ¥100 stores, the top floors of supermarkets, specialty shops… It depends on the quality you want. The stores specializing in inkan can charge up to ¥30,000 for a custom made stamp with the holder and ink pad. Insane, but some people do pay for it; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime need for some.

There’s also the issue of whether to register the inkan at the local government office. You can get by most of the time using an unregistered inkan (called a mitomein – I know, they have names for everything), at least Japanese people can. But it strikes me that a foreigner wouldn’t be able to pull this off that easily – obviously, anyone who hands you a document ready to be stamped knows you have no Japanese name. The way to get around this is simply register your hanko; the registered name is called jitsuin. Get it registered and pay ¥200 for a certificate of registration and you’re set for the time being.

Now just to decide if you want to use kanji or katakana for your name. You always use your last name for the jitsuin, but foreigners can use Katakana if they so choose.

Both are “raito” in my case, but my kanji name means “Thunder Road”. Thank you Springsteen.