Some links on this page are affiliate links: Selectra may earn a commission when you sign up through them.
Do You Need a Hanko in Japan?
A hanko (判子) is the stamp itself; the inkan (印鑑) is, strictly, the impression it leaves, though both words are used for the seal. Japanese people use seals where others sign: on contracts, bank forms, delivery slips and office paperwork.
For foreign residents, a signature is accepted in most situations, and the government has been removing seal requirements from administrative procedures since 2020. A seal becomes necessary when:
- a contract asks for a seal registration certificate (印鑑登録証明書), typically when buying property or a car, for some loans, or for a power of attorney;
- you set up a company in Japan;
- an employer or landlord insists on one, which still happens, especially outside large cities.
A simple, unregistered seal can also make everyday paperwork smoother, and many residents get one as a practical souvenir of life in Japan.
The Three Types of Personal Seal
| Seal | Used for | Registered with | Do foreigners need it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitome-in (認印) | Everyday documents: deliveries, receipts, internal forms | Nobody | Optional, convenient |
| Ginko-in (銀行印) | Bank account forms | Your bank | Rarely: most banks accept a signature from foreign customers |
| Jitsuin (実印) | Legally binding contracts: property, cars, loans, company formation | Your city or ward office | Only when a contract requires it |
A mitome-in carries no legal weight on its own. Do not use your registered jitsuin as an everyday stamp: keep it at home, as it is the legal equivalent of your signature on major contracts.
How to Get a Hanko Made
What your seal can show
For a seal you intend to register, the design must match the name on your resident record:
- your name, or part of it, in the Roman alphabet as written on your residence card;
- your name in katakana, or an alias (通称), only if it is recorded on your resident record;
- Chinese characters only if your residence card shows a name in kanji.
Rules on size and design are set by each municipality: commonly, the impression must fit within a square of 8 to 25 mm and have an outer frame. Check with your city or ward office before ordering.
Where to buy and what it costs
- Ready-made mitome-in: stationery stores and 100-yen shops sell common Japanese surnames, rarely foreign names;
- Machine-made custom seals: some Don Quijote stores have machines that carve a name in a few minutes, for a few hundred yen upward;
- Hanko shops (判子屋): the safest choice for a jitsuin, as staff know the local registration rules; wooden seals start at a few thousand yen and take from a few minutes to a few days.
A mass-produced seal is not recommended as a jitsuin: anyone can buy an identical one.
How to Register Your Seal (印鑑登録)
You can register a seal at the city or ward office of the municipality where you are registered as a resident.
- bring your seal and your residence card (or special permanent resident certificate) to the seal registration counter (印鑑登録窓口);
- fill in the seal registration application (印鑑登録申請書);
- stamp the seal on the form; the office checks it against its rules and your registered name;
- pay the fee, if your municipality charges one: it is small or free, depending on the city;
- receive your seal registration card (印鑑登録証), which you will need to request certificates.
When you bring your residence card in person, registration is usually completed the same day. A seal registration certificate (印鑑登録証明書), the document contracts ask for, then costs a few hundred yen per copy: 300 yen in Yokohama, for example.
Moving to another city or ward cancels your registration when you file your move-out notification (転出届): register again at your new municipality. Moving within the same municipality keeps it valid. Before leaving Japan for good, you can cancel it at the counter.
Using Your Seal, and What to Do If You Lose It
How to stamp
Tap the seal lightly on the ink pad two or three times, place the document on a flat surface, and press straight down, firmly and evenly, then lift straight up. Check which way up the seal is before pressing: an upside-down impression may be refused on an official document.
If you lose your seal
Treat a lost registered seal like a lost ID document:
- report the loss at a police box (交番) or police station;
- cancel the registration at your city or ward office;
- have a new seal made and register it.
A lost bank seal must also be reported to your bank.