Getting a Hanko (Personal Seal) in Japan: When You Still Need One
Updated: 2026-08-26
Quick answer
A hanko (印鑑 / はんこ, also called inkan) is a small personal seal you press in red ink instead of a handwritten signature. For everyday life you rarely need one now, but a few moments still ask for it: some paper contracts, a housing lease, and certain steps at a bank. Most of the time a cheap everyday seal is plenty.
There are three roles a seal can play, from casual to official. When something official is involved, you register a seal at your ward office (印鑑登録, inkan touroku), which then lets you obtain a seal certificate (印鑑証明書) proving that the impression is really yours. Foreign residents can absolutely get a seal made, including in katakana or romaji.
What a hanko actually is
A hanko is the physical stamp; the red mark it leaves is the inkan impression. In Japan the stamped seal has long stood in for a signature on documents, which is why the little cylinder shows up at moments a Western signature would.
The good news for daily life: signatures are increasingly accepted, and many services never ask for a seal at all. You mostly meet it in specific, more formal situations rather than at the convenience store. Knowing which seal is expected where saves you from buying the wrong thing.
The three kinds: mitomein, ginkouin, jitsuin
A mitomein (認印) is your everyday, unregistered seal. It is the mass-produced stamp for receiving a parcel, routine forms, or a note at work. No registration, no certificate, low stakes.
A ginkouin (銀行印) is the seal you register with a bank for an account. A jitsuin (実印) is the one you formally register at the ward office; it carries the most weight and is used for serious contracts, vehicle purchases, and notarized matters. Many people keep these three as separate seals so the important one is never used casually.
Getting a seal made for a foreign name
You do not need a kanji name to own a hanko. Seal shops routinely cut seals in katakana or romaji (Latin letters), and you can usually choose the reading and layout that best matches how your name appears on your documents.
For an everyday mitomein, an inexpensive ready-made or lightly customized seal is fine. For a jitsuin you plan to register, it helps to order a custom-engraved one, since a registered seal generally must be reasonably unique and legible. Bring the exact spelling you want to match your residence card and other paperwork.
Registering your seal at the ward office
Inkan touroku (印鑑登録) is done in person at your local ward or city office, where you register one specific seal as your official jitsuin. You typically bring the seal itself and photo ID such as your residence card; the counter registers the impression and issues you a seal registration card.
That registration is what makes a seal certificate (印鑑証明書) possible. When a contract or big purchase requires proof that the seal is genuinely yours, you request this certificate at the office (or a kiosk, if enabled) and submit it alongside the stamped document. You only need to go through registration once, then reuse it as situations arise.
The gradual shift to digital
Japan has been moving steadily toward digital, or denshi (電子), alternatives. Online forms, electronic signatures, and My Number-based verification now replace the stamp in a growing number of places, and some offices let you handle paperwork without ever inking a seal.
So treat the hanko as a still-useful tool rather than a daily must. Get a simple mitomein early, register a jitsuin only if a real reason appears, and lean on digital options where they are offered. The trend is clearly toward less stamping over time.
The thread through all of it: your Japanese number
Registering a seal, opening accounts, signing a lease, and setting up the many services around a new life in Japan all lean on one quiet detail: a Japanese phone number. It is the contact line on forms and the identity anchor that verification codes and app logins keep returning to. Sorting data and a number early makes every later step smoother.
If you want that settled quickly, Rakuten Mobile is a straightforward option. You can sign up with your residence card, and an eSIM can be ready the same day, often in about 5 to 10 minutes. There is one simple unlimited plan, and domestic calls are free through the Rakuten Link app, so your number is ready before the paperwork asks for it.
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