Monday, June 22, 2009

Hanko

Just a quick summary because plenty has already been written on this subject. An Inkan or Hanko is a stamp that is used in Japan in situations where a signature would be used in the US. I have an Inkan, it was arranged for me by the company because it is a necessary item to open a Japanese bank account. My Inkan says my last name in Japanese, but to my coworkers it looks a bit strange because it uses the alphabet for foreign words and not the Kanji which is used for Japanese names. In addition to the bank I also use my Inkan for tax documents, some work documents, and if I feel like it for apartment announcements.
The advertising on this bus is a good example of what an Inkan (or maybe the less formal Hanko in this case) looks like

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