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In Japan, stamps (hanko) are essential tools for business and personal authentication. Unlike Western signatures, Japanese culture relies heavily on registered seals to validate documents, conduct banking transactions, and authorize contracts.

Three main types of stamps are used in Japan. The jitsu-in (registered seal) is officially registered at city hall for critical documents. The ginko-in (bank seal) is registered with financial institutions. The mitome-in (personal seal) is for everyday acknowledgments.

Company stamps include the kaisha-in (corporate seal), daihyo-in (representative seal), and various business-purpose stamps. Size requirements are standardized, with common diameters ranging from 15mm to 30mm.

Hanko is the general term for Japanese stamps. Inkan specifically refers to the impression made by the stamp. The terms are often used interchangeably.

For official documents in Japan, yes. A jitsu-in must be registered at your local city hall. For everyday use, a mitome-in suffices.

Traditional stamps use kanji and katakana. Tensho (seal script) is the most traditional font, while kaisho (regular script) is also common.

The daihyo-in (representative seal) is typically 18mm diameter. The kaku-in (corporate seal) is usually rectangular, around 21mm × 60mm.

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Japanese stamp templates

Traditional Japanese hanko

Japanese corporate round seal

Japanese representative seal (daihyo-in)

Japanese mitome-in personal seal

Japanese signature hanko

Japanese rectangular corporate seal

Japanese digital stamp

Japanese company logo stamp

About Japanese stamps

Frequently asked questions