"Do I need a hanko?" is one of the most-asked questions by new arrivals — and the honest answer is "it depends which one, and who's asking for it." Mio doesn't guess; here's how the three seals actually differ so you don't spend money you don't need to.
A hanko (or inkan) is a stamp of your name used in place of a signature. There are three practical levels, and they are not interchangeable:
1. Mitomein (認め印) — the cheap everyday seal, roughly ¥100–1,000 at a 100-yen shop or stationery store. Used for parcel deliveries, receiving mail, and minor internal forms. No registration. This is the one almost everyone should get first.
2. Ginkoin (銀行印) — the seal you nominate as your bank seal when opening an account. Some banks now allow a signature instead, and several are increasingly willing to open accounts for foreigners without a seal — but many still ask for one, so check your specific bank first.
3. Jitsuin (実印) — a seal you register at city hall (the registration is called inkan tōroku / inkan shōroku). Once registered you can obtain a seal certificate (inkan shōmeisho) proving it's genuinely yours. Required for major legal transactions: buying a car, property purchase, and certain official documents.
Japan's government launched a high-profile push to remove seals from administrative procedures around 2020–2021, and a great many government forms that once required a hanko now accept a signature or nothing at all. That's real progress.
But the change is uneven. The reform mainly targeted government paperwork; it did not force private businesses to drop seals. So in practice you may still be asked for one by a bank, a landlord / rental guarantor company, or a car dealer — exactly the situations where money is on the line. Don't assume "seals are abolished" and arrive with none.
| Seal type | When you need it | Rough cost (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| Mitomein 認め印 | Parcels, mail, minor everyday forms | ¥100–1,000 |
| Ginkoin 銀行印 | Bank account (if the bank requires it — some accept a signature) | ¥1,000–5,000 |
| Jitsuin 実印 | Car purchase, property, some official contracts — must be registered at city hall | ¥3,000–15,000+ & registration fee |
Prices are illustrative and depend on material and shop. The city-hall seal registration and each seal certificate copy also carry small municipal fees (often a few hundred yen each).
Yes. If you're a registered resident (on the jūminhyō resident register), you can generally register a jitsuin at your local city/ward office. Many municipalities accept a seal carved in katakana or in romaji (Latin letters) matching your registered name — but the exact rules on characters and formatting vary by municipality, so confirm with your city office before you pay to have one carved.
Practical order of events: register your address → (optionally) open a bank account → and only carve/register a jitsuin at the point a specific transaction demands it, since you'll be asked to provide a fresh seal certificate anyway.
Get a cheap mitomein on arrival. Ask each institution whether a signature is OK before assuming you need a seal. Only make a jitsuin when a specific big transaction (car, property) requires it. The mistake isn't skipping the hanko — it's buying an expensive registered seal you may never use. First, sort out the thing you almost certainly will need: a bank account, and see the full arrival checklist.
Mio