更新日：2022年7月19日

Personal Seal

"Personal Seals", also called "Hanko", "Inkan" or Stamps, serve as a signature in Japan and they can be made at seal-making shops called "Insho Ten". You can register your seal at the city hall or any ward office. A registered seal is used for important contracts such as for a car or a plot of land. The registered seal is also called your "official seal" (jitsuin). The Inkan Registration Certificate (Inkan toroku shomeisho) is proof that your registered seal is your official seal.

People Who Can Register a Personal Seal

Those registered as a resident of Hamamatsu and over 15 years old.

Personal Seals That Can Be Registered

There are seals which cannot be registered depending on the name written on your residence card or special permanent resident's certificate. Please see the table below.
People can register personal seals with the name registered on their certificate of residence in Japan.

People from countries that don't use Chinese characters can also register a seal with the katakana spelling of either your common name or full name.

However, it is necessary to register your name on your certificate of residence at the ward municipal services division of your local ward office.

Please enquire in advance regarding what you will need to bring for registration.
When making your seal, please use your full name, first name or family name.

Personal Seals That Can Be Registered

		Name as displayed on residence card / special permanent resident's certificate
		Alphabet Only	Alphabet and Kanji
Nationality	ROK, DPRK, China, Taiwan	Alphabet	Alphabet or Kanji
	All other nationalities	Alphabet or Katakana

※People with a nickname on their residence card or certificate can register that name.

Procedures for Personal Seal Registration

Where

Ward Municipal Services Division at your local Ward Office, Branch Offices, Municipal Service Centers, Fureai Community Centers 

※For people who have changed their name or spelling of the name, please enquire at the Ward Municipal Service Division only.
※Opening hours: Weekdays 8:30 - 17:15

Municipal Services Div.

Who

In person (see below for details on using a proxy)

Forms to be Submitted

Personal Seal Registration Application (inkan toroku shinseisho)

Items to Bring

• Seal to be registered
• Personal identification (e.g. My Number card or Residence card or Special Permanent Resident certificate)

Cost

Free (a fee of 350 yen is charged for re-registration)

Required processing time

To have your seal registered in one day, you will need to bring one of the following pieces of ID: Residence Card, Special Permanent Resident Certificate, MyNumber Card, Drivers License etc.

If you bring any other forms of ID,  a 2 step ID verification will be required (as below, for Representatives) and as a result the procedure will take a few days.

Note

* ID where the individual’s name or address is different cannot be used to confirm identity.
* Personal identification that has expired will not be accepted.

Regarding Proxies

It will take several days to register an seal via a representative. The seal is registered in two steps.

The seal is registered in two steps.
Step 1: Submission of Personal Seal Registration Application (inkan toroku shinseisho) and Proxy Selection Notice (dairinin sennin todoke)

※A Representative Selection Notice (dairinin sennin todoke) must be written by the individual who wants to register their seal and given to the representative.

Step 2: Submission of the enquiry & reply form (shokaisho ken kaitosho) sent from the ward office. We will check the identification on the person wanting to register their personal seal and that of their representative during submission.

※The form must be filled in by the individual who wants to register their seal and be given to the representative.
※Make sure to submit the reply form to the same desk at which you completed step 1.

Items to Bring When Registering Through a Proxy

• The seal to be registered
• Representative's unregistered personal seal
• Representative Selection Notice (dairinin sennin todoke) stamped and signed by the individual that wants to register their inkan.

* Please get the necessary forms in advance: Inkan Registration Application (inkan toroku shinseisho) and Representative Selection Notice. You can also download the documents on the Hamamatsu City Website.
*If you wish to change a registered inkan, please submit an Inkan Registration Cancellation Notice (Inkan Toroku Haishi Todoke)

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