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Personal Seal
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It is recommended that you have a personal seal (inkan) made.
You may sometimes hear personal seals referred to as a hanko.
Personal seals can be made at any seal-making shop and are used in the same way as signatures.
A registered seal (jitsuin) is used for important documents, for example when buying real estate property, automobiles or houses.
It is necessary to register your seal to use it as a registered 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
The personal seal that you can register depends on the name displayed on your residence card or special permanent resident’s certificate. Please refer to the table below.
You can register under the katakana spelling of either your common name or full name. However, you must register the katakana reading of your full or common name in advance on your resident record (juminhyo) at the Ward Municipal Services Division of your local ward office.
Personal Seals That Can Be Registered
| Name as displayed on card | |||
| Alphabet Only | Alphabet and Kanji | ||
| Nationality | ROK, DPRK, China, Taiwan | Alphabet | Alphabet or Kanji |
| All other nationalities | Alphabet or Katakana | ||
Procedures for Personal Seal Registration
Where
* Foreign residents should go the Ward Municipal Services Division of their local ward office.
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. residence card or special permanent resident certificate)
・Personal identification (e.g. residence card or special permanent resident certificate)
Cost
Free (a fee of 350 yen is charged for re-registration)
Processing Time
Same day
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.
* Personal identification that has expired will not be accepted.
Regarding Proxies
In cases when the registration of a personal seal by proxy is unavoidable, several days will be required to register the seal.
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)
Step 2: Submission of the reply form (kaitosho) from the Inquiry Form (shokaisho) sent from the ward office to the person seeking registration.
* Make sure to submit the reply form to the same desk at which you completed step 1.
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)
Step 2: Submission of the reply form (kaitosho) from the Inquiry Form (shokaisho) sent from the ward office to the person seeking registration.
* 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
Seal to be registered, proxy's personal seal, Proxy Selection Notice (dairinin sennin todoke) stamped and signed by the individual seeking registration of personal seal
* Please collect the necessary forms in advance: Personal Seal Registration Application (inkan toroku shinseisho) and Proxy Selection Notice.
* Please collect the necessary forms in advance: Personal Seal Registration Application (inkan toroku shinseisho) and Proxy Selection Notice.
