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| Japanese Hanko (Stamp) |
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| Written by Sparky | |||
| Monday, 28 January 2008 06:31 | |||
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A Japanese Hanko is used as a signature in Japan. You can find small shops all across Japan usually around the train stations. The stores are usually small, and set up in old houses, run by the family. A Japanese Hanko will cost around 3,000 yen, and take about 1 week to make. When making a Hanko for yourself you will need to use the official Katakana for your last name.
Example: If you look at the name John Smith. The last name smith in katakana is スミス. Therefore your hanko would look something like this:
The characters come in various fonts, which you can choose when making your hanko at the store. The basic wood hanko costs about 3,000 yen. There are cheaper ones but you must have one of the generic Japanese family names such as Honda, Yamada… If you are a foreigner you will have to get one custom made, which is why it is more expensive. If you want a more fancy hanko carved into marble or other stone, instead of a regular wood one, prices can rise quickly. A top end hanko can run you 30,000 yen or more. You will need a hanko for many things in Japan including, opening a bank account, setting up gas, electric, or telephone lines in an apartment, and many other things which require a signature.
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