If you have lived in Japan long term, short term or have just visited Japan briefly, you probably have noticed that in most situations people use a personal name stamp in place of signing their name by hand. There are several different kinds of personal name stamps, called INKAN in Japanese, which are used for different situations. There are official inkans which are registered at the city office and are used for contracts and legal documents such as signing for a bank loan. Companies also have special, registered inkans for business purposes. Then there are inkans which are not registered and are used for in place of a signature and are generally hand made out of wood and can be very expensive.

For most foreigners living in Japan, an official registered inkan is not really necessary, but a personal inkan can come in handy. This type of inkan is specially made with the individual’s last name, but not registered and is for stamping forms that are used on a daily basis and other official documents that do not require a registered inkan. For example: the application used to open a bank account or setting up auto payments for utilities and the like.

There are also self-inking inkans, which are made of rubber and are used for a wide range of things such as signing for a package being delivered to signing off on memos and notes being passed around an office. If you are Japanese you probably own several of these, along with an official registered family inkan. Also, if you have a Japanese family name, these inkans can be easily found at most stationary and book stores. If not, then you need to have one made.

This is where the H&R Group can help. If you are in Japan short term or long term and want to have a personal inkan made, please get in touch with the H&R Group and they will help you with converting your family name to Japanese katakana characters or even put your last name Japanese kanji characters (if possible) and order the inakn for you.

So, if you don’t have your own person inkan, now is your chance to get one! Even if you don’t find a need for it while you’re in Japan, they sure make great souvenirs and unique gifts. Get one for all your friends and family members!

For more information on how to place an order, contact the H&R Group via their ad listed on Japan Info Swap’s Classified section here. Please understand that orders can only be shipped domestically within Japan.