Hanko (stamp)
Hanko ( Japanese 判 子 ) and Inkan ( 印鑑 ) are name stamps that have the same function in Japan as the signature in Europe . Both companies, companies and private individuals can run Hanko.
The stamps are colored for use with a paste of cinnabar and oil, as well as silk or vegetable fibers as a binding agent. They are carefully cleaned after use.
species
Hanko can be divided into the following types with decreasing degree of formality:
- Jitsuin ( 実 印 , "real stamp"): These are officially registered stamps. They are required for transactions and contracts in which a certified signature is mandatory.
- Ginkō-in ( 銀行 印 , "bank stamp"): These are stamps that are not registered and are used for subordinate purposes. They are assigned to a person internally as part of their assignment (e.g. banking transactions).
- Mitome-in ( 認 め 印 , "private stamp "): Use for any cases in which a signature is "simply" made (receipts, proof of ownership, etc.). These are also unregistered and usually only contain the family name.
Jitsuin
Jitsuin are registered by an authority. There you get a "certified seal impression" ( 印鑑 登録 証明書 , inkan tōroku shōmeisho ). For a business / contract that prescribes the Jitsuin, another document is required, which also contains all the data, is requested by the authority and is attached to the contract. Each person can only register one jitsuin. Some banks require the Jitsuin when opening an account. The purchase of a car, house and real estate can also make the jitsuin necessary. Jitsuin are kept under lock and key. There are precise regulations for material, size, text content and production method. Rubber stamps, as can be bought in many souvenir shops, are not permitted as a registered seal.
Foreigners with an alien registration card (residence permit) are also entitled to use a jitsuin. Foreign names may be engraved in Romaji (Latin script), Katakana , Hiragana (syllabary) or Kanji (Chinese characters).
Jitsuin have the status of a seal and are therefore considered unique and associated with their owner.
Production, material, fonts
Traditionally, an Inkan / Hanko is carved on one end of a small block of hardwood , bone, ivory , marble or soapstone , with a diameter between 25 and 75 mm. The Chinese characters are mostly used for the names, in the seal script that was used for this purpose 3,000 years ago . Seals for common family names can be bought ready-made, but since a hanko is a very personal item, many Japanese go to a seal maker and choose high quality material.
history
The Chinese imperial seal of Na made of solid gold from the year 57 is the first sign of written culture in Japan. As symbols of authority, the Hanko were reserved for the direct vassals of the Tennō .
Hanko of other aristocrats have also been proven from around the year 750. With the rise of the samurai , they began to have seals made for themselves. Red was also reserved for them as a stamp color.
During the Meiji Restoration (1868), when every Japanese had to take on a name , the use of a name seal spread among all classes of the population.
Usage today
In modern Japan, most people have multiple seals. Seals of men are often larger than those of women and supervisors in companies have larger ones than their subordinates.
Trivia
Another important instrument to identify yourself in Japan is the business card ( 名 刺 meishi ).
As with banknotes, technological advances have also led to better and better counterfeiting options for the Hanko.
See also
literature
- Hans Spörry: The stamp system in Japan . Lohbauer, Zurich 1901, p. 66 ( staatsbibliothek-berlin.de - 8 °, 2 plates, ill.).
- F. Fuhse: The stamp system in Japan . In: Globus . tape 81 , no. 12 , 1902, ISSN 0935-0535 , p. 185-187 .
Web links
- Kei Ishii: Japanese signature stamps - present and history - expert opinion for the project group digital signatures at the European Academy Bad Neuenahr under the direction of O. Ulrich and CJ Langenbach, September 2000 (PDF, 2.5 MB)