Help Hanko advice!

CalvinJH · 13 Jun 2017

Hey all,
I'm very keen on purchasing a Hanko both for my personal name and family name (surname).

I'm after some recommendations on which characters to use and any recommended Hanko artists/manufacturers. I'd like something that will last a long time, not worried about price as long as it is good quality.

From what I understand, a valid Hanko can combine script from Kanji, katakana and hiragana, is this correct?

My first name is: Calvin
Surname: Hartwell

Different websites translate these names differently. For example:

Calvin:
カルビン (karubin)
佳琉敏 (karubin)

(karuban)
Hartwell:
ハートウェル (haatoweru)
羽桃英琉 (haatoweru)

(Hatsueru)

(Hatsueru)

Many thanks for your help and support!

Cheers,

- Calvin

nahadef · 13 Jun 2017

My hanko is just the katakana of my family name, and it's legit.

If I were you, I'd pick from 1 & 3 of your surname, whichever you find most aesthetically pleasing.

CalvinJH · 13 Jun 2017

nahadef said:
...

Thanks - do you have any recommendations on material or manufacturer?

Petaris · 13 Jun 2017

@nice gaijin posted a while back about a company he was doing work for that was trying to make it easier for foreign residents to order/purchase hanko.
You can read the thread here: Japanese Name Stamps - Hanko/Inkan/Shachihata | Japan Forum

Maybe it will be of some help.

Edit: Post #19 in that thread has a link to the website if your interested in checking it out.

Glenski · 13 Jun 2017

Same as nahadef. Mine is katakana, too. Any hanko shop will make one for you, whether it's a stand-alone shop on the street, or one that is inside a department store.

nice gaijin · 13 Jun 2017

hello @CalvinJH, it's true that I created a website for a company in Japan to sell hanko stamps to an English-speaking audience. So far we have a lot of happy customers! I hope it proves useful:

Home - Hanko Square

Our service includes a free consultation on choosing the right way to write your name in katakana (or kanji if you so desire). For legal uses, katakana is the way to go. They have several different styles of writing available as well (and even say which styles are most popular depending on the kind of hanko it's for: Hanko Styles by Usage - Hanko Square

You can choose from a variety of materials, such as makie (lacquered) horn, wood, or even titanium or gemstones. If you're an artist, we also offer square hand-carved artist chops: Rakkan-in (Square Artist Chop) - Hanko Square

Don't forget to get a case and an inkpad to protect and get the most out of your hanko (the inkpad in the stamp cases are for emergencies only; we recommend getting a separate inkpad for regular use)

CalvinJH · 13 Jun 2017

nice gaijin said:
...

Thanks all for the help! @nice gaijin, I dropped you a mail via your website.

Another question, do companies still use them? Like this? Do you produce those too?

I believe this is "Yamaguchi Thread Company Seal".

nice gaijin · 13 Jun 2017

We do also cater to business clients; there are several different kinds of stamps available for businesses and organizations. As I understand it, the minimum for setting up a legal entity is a set of three: Hanko for Business - Hanko Square

@CalvinJH, you used one of the contact forms on the site?

nahadef · 13 Jun 2017

CalvinJH said:
Thanks - do you have any recommendations on material or manufacturer?

It seems like nice gaijin has stepped in, but the one I'm using now is really nice: it's a spring loaded stamp, so you don't need a stamp pad. My wife ordered it online. I'll ask her about it if you need.

nice gaijin · 14 Jun 2017

nahadef said:
It seems like nice gaijin has stepped in, but the one I'm using now is really nice: it's a spring loaded stamp, so you don't need a stamp pad. My wife ordered it online. I'll ask her about it if you need.

Self-inking stamps are called shachihata. They can be very convenient, and are often used as cheap mitome-in to sign for packages and the like. They cannot be registered with the government as jitsu-in, and may also be rejected by banks because the nature of the materials used (plastic and rubber) can't ensure the consistency they need to check the stamp for authenticity. While the parent company for hanko-square does make shachihata, we only offer hanko made of hard materials through the site.

Some more information can be found on our FAQ page

Mike Cash · 14 Jun 2017

nice gaijin said:
Self-inking stamps are called shachihata.

Interestingly, in precisely the way that facial tissues are called kleenex, regardless of who made them. The Shachihata company actually does have competitors, although the average man in the street probably couldn't name one off the top of his head.

Over the past several months I have had quite a number of custom made rubber stamps made by a shop in Osaka and without hesitation can commend their services to anyone in the need of anything stamp related, whether it be ready-made products or custom made. The variety is wide, the ordering is easy, the quality is good, and the prices are reasonable.

印鑑・はんこの印章事業部門

nice gaijin · 14 Jun 2017

Mike Cash said:
Interestingly, in precisely the way that facial tissues are called kleenex, regardless of who made them. The Shachihata company actually does have competitors, although the average man in the street probably couldn't name one off the top of his head.

Over the past several months I have had quite a number of custom made rubber stamps made by a shop in Osaka and without hesitation can commend their services to anyone in the need of anything stamp related, whether it be ready-made products or custom made. The variety is wide, the ordering is easy, the quality is good, and the prices are reasonable.

印鑑・はんこの印章事業部門

Yes, just like Kleenex, Shachihata is a trademark that has become synonymous with its product.

Thank you for the link!

Toritoribe · 14 Jun 2017

CalvinJH said:
I believe this is "Yamaguchi Thread Company Seal".

Yes, it's 山口製絲株式會社之印 Seal of Yamaguchi Seishi Co.Ltd. in seal script. (製絲/製糸 Seishi is used especially for "silk reeling/filature", not just "thread or yarn making".)

CalvinJH · 5 Jul 2017

Thanks for the help all!

JimmySeal · 13 Aug 2017

Most likely you've bought your hanko by now, but for anyone else tuning in, I would advise you check with your local government about what they will allow you to register on your hanko.

To take one of the first examples I found on Google:
外国人住民の方の登録できる印鑑｜松戸市

This particular city's page says that they will allow the following (assuming a foreign resident with an alphabetic name):
- Full name in alphabetic letters
- Surname in alphabetic letters
- Given name in alphabetic letters
- Last name and initial(s) of given name(s) in alphabetic letters
- (If your juminhyo includes a note indicating the katakana spelling of your name) Your full name, or first, or last name in katakana
- (If you have registered an alias (通称) in Japanese characters) That alias

Help Hanko advice!

CalvinJH

Kouhai

nahadef

Quietly exploding

CalvinJH

Kouhai

Petaris

Sailing away...

Glenski

Just me

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

CalvinJH

Kouhai

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

nahadef

Quietly exploding

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

CalvinJH

Kouhai

JimmySeal

Tubthumper

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