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I posted this because I find it interesting as a form of authentication, compared to a signature. Especially with one person having multiple seals, for differe

I posted this because I find it interesting as a form of authentication, compared to a signature. Especially with one person having multiple seals, for different purposes.

thwg 7y ago
A few years ago there was a case in China. Someone forged documents in the name of a mayor, using a seal with the mayor's name on it. The authorities later found it fake because the mayor used a different seal design. (Just a random detail in a complicated lawsuit.) It would have been difficult if nobody else had seen his real seal though.
- bruxis 7y ago
  For important hanko seals used in Japan (for business, loans, etc.) they are registered with the local ward office so that wouldn't be an issue.
asutekku 7y ago
This system is far from perfect though. For example: Forget the hanko home? Too bad, you’re sol. Have an generic surname? Be ready to pay for an unique hanko, because the generic ones are sold at minimum for 100¥. Live as an foreigner in japan? Prepare to write your signature again, again and again as the government official requires all the signatures to look exactly the same. It’s also easily copyable if you know how the other person’s hanko looks like. I’m just hoping japanese would move into hand written / electronic authentications. They are much harder to fake and you are not restricted by a small item which you may not always have with you.
- wst_ 7y ago
  As a foreigner you still can make yourself a hanko - just use katakana. You should, even, as there are places (although only few) that won't accept your signature. You can stamp it everywhere, if you want, but honestly? It is much more convenient to just sign wherever you can. Sometimes they will ask you if you have a hanko and would prefer it, but if you don't they would still accept signature.
johnwalkr 7y ago
I can't watch this because I'm in Japan and its geoblocked but hanko can be convenient. - you can leave a hanko with an authorized person to sign on your behalf (eg when you're a CEO traveling abroad). - you can unregister your hanko if it's stolen - as you said you can have multiple hanko for various purposes. For large purposes like buying a house, it will be verified against the hanko the you registered in your city On the other hand, - if it wears out or part of it breaks, OCR algorithms can flag your hanko stamp and stop a basic transaction. - As a foreigner, you have the right to sign instead of use a hanko, but in use for banking or whatever, it is run through the same hanko verification OCR algorithms, meaning your transactions using signatures are sometimes flagged due to 2 slightly different signatures - A stolen hanko is a real liability risk (this is why you should not use your banking hanko for accepting packages, etc, but rather use a separate one)
- zeeZ 7y ago
  > I can't watch this because I'm in Japan and its geoblocked but hanko can be convenient. - you can leave a hanko with an authorized person to sign on your behalf (eg when you're a CEO traveling abroad). - you can unregister your hanko if it's stolen - as you said you can have multiple hanko for various purposes. For large purposes like buying a house, it will be verified against the hanko the you registered in your city > As a foreigner, you have the right to sign instead of use a hanko, but in use for banking or whatever, it is run through the same hanko verification OCR algorithms, meaning your transactions using signatures are sometimes flagged due to 2 slightly different signatures As someone who was required to sign something at the post office and literally sent home to practice their signature until it resembles one on an almost 10 years old ID, I thing I'd prefer a stamp. I would not get anything done.

I posted this because I find it interesting as a form of authentication, compared to a signature. Especially with one person having multiple seals, for different purposes.

thwg 7y ago

A few years ago there was a case in China. Someone forged documents in the name of a mayor, using a seal with the mayor's name on it. The authorities later found it fake because the mayor used a different seal design. (Just a random detail in a complicated lawsuit.) It would have been difficult if nobody else had seen his real seal though.

bruxis 7y ago
For important hanko seals used in Japan (for business, loans, etc.) they are registered with the local ward office so that wouldn't be an issue.

asutekku 7y ago

This system is far from perfect though. For example: Forget the hanko home? Too bad, you’re sol. Have an generic surname? Be ready to pay for an unique hanko, because the generic ones are sold at minimum for 100¥. Live as an foreigner in japan? Prepare to write your signature again, again and again as the government official requires all the signatures to look exactly the same. It’s also easily copyable if you know how the other person’s hanko looks like. I’m just hoping japanese would move into hand written / electronic authentications. They are much harder to fake and you are not restricted by a small item which you may not always have with you.

wst_ 7y ago
As a foreigner you still can make yourself a hanko - just use katakana. You should, even, as there are places (although only few) that won't accept your signature. You can stamp it everywhere, if you want, but honestly? It is much more convenient to just sign wherever you can. Sometimes they will ask you if you have a hanko and would prefer it, but if you don't they would still accept signature.

johnwalkr 7y ago

I can't watch this because I'm in Japan and its geoblocked but hanko can be convenient. - you can leave a hanko with an authorized person to sign on your behalf (eg when you're a CEO traveling abroad). - you can unregister your hanko if it's stolen - as you said you can have multiple hanko for various purposes. For large purposes like buying a house, it will be verified against the hanko the you registered in your city On the other hand, - if it wears out or part of it breaks, OCR algorithms can flag your hanko stamp and stop a basic transaction. - As a foreigner, you have the right to sign instead of use a hanko, but in use for banking or whatever, it is run through the same hanko verification OCR algorithms, meaning your transactions using signatures are sometimes flagged due to 2 slightly different signatures - A stolen hanko is a real liability risk (this is why you should not use your banking hanko for accepting packages, etc, but rather use a separate one)

zeeZ 7y ago
> I can't watch this because I'm in Japan and its geoblocked but hanko can be convenient. - you can leave a hanko with an authorized person to sign on your behalf (eg when you're a CEO traveling abroad). - you can unregister your hanko if it's stolen - as you said you can have multiple hanko for various purposes. For large purposes like buying a house, it will be verified against the hanko the you registered in your city > As a foreigner, you have the right to sign instead of use a hanko, but in use for banking or whatever, it is run through the same hanko verification OCR algorithms, meaning your transactions using signatures are sometimes flagged due to 2 slightly different signatures As someone who was required to sign something at the post office and literally sent home to practice their signature until it resembles one on an almost 10 years old ID, I thing I'd prefer a stamp. I would not get anything done.