JUDIT KAWAGUCHI

Kazuhiko Hashiguchi, aged 37, is the multilingual owner of 4U Ginza, a tiny hole in the wall smack in the middle of Tokyo's famously expensive Ginza district that is probably Japan's cheapest and fastest hanko (personal seal) and meishi (business card) shop. Hashiguchi is always in a hurry to keep up with the demands of his clients, but at home he adjusts his speed to his children — aged 2, 6 and 8 — whom he adores and whose stamp of approval is what he cares about the most.

A hanko is an impression of yourself on paper, so make it a good one the first time around. Think of your seal as yourself: If you want to mature, grow and succeed in life, you want a beautiful seal to reflect such ambitions. Elderly Japanese usually request a large hanko and they opt for strong materials like ivory or buffalo horn, never wood because it chips easily. Stone is also poor as a material because some parts are so weak that one hit and the seal breaks into tiny pieces.