National Sep 27, 2020
As the new administrative reform minister, Taro Kono declares war on fax machines
by Tomohiro Osaki
Kono said his ongoing crusade against hanko will go a long way toward phasing out the nation’s entrenched fixation on fax.
National Sep 25, 2020
Japan's red-tape 'hotline' open again for gripes, Taro Kono says
Messages will be delivered to related government agencies after being checked by officials of the Cabinet Office and the Cabinet Secretariat.
Business Aug 25, 2020
Hanko specialist hopes to stamp his mark on post-coronavirus Japan
by Noriyuki Suzuki
Fumikazu Matsuzaki is confident that personal seals still have a place in Japanese society, and is branching out to ensure their survival.
National Jul 25, 2020
Twenty years after digital push, Japanese government still stuck under piles of paper
by Tetsushi Kajimoto
Two decades after Japan rolled out an ambitious plan to go digital, the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the government's deeply rooted technological shortcomings as ministries remain stuck in a paper-driven culture that experts say is hurting productivity. While Tokyo has made "digital transformation" its main ...
National Jun 30, 2020
Market growing for digital alternatives to hanko seal system
Japan's system of stamping official documents has been seen as a hindrance to teleworking by some.
National Jun 27, 2020
LDP lawmakers call for maintaining Japan's hanko personal seal system
Ruling party group calls accusations that system is preventing the wider use of teleworking amid the coronavirus pandemic "ungrounded bashing."
Business / Corporate May 24, 2020
Growing need for digital signatures gives Japanese firm a massive boost
by Min Jeong Lee and Nao Sano
The coronavirus pandemic is yanking corporate Japan into the 21st century and raising the shares of Bengo4.com Inc.
National Apr 26, 2020
Japan to review top obstacle to telework — the personal seal
The long-standing administrative custom requiring official documents be stamped with personal seals has been a major bottleneck in containing the spread of COVID-19.
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Feb 22, 2020
Rethinking the need for personal stamps and seals in modern society
by Philip Brasor
Last month, MUFG Bank Ltd. started offering ¥1,000 to each of its first 100,000 customers willing to give up their paper passbooks. MUFG wants people to switch to online banking, which is cheaper for banks — and not just because they can save on ...
National | Regional voices: Chubu Apr 22, 2019
As Japan's banks snub personal stamps, hanko makers pin hopes on growing foreign population
With Japan's foreign population expected to grow in light of the new visa statuses introduced this month, makers of hanko (personal seals) see a new opportunity for business. The traditional seals are still required to conduct various kinds of transactions in Japan, from purchasing cars ...
National Apr 4, 2019
Records bearing Emperor's seal and signature and Japan Cabinet meeting documents to be kept on paper
The government considers it essential to save such public records in paper form in order to preserve their historical value, officials said.
Business / Corporate Mar 9, 2019
Personal seals lose ground as big Japanese banks stop using 1800s technology
It has taken more than a century, but Japanese banks are finally parting ways with a piece of technology that hasn't felt cutting edge since the shogun reigned. Hanko, the personal stamps required for even simple transactions in the country since the 1800s, are getting ...