Although foreigners living in Japan can use their signature in most situations they’ll encounter, there are few situations where having a hanko seal can come…

Hanko culture in peril As we reported earlier, the coronavirus pandemic has deepened concerns over Japan’s traditional reliance on analog hanko seals for approving and…

Despite Japan’s high-tech image abroad, there is, at times, a surprising lack of modern technology. This is particularly true in business settings. Many offices still…

Whenever you need to prove your identity in documents, you might think to use a signature, but in Japan, people use a hanko (判子) instead….

Often used in lieu of signatures, hanko (personalized seals displaying one’s name) are a necessary means of identification to stamp official documents in everything from…

Hanko culture in the digital age While a growing number of banks and government bodies now allow customers to handle their business digitally and do…

Train gropers in Japan One of the most unfortunate aspects of using the train or subway in Japan, especially in crowded urban centers, is the…

Hanko For Non-Japanese Whether it’s done out of necessity or just for fun, it’s not unusual for foreign residents or even non-Japanese visitors to make…

We all know seals are adorable, but it looks like seals know they’re adorable too. The staff at Mombetsu Land in Hokkaido Prefecture recently handed…

This man was just hanging out on his boat when an unexpected friend suddenly jumped aboard to join him. “Anybody looking for a seal? I…

At an aquarium in Yokohama called “Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise” lives a seal who sleeps in such a cute way. Photos of this seal taking…

What started out as a dive in the waters off the Isle of Scilly turned into a chance encounter with a friendly seal for Gary…

In Japan, when there are some left-over rice, they are very often wrapped inside a plastic wrap and put into freezer for later use. A…