Name seals in Japan
In the previous entry titled "Japanese coins and bills", I wrote about what the Japanese currency would look like.
Here, I would like to write about banks in Japan.
When I came to the states, banks here were one of the culture shock for me.
For starter, banks here open till 5pm or 7pm depending on the banks.
In Japan, banks are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 3 pm, and closed on weekends. You can use ATM on weekends,and you will see the ATM machines at banks,at department stores, at the post office,at the convenience stores,and at the airport.
I notice that here in the states, if you wish to use the ATM machines at the banks where your account is not registered, banks would charge about $2-$3 per withdrawal and, I do not remember you would get charged that much in Japan.
In Japan, banks are not just for depositing/withdrawing/saving/transferring money. You can pay the utility bills at the banks as well. In fact, if post office or convenience store was closer to you than banks, you can go to either post office or convenience stores and pay your utility bills there.
My husband has told me that he could pay the utility bill in the past at the grocery store. In Japan, I do not think we could pay the utility bill at the grocery store.
Another thing is that, Japanese banks in the city also have foreign currency exchange service, and as long as common currencies,they have foreign currency on hand and you can get them on the same day.
Here in the states, you can exchange foreign currency at the particular malls, but in Japan, you cannot exchange currency at the mall/department stores but banks if not at the airport.
Opening,closing, and other services at the banks in Japan require the personal name seal for bank called "Gin-kou In".
Using signatures and ID cards to all services at the banks are norm here in the states, but in Japan, we use name seals instead.
There are three kinds of seals. One is called "Mi-to-me In". We use the "Mi-to-me In" for informal documents at the office or at home.
Another kind is called "Ji-tsu In" and these are the seals to use for legal/official documents or contracts such as when you buy house,cars etc.. "Ji-tsu In" is legally recognized individual seal. When you register the "Ji-tsu In", you will receive the certificate for the seal. Often times, you will be asked to present the certificate along with seal.
Another kind is called "Gin-kou In". Gin-kou means "Bank" in Japanese and, it is the seal used for all the services at the bank.
When you open the account at the bank, you will get the balance booklet and,you will register your "Gin-kou In" and in the booklet, you will find one of the page has your registered "Gin-kou In" with protected cover on the page along with other necessary information.
Interesting thing is that, in Japan, we do not get personal check books. To pay the bills, you will get the forms sent to your house and pays at the post office,banks,or convenience stores or set the bills be paid automatically every month from your bank account.
To use the "Mi-tome In" or "Ji-tsu In" or "Gin-kou In", you will press the seals onto the red ink pad and press it over the documents to imprint the seal.
Usually, when you go to the bank,there are red ink pad at the counter for you to use. You can find tissue papers to wipe the ink off from the seal at the counter as well.
I came across youtube video of Hanko,and you can see what seals look like.
For Japanese, seals are made in unique style of Chinese characters and for those from overseas, seals will be in Kata kana;different style of Japanese letters.
The poster call the seal "Han-ko" in the video clip, but the term "Han-ko" can mean all kinds of stamps including animal characters engraved to stamp on etc, and the term carry less important meaning.
Therefore, for name seal, you would most likely hear the word "In kan" that means "seal" in Japanese.
Name seal in Japan..
If you were a blog subscriber or reading this from facebook, please click here to watch the video clip.
One thing I found it different from Japan regarding credit card is that, in Japan,there is no credit card score. I am surprised that real estate companies etc would check your credit scores and use that to see if you are kind of person that pay loans etc on time etc and make contract with you.
In Japan, if you did not use credit card, it is considered as "good standing in financial management" for yourself. Here in the states,I wonder if you did not use credit card at all, credit card score is low?
Also, since we use cash for most purchases in Japan, there are no debit card, credit card question be asked,as well as purchase does not require signatures on the receipt to make a purchase unless you would use the credit card at the store.
These things were some of my culture shock experience in the states.
Here, I would like to write about banks in Japan.
When I came to the states, banks here were one of the culture shock for me.
For starter, banks here open till 5pm or 7pm depending on the banks.
In Japan, banks are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 3 pm, and closed on weekends. You can use ATM on weekends,and you will see the ATM machines at banks,at department stores, at the post office,at the convenience stores,and at the airport.
I notice that here in the states, if you wish to use the ATM machines at the banks where your account is not registered, banks would charge about $2-$3 per withdrawal and, I do not remember you would get charged that much in Japan.
In Japan, banks are not just for depositing/withdrawing/saving/transferring money. You can pay the utility bills at the banks as well. In fact, if post office or convenience store was closer to you than banks, you can go to either post office or convenience stores and pay your utility bills there.
My husband has told me that he could pay the utility bill in the past at the grocery store. In Japan, I do not think we could pay the utility bill at the grocery store.
Another thing is that, Japanese banks in the city also have foreign currency exchange service, and as long as common currencies,they have foreign currency on hand and you can get them on the same day.
Here in the states, you can exchange foreign currency at the particular malls, but in Japan, you cannot exchange currency at the mall/department stores but banks if not at the airport.
Opening,closing, and other services at the banks in Japan require the personal name seal for bank called "Gin-kou In".
Using signatures and ID cards to all services at the banks are norm here in the states, but in Japan, we use name seals instead.
There are three kinds of seals. One is called "Mi-to-me In". We use the "Mi-to-me In" for informal documents at the office or at home.
Another kind is called "Ji-tsu In" and these are the seals to use for legal/official documents or contracts such as when you buy house,cars etc.. "Ji-tsu In" is legally recognized individual seal. When you register the "Ji-tsu In", you will receive the certificate for the seal. Often times, you will be asked to present the certificate along with seal.
Another kind is called "Gin-kou In". Gin-kou means "Bank" in Japanese and, it is the seal used for all the services at the bank.
When you open the account at the bank, you will get the balance booklet and,you will register your "Gin-kou In" and in the booklet, you will find one of the page has your registered "Gin-kou In" with protected cover on the page along with other necessary information.
Interesting thing is that, in Japan, we do not get personal check books. To pay the bills, you will get the forms sent to your house and pays at the post office,banks,or convenience stores or set the bills be paid automatically every month from your bank account.
To use the "Mi-tome In" or "Ji-tsu In" or "Gin-kou In", you will press the seals onto the red ink pad and press it over the documents to imprint the seal.
Usually, when you go to the bank,there are red ink pad at the counter for you to use. You can find tissue papers to wipe the ink off from the seal at the counter as well.
I came across youtube video of Hanko,and you can see what seals look like.
For Japanese, seals are made in unique style of Chinese characters and for those from overseas, seals will be in Kata kana;different style of Japanese letters.
The poster call the seal "Han-ko" in the video clip, but the term "Han-ko" can mean all kinds of stamps including animal characters engraved to stamp on etc, and the term carry less important meaning.
Therefore, for name seal, you would most likely hear the word "In kan" that means "seal" in Japanese.
Name seal in Japan..
If you were a blog subscriber or reading this from facebook, please click here to watch the video clip.
One thing I found it different from Japan regarding credit card is that, in Japan,there is no credit card score. I am surprised that real estate companies etc would check your credit scores and use that to see if you are kind of person that pay loans etc on time etc and make contract with you.
In Japan, if you did not use credit card, it is considered as "good standing in financial management" for yourself. Here in the states,I wonder if you did not use credit card at all, credit card score is low?
Also, since we use cash for most purchases in Japan, there are no debit card, credit card question be asked,as well as purchase does not require signatures on the receipt to make a purchase unless you would use the credit card at the store.
These things were some of my culture shock experience in the states.
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