Japan has a long tradition of using hanko. It’s said to have started with the “King of Na Gold Seal” which was excavated in Fukuoka Prefecture. Made in 57 AD, it was a gift from Emperor Guangwu of Later Han (present-day China). It’s said that the hanko system really took off in the eighth century when an emperor began using a seal. In the middle ages around the 12th century, stylized signatures called “kaou” replaced hankoand became popular. In some situations, this custom is practiced even today, an example being when government ministers take office. It’s said that people began using hanko after the creation of the gonin-gumi (five households) system during the Edo era (17th-19th centuries). The gonin-gumi was a system to govern the people through mutual aid and collective responsibility with its main aim being tax collection. Everyone affixed their hanko on a document that detailed the rules and their representative kept hold of this document. Taking over the custom of the Edo era, the practice of using hanko was adopted by the Meiji government – who restored imperial power – and continues to this day. There are two types of hanko. One is a stamp called a jitsuin. It’s used on contracts and official documents. Jitsuin are registered with the local authorities. For important contracts, a certificate of the seal’s authenticity is attached to the document on which the stamp is used. In this case, the two copies are partially superimposed over one another and each party affixes his jitsuin in such a way that the impression covers both copies. This serves as proof that the contract was agreed upon.