Tokyo, Jan. 21, 2021—For decades, Japanese public offices have been using the ‘Hanko’ stamp for all administrative documents for certification and approval, a symbol of bureaucracy’s authority requiring the private sector to emulate the practice. New administrative minister Taro Kono is demanding that the Hanko tradition be repealed for good, replaced by digital certification
methods.
As many as 15,000 national government documents require using the Hanko stamp now. Those are blood-orange color seals that are stamped on such important papers as the Emperor’s certificate to the new prime minister and deeds on property transactions, as well as internal and inter-bureaucracy documents on tariff rates on imports and exports, tax codes, and so on.
Kono is not saying that nationally important documents should not use the Hanko. He is saying that day-to-day administrative documents that currently require small Hanko stamps, known as Mitome-in, should be replaced by digital authorization methods. He also says the Hanko registration system with the government should be abolished.
Here’s a hitch: What to do about the Hanko stamps that the private-sector uses for inter-corporate transactions and submitting to the government and other public-sector entities.
Chances are that the bureaucracy would welcome the Hanko repeal if digital certification systems can be developed replacing the Hanko stamp procedure – without resulting in the loss (while welcoming a decrease) of bureaucracy work.
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