---
title: "Types and use of seals for business in Japan"
url: https://memocore.ai/memos/6a5f63c363d783ad68709495
project: "Doing Business in Japan"
tags: "japan-business, seals-and-documents"
updated_at: "2026-07-21T12:19:15.209Z"
---

# Types and use of seals for business in Japan

It is important not to confuse a bank seal (銀行印) with a personal-use seal for a credit card (認印) — these are physically different seals that the bank and the card issuer each verify separately; using the wrong one can lead to a card block. Unlike a company, a sole proprietor (個人事業) is not required to register a seal (実印) — an ordinary personal seal (認印) is enough. A stamp bearing the company's address in Japanese is a handy accessory for documents and envelopes, sold on Amazon with customizable text (representative's name, phone number, company name); some users reported uneven printing on certain grades of printer paper — it's worth choosing paper suited to inkan stamping separately. A company seal is also required separately for certain banking procedures, such as getting a cash card at SMBC Trunk.