During the COVID-19 lockdown it became clear that Japan has a ‘hanko’ problem. In Japan inkan (印鑑) or hanko (判子) are used as a seal or stamp in place of a signature on personal documents, paperwork, contracts, etc. but due to the importance of hanko in the Japanese business environment, the COVID-19 lockdown proved a difficult hurdle for many businesses. Businesses that required employees to physically stamp paperwork were unable to meet the lockdown guidelines suggested by the government. Such seals have such a strong place in Japan’s bureaucracy that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has ordered the drafting of new laws to bypass this tradition in order to aid companies in allowing their employees to work remotely. Should Japan abandon the use of Hanko seals?
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