Inkan

When I moved to Japan for the first time (around 8 years ago) as an English teacher, I never had an inkan (or hanko), probably because I had no use for one, and my company took care of all the important things (such as renting my apartment, utilities, etc). This time, when I moved to Okinawa, my company advised me that I would be required to get an inkan, and have it registered with the city hall in order to do things like buying a car (pretty much a must if you live in Okinawa as the public transport situation consists of buses).

Anyway, an inkan is a stamp/seal of your name used instead of your signature on documents. My company ordered one for me and I just had to collect it from the shop when it was ready. This was handy, but it meant I didn't really get any say on the font, or the way it looked.

My inkan just says my surname in katakana ブレナン (bu-re-na-n)

What my seal looks like

Of course I had to get this adorable Hello Kitty inkan case to store it in

It has it's own little ink pot stuck to the inside of the case so your inkan is ready to use whenever you need it!