Corporate Seal Certificate

What Is an 印鑑証明書?

The 印鑑証明書 (inkan shomeisho), or Corporate Seal Certificate, is an official document issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) that certifies the registered seal impression of a company's representative director. It confirms that the seal impression on the certificate matches the one officially registered for that specific company and representative.

Japan's corporate seal system (印鑑制度) is a fundamental part of business life. While many countries rely primarily on signatures for authentication, Japan uses registered seals (印鑑, inkan) as the primary means of verifying identity and authorizing important transactions. The seal certificate serves as the official proof linking a specific seal impression to a specific company representative.

Types of Corporate Seals

Japanese companies typically maintain three types of seals, each serving a different purpose:

代表印 (Daihyouin) — Representative Seal

This is the most important corporate seal. It is the seal officially registered with the Legal Affairs Bureau and is used for the most significant legal and business transactions. The representative seal is round (typically 18mm in diameter) and contains the company name around the outer ring and the representative's title (e.g., 代表取締役之印) in the center. This is the only seal for which an 印鑑証明書 can be issued.

銀行印 (Ginkouin) — Bank Seal

The bank seal is registered with the company's bank(s) and used for financial transactions including withdrawals, transfers, and check endorsements. It is typically slightly smaller than the representative seal and is kept separately for security. The bank seal is not registered with the Legal Affairs Bureau.

角印 (Kakuin) — Company Stamp

The square company stamp (usually 21–24mm) is used for everyday business documents such as invoices, receipts, contracts of lesser importance, and internal documents. It bears the company name and does not need to be registered anywhere. It functions similarly to a company letterhead stamp.

Seal Registration System

When a company is incorporated in Japan, the representative director must register a seal (印鑑届出) with the Legal Affairs Bureau as part of the incorporation process. This registration creates an official record linking that specific seal impression to the company and its representative. After registration, the company can request 印鑑証明書 certificates as needed.

If the representative director changes, the new representative must register their seal with the Legal Affairs Bureau. Only one representative seal can be registered per representative director at any given time.

When Is It Required?

The corporate seal certificate is required for high-stakes transactions where identity verification is critical:

• Real estate transactions — buying, selling, or mortgaging property requires a seal certificate to prove the authority of the person acting on behalf of the company
• Loan agreements — banks require a recent seal certificate when a company enters into a loan or credit facility
• M&A transactions — mergers, acquisitions, and share transfers require seal certificates from all parties
• Major contracts — government contracts and high-value commercial agreements often require the seal certificate
• Company formation — the initial seal registration is part of the incorporation process
• Changes to registered matters — filings to change directors, address, capital, etc. often require a seal certificate

How to Obtain It

In Person

Visit any Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) and submit an application form along with the 印鑑カード (inkan card), a card issued at the time of initial seal registration that serves as proof of authority to request the certificate. The fee is ¥450 per copy and the certificate is issued the same day.

Online

Requests can be submitted through the 登記・供託オンライン申請システム (online application system). An electronic certificate or the inkan card number is required for authentication.

Validity Period

The seal certificate itself does not have a formal expiration date printed on it. However, most institutions and counterparties require that it be issued within the last 3 months. Banks, real estate agencies, and government offices will typically reject a seal certificate older than 3 months. For this reason, companies frequently need to obtain fresh copies for each transaction.