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Those stamps they are stamped on all types of documents, from goods delivery receipts to marriage certificates, so his footprint in society will be difficult to completely erase.
That is why the government of Japan, in order to accelerate the transition to a digital society, has declared war on them. The new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has denigrated these small stamps that halt the adoption of teleworking in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many people to go to the office to seal documents.
However, the makers of such stamps, such as Takahiro Makino, who make them with tiny, high-quality hand-engraved Chinese-Japanese characters, doubt their craft will disappear. “We don’t need to use things that are no longer needed, but on the other hand, a precious object will always survive.”the 44-year-old man told AFP.
In the past, these stamps were worn by nobility throughout Asia, and in Japan they have been present for almost 2000 years.
In his Tokyo laboratory, Makino start by painting the name of the person or company with black ink on a square of wood that will appear on the stamp. Then he cuts it with a burin. It does so with great care.
“Even if the same font is used, each stamp is different“Because every artisan” adds a touch by adapting to the customer’s needs, “he explains.
Seals decorated like those of Makino costs hundreds of dollars. There are cheaper versions on sale in any store for everyday use. Often parents give them to their children when they reach the age of majority.
In addition to stopping teleworking, it stimulates bureaucracy
Go to its traditional value, The Japanese government has instructed a former defense minister, Taro Kono, to carry out the anti-hanko campaign, and has been leading Japan’s administrative reform since September.
Taro Kono opposes the systematic use of these stamps in ministries. Provides as an example the case of a document that had to be sealed by more than 40 people to validate a decision.
The government’s appeals against bureaucracy seem to bear fruit: lThe national police agency has already announced that it will stop enforcing the use of hanko next year.
The industrial conglomerate Hitachi has also signed up and intends to ban them for internal documents between now and March 2022.
But the cultural battle remains pending. “I was once asked to put my stamp on a piece of paper, scan it and send it” via email, says Sayuri Wataya, 55, an employee of the publishing house.
The rigidity and complexity of the hierarchy, omnipresent in Japanese companies, It can also slow down the digital transition, says Takayuki Watanabe of the Japan Research Institute.
“Often you need the stamp of your superior, then those of the group leader, the section head and the department head“To validate a single document, list.
As a rule, the person with the highest rank places his stamp on the left, and those of his subordinates lean towards him, as if bowing before him.
This accumulation of ink symbolizes that the decision was made collectively, “why everyone wants to be in the same boat ”in case of problems, says accountant Tetsuya Katayama. “In Japan, nobody wants to take responsibility alone“, remember.
According to Watanabe, the government’s anti-hanko campaign will only be effective if it changes the mentality and the way decisions are made, if we progress towards greater individual responsibility.
Otherwise, even if companies digitize the bureaucracy, could replace the hanko “due to the obligation of having to press a button several times”Watanabe warns.
Paradoxically, Keiichi Fukushima, a senior official of the hanko producers association, does not look bad at government projects.
Reduce the use of hanko could restore to these stamps the importance they had in their day, when they were only worn for special occasions, says Fukushima. “It would be a good opportunity to show how important the hanko custom is.”
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