Hanko, the ink stamps that Japanese people use in the place of signatures, is a vital part of Japanese life and culture. Everyone living in Japan has its own unique seal used for official business, such as for banking and contracts. Here, you can experience carving Japanese characters into stone to create a hanko of your own. This activity commemorates a historical feat in Esashi from 170 years ago when Rai Mikisaburo wrote 100 poems and Takeshiro Matsuura carved the titles onto 100 hankos all in the span of one day. For your very own souvenir seal, be sure to choose characters that are imbued with personal meaning and enjoy the age-old sight of your creation crisply stamped in traditional red ink.
