99% Invisible Hanko: How Japanese got their family names

Language, food, entertainment, we like it all
Forum rules
Wiki Link
Post Reply
User avatar
takenoko
Team Baron
Team Baron
Posts: 36699
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:33 pm
Gender: Toast
Favorite series: All of them
Alignment: Neutral
My boom: stick
Quote: <Lunagel> That's Toei's dumb fault
Type: ISFJ Protector
Location: Yami ni umare, yami ni kisu
Contact:

99% Invisible Hanko: How Japanese got their family names

Post by takenoko »

https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/hanko/

So here's something I didn't know. Apparently a lot of common people didn't register a family name until the Meiji Period. It's weird to think that before then there wasn't a system for common people to establish their families and stuff. Of course, this also lead to Japanese needing hanko for everyday things

Also they talk about how people need to sign with their hanko (the stamp) in person, which is nuts during a pandemic

Edit:
OMG: THe post episode story is about how ivory hanko took off in the 70s and 80s and led to 260,000 elephants being killed for that purpose. Japan was apparently the biggest importer of ivory and its loose ivory regulations are a problem even today. Gross
Post Reply

Return to “Japanese Culture Appreciation”