銀行印(ぎんこういん)

銀行印(ぎんこういん) is one of the three traditional categories of personal seals in Japan, alongside 実印(じついん) and 認印(みとめいん). It is registered with a particular bank, kept separate from everyday-use seals, and produced when authorizing transactions like passbook reissues and large withdrawals.

Forms

• 銀行(ぎんこう) ("bank") + 印(いん) ("seal, stamp") → 銀行印(ぎんこういん)

The three-seal system

• 実印(じついん): the registered legal seal — registered at city hall, used for major contracts (real estate, car purchases)
• 銀行印(ぎんこういん): bank seal — registered with a specific bank for account business
• 認印(みとめいん): everyday seal — for routine acknowledgements (parcels, in-house documents); not officially registered

Common collocations

• 銀行印(ぎんこういん)を登録(とうろく)する: to register a bank seal
• 銀行印(ぎんこういん)を押(お)す: to stamp the bank seal
• 銀行印(ぎんこういん)を変更(へんこう)する: to change one's registered bank seal
• 銀行印(ぎんこういん)紛失(ふんしつ): loss of a bank seal
• 銀行印(ぎんこういん)届(とどけ): notice of bank-seal change

Similar / related terms

• 印鑑(いんかん): a personal seal (general term)
• はんこ: stamp, seal (everyday word, written in kana)
• 実印(じついん): registered legal seal
• 認印(みとめいん): everyday seal (not registered)
• 印鑑(いんかん)登録(とうろく): seal registration (the act of officially registering)
• 朱肉(しゅにく): red ink-paste used to stamp seals

Cultural note

• Japan's seal system has long substituted for handwritten signatures in many official contexts. Each individual is expected to keep their 実印(じついん), 銀行印(ぎんこういん), and 認印(みとめいん) separate so that loss of one does not compromise the others.
• Many banks now allow online and signature-based authentication for routine transactions; even so, a 銀行印(ぎんこういん) is often still required to open the account or make major changes.