State Seal of Japan

The Country Seal of Japan (Japanese: 国璽, formerly 國璽 "kokuji") is the Japanese official seal of state. It is cubic. The characters 大日本國璽 (Great Japan Nation Seal) are carved in it in the Archaic script (篆書 tensho). When written vertically in two lines, the right-hand side is 大日本 ("Dai Nippon") and the left-hand side is "國璽"("Kokuji").

History

The seal is made from pure gold, measures 3 s (about 9cm) and weighs 4.5kg. Abei Rekido, the Kyoto-based master-hand of the seal, (安部井 櫟堂, 1805-1883) was ordered to produce the seal, and he manufactured it with the Privy Seal of Japan in one year in 1874. Although there was no character of "帝" (imperial) into the seal sentence since it was manufactured before the name of a country of Japan was formally known as 大日本帝国 ("Dai Nippon Teikoku") by the Meiji Constitution, it was not reminted at the time of the Meiji Constitution establishment. Under the Meiji Constitution, the case where the Privy Seal or State Seal is pushed had been defined on the official note formula (公文式: "kōbunshiki" 1886 - 1907) and the official formula code (公式令: "kōreisiki" 1907 - 1947). However, the code was abolished with enforcement of the Constitution of Japan, and there is currently no replacement statute. The State Seal is only used for certificate decoration (勲記: "kunki").

It is stored in a specially designated leather bag. When used, a special ruler is used, and cinnabar seal ink specially made in the national Printing Bureau is used so that it should not bend or shift.

Reproduction of the State Seal and the Privy Seal for unauthorized purposes are offenses, punishable by two years or more of terminable penal servitude according to Article 164 the 1st clause of the criminal code.

ee also

*Privy Seal of Japan
*Imperial Seal of Japan