Taking Japanese Hanko Culture to the World: The Vision of Matsumori Takeo

Interview with Takeo Matsumori, CEO of Toyodo Co., Ltd. (Hanko Square)

Profile

• Name: Takeo Matsumori
• Hometown: Nagasaki City
• Education: Withdrew from Toyo University, Faculty of Business Administration
• Hobbies: Traveling, fishing, reading
• Career Path:
  • Worked at Sunpole Co., Ltd. and Nittaku Kanko Co., Ltd.
  • Became independent at age 25
  • Founded Toyodo at age 30
  • Expanded sales channels by cultivating government offices and large corporations, developing an agency system, and establishing the foundation for franchising.
  • Launched the Hanko Hiroba brand at age 48
  • Reached 100 franchise stores by age 55
  • Current goal: To make hanko (Japanese seals) a global culture, coexisting alongside signatures as a universal way of proving identity.

From Student Part-Timer to Entrepreneur

Matsumori’s journey began as a university student working part-time in a seal shop. Living alone in Tokyo, he needed to support himself. The seal business caught his eye because of its high margins and the perception that it was run mostly by elderly shopkeepers—he thought young energy could transform it.

During the Okinawa reversion to Japan, he boldly distributed flyers promoting seals as essential for Japanese documentation. Within one week, sales exceeded 100 million yen, proving the demand and sparking his lifelong passion for the hanko business.

Building a Bold Sales Style

At 25, Matsumori struck out on his own. Initially selling directly to small companies, he soon realized the limits of door-to-door sales. Instead, he approached large corporations, proposing in-house sales of seals at their cafeterias and shops. He persuaded companies by offering to return 5% of sales to employee welfare programs, winning contracts with many major corporations. His fearless, proactive sales style became a hallmark of his success.

Expanding Beyond Hanko

By his mid-40s, Matsumori opened his first store, recognizing that a physical location enhanced credibility and customer trust. He soon launched a rare franchise model in the industry, which has now grown to over 100 stores nationwide.

Toyodo’s strategy goes beyond seals. Anticipating customer needs, the company added services like business card printing, key duplication, signage, and even website creation for new businesses. This “business convenience store” model allowed Toyodo to thrive in both analog and digital eras.

A Global Dream: Hanko as World Culture

Despite Japan’s digital transformation, Matsumori sees new opportunities. He launched the World Hanko Registration Center in 2023, enabling overseas users to register seals for identity verification. Though initially met with skepticism, the service has gained traction among European artists who combine seals with their signatures for authenticity.

Matsumori envisions a future where contracts worldwide use both a signature and a seal. He believes countries could benefit financially from adopting official seal registration systems, just as Japan has done.

Philosophy: Independence and Ambition

For Matsumori, independence is key to innovation. He recalls many challenges—running out of funds as a young entrepreneur, facing uncertainty—but insists these moments sparked creativity rather than despair. He encourages his employees to cultivate independence and ambition, believing that even if nine out of ten attempts fail, one success is enough to build the future.

Message to Students

“Don’t fear challenges—see them as opportunities. Happiness can make us complacent, but hardship sparks new ideas. With independence and ambition, you will grow and succeed.”