Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I’m currently an ALT with the JET program and I will be leaving the program in August. However, I will not be leaving Japan as I have already found another job here. My BOE is asking me to have a new hanko made, and leave the one that I’ve been using to stamp important documents for four years with them when I leave. The reason being that they paid for it to be made four years ago when I first arrived.
It sounds suspicious to me, and I would like to tell them no. Thoughts or advice?
2 comments
Hello! I’m not sure if you’ve already made your decision or not, but it seems common for the BoE to hold onto our hanko after finishing up on the program (usually if it’s needed for any paperwork after a participant departs and returns to their home country). That being said, you are someone who intends to stay here for the foreseeable future, so I’m not sure why they personally would still need it and why you couldn’t handle any of the paperwork on your own while you’re still in the country.
Their reasoning seems… poor, but my guess is that it’s just “how they do things” (especially if there were other JETs before you). I wouldn’t think they had any ill intentions to use it against you, but maybe you could always offer to buy it from them if you are worried about it. My hanko was around 1500 yen or so.
My BOE has done this for all leaving ALTs as well, claiming that they need it to finalize leaving paperwork and for the pension refund.