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In the middle of nowhere!
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Posts: 537
Join Date: May 2007
Location: 山口県
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08-22-2007, 04:07 AM
From Wikipedia:
Quote:
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The first evidence of writing in Japan is a hanko dating from AD 57, made of solid gold and belonging to the Emperor. At first, only the Emperor and his most trusted vassals held hanko, as they were a symbol of the Emperor's authority. Noblemen began using their own personal hanko after 750, and samurai began using them sometime in the Middle Ages. Samurai were permitted exclusive use of red ink. After modernization began in 1870, hanko finally came into general use throughout Japanese society.
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