Danny Wilde wrote:

> Well, at the moment I don't. What happened is that I sometimes need
to
> invoice institutions for my work, and the one I'm dealing with now
requires
> a company name and company stamp, as well as my name and stamp. This
is
> likely to happen again so I'm thinking I can save time by doing it
now
> rather than trying to get them to accept just my name and signature
(I don't
> even have a stamp at the moment).

In that case you won't need to incorporate. Just decide on a business
name,  obtain and register a stamp. You might not need to open a bank
account specifically for the business, though I usually advise doing
so.

> I'm sure this is a very stupid questions, but ... how do I register
the
> stamp? Also, do I need to register the daihyou stamp? Can I choose
any
> company name or does it have to be "Danny Wilde" etc? Are there any
> regulations about what should go on the stamp, or can I just use the
normal
> type of thing with just the letters of the company name on it?

Registration is done with the local government - ie ward office, city
hall etc. You can choose the business name, which does not need to
include your personal name, though when opening the bank account your
personal name would need to be included, usually after the business
name. There are no regulations as to what to have inscribed on the
stamp, at least as far as I am aware. My understanding is that a
registered inkan cannot use romaji (ruling out the letters of the
company name), but this may have changed.