The best ivory for carving a hanko, or a personal seal, comes from the center of the tusk. That is where the ivory is firm and flawless. Japan is home to the world’s largest legal market in ivory, driven by demand for hankos: the small stamps Japanese use in place of signatures for anything from opening a bank account to signing an employment contract. But pressure is mounting from both outside and inside Japan to close down a market that activists say contributes to illegal elephant hunting. Will the Japanese comply? We shall wait and see.
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