Kamon – Family Crest or Emblem of Japan

The term ” Kamon ” 家紋 refers to the crest or insignia used to indicate the family lineage, ancestry, and status of families in Japan. He is also known as ” Mondokoro ” or simply as ” Mon “. It is said that there are more than 20,000 different individual Kamon in Japan. Kamon are similar in function to European heraldry.

These insignia were widely displayed on war flags, armor, helmets, swords, kimonos, roof tiles, curtains, and even on the margins of tatami mats. It can be said that the Kamon is a unique example of Japanese culture and shows the honor and pride of the clan or family and is still worn to this day.

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There are no set rules in the design of a Kamon . Most consist of a circle surrounding an object which can be plants, trees or animals. It was common to also use religious symbols, geometric shapes, and kanji within the designs. The main motif of the kamon was chosen based on its meaning, for example, the kamon of the Toyotomi clan , one of the clans with a lot of power in the Edo period , is depicted with the flower of the paulownia tree , which is an auspicious and auspicious tree. rapidly growing and is currently the Kamon or Emblem of the Government of Japan . One of the most common Kamon in Japan is the mitsudomoe , three swirls or commas, which symbolize the three entities: man, earth and the divine. These emblems are essentially monochrome and can be drawn in any color as it is not part of the design.

At first, no limitations were imposed on its use, however, there began to be friction and conflict between families, so an unspoken rule was created to avoid the use of Kamon that had already been used by a clan or high-class family.

The origin of Kamon dates back to the later part of the Heian Period (794 -1185) when the nobility began placing their own Kamon on their carts and walking the streets displaying it. They also used it in very formal cut kimonos, on both sides of the chest, on each sleeve and in the middle of the back. Later, samurai began to wear kamon as well and it became an established custom among this class. It was natural that the Kamon was placed on weapons such as katana , armor (kacchu) or on the chest of the samurai.

During the Edo Period , being a peaceful, quiet and uneventful period, there were few battles between the samurai, so the ancient practical role of the Kamon , i.e. distinguishing friend from foe in battle, became a kind of authority symbol. Japan was a hierarchical society of samurai, farmers, craftsmen and merchants during the Edo period and Kamon were used as a means of indicating the family’s social status to others and determining social position and lineage.

Eventually common people such as farmers, merchants, craftsmen and even artists such as storytellers, Rakugo actors had and used Kamon as well. At the end of the Edo period, Kamon designs had a high reputation, and from an aesthetic point of view, these badges were well known abroad for their symbolic design and simple structure, and were often used in various designs to represent Japan. .

Today, virtually every Japanese family has its own ” Kamon ” insignia. They can still be seen in shops and stores dedicated to crafts and traditional specialties, although many companies, such as “Mitsubishi”, have their company logo based on their Kamon . Kamon designs can be seen on the ceramic roof tiles of older houses or temples. The Kamon with the paulownia leaf can be seen on the obverse of the 500 yen coin and the Kamon of the Imperial Family appears on the Japanese passport.

Did you know these Kamon family insignias or crests? Would you like to have your own Kamon? Tell us in the comments!