Pertinent Info About Oriental Family Symbols

By Takamitsu Hairi


Family holds an important position in the culture of Japan even till today. This is one of the reasons why the idea of the Family Crest still remains today. The roots of the concept can however be traced back to the 12th century. In Japan the family symbol are known by the name of Ka-Mon. Ka means family which has its own genealogical trees and Mon stands for emblem or crest.

An equivalent concept rose around the same period in European history. This was known as the coat of arms. These facts have inspired many people to explore the resemblances between the family crest in both the cultures.

Anyway, it is a fact that some general statements may not be enough to interpret the Japanese family symbols because of their varied and distinctive aspects.

Mon, the Japanese family symbols are usually found in a round-shaped form, surrounding any figures like plants, animals, artificial materials and other natural or immortal figures. Really there are no restricted rules regarding the designing of these symbols.

Kanji script, which is an inevitable part of Japanese art forms, can be seen in the family symbols also. Religious and geometrical figures also are used to create these symbols. Normally these scripts and figures would be put in an abstracted form.

Although there are no set up rules for the creation of mon symbols, their names are determined by the figures they consist of. Unlike the European symbols, the name is only a description of the symbol and does not reveal the real representation of it. The figures on these symbols turn into fashion throughout the ages as they get the label of tradition and mythology.

Generally we find that a mon is monochromatic in colour. In fact however the colour does not amount to the design and hence there is no such restriction on the use of colour. Although modern usage is unusual you will still find many modern Japanese families to have a mon. It is true that many Japanese people may be unable to identify their own family's mon in today's times.

There may be particular situations where a mon may be required by a family. In such cases the temple records come within reach that have registries of ancestral home towns of the people. There are a lot of ways in which the Japanese people can seek assistance if they wish to find their family symbol.

Although it has turned an old convention, some people still adorn their roofs and interior decorations with the family symbols. Packed food items coming from Japan are marked with these mon symbols sometimes. Also mon can be availed from the craft shops all over the world.




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