An Overview Of Oriental Family Symbols

By Takamitsu Hairi


Japanese people still give enough significance to the family system and so the family symbols also haven't lost their importance until today. This concept of family symbols known as 'Ka-mon' has been influencing them for the the last eight centuries. The word 'Ka' stands for family with a genealogical tree of its own and 'mon' means emblem.

The Europeans also had the custom of adopting family symbols at that time, which was called 'Coat of Arms' . This similitude has been a stimulant for a lot of comparative studies between these two symbols.

No doubt, the Japanese family symbol possesses multiple and unique characteristics which are impossible to interpret by giving them generalized explanations.

Mon, the Japanese family symbols are usually found in a round-shaped form, encircling any figures like plants, animals, man-made materials and other natural or extraterrestrial figures. Really there are no restricted rules concerning the designing of these symbols.

Kanji symbols are commonly found in Japanese family symbols. Religious symbols and geometrical patterns also can be seen. The whole lot of these things are put down in a distracted manner.

Even though there are no set restrictions when it comes to the designing of the mon it gets its name from the contents that are featured in its design. The name of the mon does not really reflect its depiction rather it only seeks to explain it. The blazon in the mon is not in perspective and this makes it quite unlike the European crest. The designs that are featured on the mon come into their formalized fashion as they get the label of tradition through the passage of time.

Normally 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 rare you will still find many modern Japanese families to have a mon. It is true that many Japanese people may be unable to single out their own family's mon in today's times.

When a family is in need of finding their mon, the temple records that keep the registries of the ancestral places of people can be used. There are so many other ways to identify the mon of each family when they are required.

Although it has turned an old convention, some people still decorate 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 obtained from the craft shops all over the world.




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