The family holds a special place in Japanese society. Read on to find out about the Japanese symbols for family.
Family holds an important place in the culture of Japan even till today. This is one of the reasons why the concept of the Family Crest still survives today. The origins of the concept can however be traced back to the 12th century. In Japan the family symbol goes by the name of Ka-Mon. Ka means family which has its own genealogical trees and Mon stands for emblem or crest.
A similar concept rose around the same time in European history. This was known as the coat of arms. These facts have led many people to investigate the similarities between the family crest in both the cultures. One thing is for sure, the Japanese family symbol possesses diverse and unique characteristics which are impossible to decipher by giving them generalized explanations.
The mon as the Japanese symbol for family is known has no real defined set of rules. The most common feature is that of a roundel which is circling the figure of an animal, plants, celestial or natural bodies and even manmade objects. All of these items are placed on the family symbol in an abstracted form. The use of the Japanese Kanji symbols is also common in the family symbols. One can also find geometric shapes and religious symbols in the Japanese family crest.
Although there are no set rules 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 describe 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 stamp of tradition through the passage of time.
Generally we find that a mon is black and white in color. In truth however the color does not constitute the design and hence there is no such restriction on the use of color. 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 identify their own family’s mon in today’s times.
There may be certain situations where a mon may be required by a family. In such instances the temple records come in handy that have registries of ancestral home towns of the people. There are a number of ways in which the Japanese people can seek assistance if they wish to find their family symbol.
The Japanese family symbols are available for sale at many of the traditional arts and crafts shops around the world. You will find the family symbol to be used in the interior decorations of restaurants as well as on ceramic roof tiles. Many Japanese packed foods also contain the mon. Readers may also be interested in learning more about common Japanese national symbols.
