Chapter 6

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A family crest is a symbol of a family. From various sources, it is clear that the history of family crests is the history of heraldry. Family crests in Japan began in the mid-Heian period. The exact year of their origin is debated, with some saying it was during the Hōgen and Heiji periods (1156-1159), and others suggesting it was during the early years of Minamoto no Yoritomo (1182-1204). Regardless of the theory, heraldry first appeared in the lives of the nobility.

### Origin of Family Crests

At the time, poetry and music were popular, and the nobility often attended social events, traveling in ox-drawn carriages. Many of these carriages were painted black, making it difficult to distinguish one from another. To solve this, some people began to embed gold patterns on certain parts of the carriages, which became the origin of family crests.

As life became more diverse, the use of family crests expanded. Some families even wove their crests into fabrics, which were then used to make clothing. This not only served as a family symbol but also added beauty to the garments. This practice has continued to the present day.

### Development

When family crests first appeared, the designs were often auspicious plant motifs. If a plant had medicinal properties and could ward off evil, symbolizing prosperity and flourishing, it was a popular choice for a family crest. For example, the imperial family's crest is a 16-petaled chrysanthemum. Legend has it that the chrysanthemum can drive away evil and is dignified, which is why it was chosen by the imperial family and has been used as their crest ever since.

In the late Heian period, the five families eligible to serve as regents—Konnō, Kujō, Nijō, Ichijō, and Tachibana—emphasized their lineage and status, displaying elegant and beautiful crests in formal and public settings. This objectively promoted the development of heraldry as an aesthetic.

After the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, power shifted from the nobility to the samurai class. Family crests, as products of their time, reflected the political landscape. Compared to the nobility, samurai crests were less elegant but more practical. Due to internal strife and wars, it was necessary to quickly identify friend from foe. Not only were crests used on battle flags, weapons, horse insignias, and carriage canopies, but they were also found on everyday clothing and utensils. During the era of warring states, where various warlords vied for power, not knowing the family crests could lead to defeat. As a result, the first book on family crests, "Kanmonshū," was published.

During the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the country was at peace, and the family crests used in war became obsolete. Later, the samurai established a hierarchy, and there were different rules for etiquette and daily behavior. To understand family crests, a book called "Gotomon" was published, listing the crests of major families. With a long period of peace, the rulers' lives became luxurious, and family crests became more decorative and diverse, such as the Date crest, the Kaga crest, the Koshikinaga crest, the Hikimawashi crest, and the cursive script crest. With the circulation of money and the development of commerce, wealthy commoners also favored unique crests.

### Prevalence in the Edo Period

Family crests were most prevalent during the Edo period. In terms of themes, they included not only plants but also natural elements like the sun, moon, stars, rivers, and waves. There were also man-made objects like ships, carriages, and weapons. Even numbers like one, two, three, the swastika, and the cross were used as crest motifs.

While the government issued a ban on carrying swords, there was never a ban on family crests. Therefore, not only the upper class but also merchants, workers, and farmers had family crests.

There are many beautiful legends about family crests. For example, the Hikimawashi crest, which combines the crests of two lovers, symbolizes their union and celebrates their eternal bond. Marking durable items with family crests became a popular trend, especially on wedding dowries, such as vanity cases and cosmetics.

Family crests can also serve as a constraint on behavior. Wearing clothes or using items with family crests means that others can identify the family without needing to introduce oneself. Therefore, family leaders educated their subjects to maintain the family's honor when they went out. Misbehavior would tarnish the entire family's reputation.

The vibrant family crests added a rich and colorful element to the culture of the Genroku era, indicating the prevalence of family crests during that time.

### White and Red Samurai Crests

The white and red samurai crests can be considered products of war. During battles, family crests were used to distinguish friend from foe, and after the war, they were used to verify military achievements. When the turbulent times ended, the family crests lost their significance.

Originally, family crests were exclusive to the nobility. After the Genpei War, the "white flag versus red flag" era, they quickly spread among the samurai. During the Kamakura period, samurai used flags and family crests to identify their units on the battlefield. From the Nanboku-chō, Muromachi, and Sengoku periods, the family crests on battle flags, banners, and horse insignias were the only way to distinguish friend from foe at a distance.

The different flags of the Minamoto and Taira clans are first mentioned in the "Heiji Monogatari" in the section about the battle at Hiji Gate:

"The Taira used red flags, which shone brightly in the sun. The Minamoto used large white flags, which flapped in the wind, inspiring their troops."

Later, in the "Heike Monogatari" in the section about the battle at Kizugawa River:

"Before the main hall, 300 riders with red flags approached, their bells ringing." (Omitted) "After Kiyomori spoke, he immediately discarded the red flag and took up a white one." The Minamoto and Taira used white and red flags to identify their respective camps.

In the early stages of the Genpei War, the conflict was simple, and family crests were not yet necessary. The Minamoto used white flags, and the Taira used red flags. Since ancient times, the imperial army's flag was red, so the Taira chose the traditional red flag. The Minamoto used white flags to counter the Taira.

Red is a color that easily boosts morale, while white is pure and represents cleanliness and divinity. It is said that deities reside on white, and armies often used it to seek divine protection. Later, this evolved into white flags with black depictions of deities like Amaterasu and Hachiman.

In 1185, during the Bun'ei and Kōan campaigns, the Taira clan was defeated in the western sea, and Minamoto no Yoritomo established the white flag as the exclusive flag of the Minamoto lineage.

Five years after the Taira's defeat, Yoritomo launched a campaign to conquer the northern provinces and subdue Fujiwara no Yasuhira. According to "Azuma Kagami," on July 26, 1230, Yoritomo passed through Utsunomiya in Shimotsuke Province, and Satake Shiro Takahisa, a member of the Minamoto clan, came to join the campaign. Satake, who had sided with the Taira during the Genpei War, was only stripped of his territories in the northern provinces after intercession by Wada Yoshimori and others. Eager to prove himself, Takahisa rushed to join the campaign from Hitachi Province. However, he used an unadorned white flag, which was the exclusive flag of the Minamoto lineage. Yoritomo was displeased and gave him a military fan with a full moon, ordering him to use it as his flag. Takahisa then used the design of the military fan as the Satake family crest, one of the earliest samurai family crests.

After a long time, every clan and even every family had its own crest, which became a custom.

### Spread of Samurai Family Crests

After the Minamoto's white flag spread across the land, the wars of Ōshū and the Jōkyū Rebellion followed. Since the samurai could not all use the same white flag, they began to use various flags and banners as identifiers. The Kudagawa clan of Musashi used a "fan" as their symbol, one of the earliest examples of a family crest on a flag. Other well-known examples include the "Murakumo" of the Hatakeyama clan, the "Karasu no Yado" of the Kumagai clan, and the "Mitsumata" of the Sasaki clan.

In addition to flag crests, there were also banner crests. The "Ōkuro" of the Nitta clan, the "Futahiki" of the Ashikaga clan, and the "Mitsuhiki" of the Miura clan all originated from banner crests.

In the "Azuma Kagami" of 1230, on the night of February 3, a disturbance occurred in Kamakura, and the samurai gathered outside the residence of Hōjō Tokiyori, the regent. The next day, Tokiyori returned the flags to their owners based on the family crests. This shows that by this time, most Kamakura samurai were using family crests.

From the "Mongol Invasion Scroll" by Takasugi Kiyonaga, which describes the military achievements of the Higo samurai, we can understand the customs, weapons, flags, and family crests of the time. Most of the Kyushu warlords who participated in the campaign had their own flags and family crests, such as "Mitsumata with the character 'Kichi'" (Takasugi Gorōbei Kiyonaga), "Yotsumata" (Dazaifu Saburōzaemon-no-jō Kiyotaka), "Tsurukame matsu take ume" (Shiraishi Rokurō Tōyasu), "Futahiki takahashi" (Kikuchi Jirō Takefusa), "Goshichi no kiri" (Ōyanō Jirō Sadahira), and "Tsurumaru with a cross" (Shimazu Shōnōsuke Hisatomo). This suggests that by the mid-Kamakura period, family crests had spread to the samurai of the western provinces.

Under the shogunate system, the shogunate sent military governors to the battlefield, and samurai on the same battlefield had to verify each other's identities to receive rewards after the war. Therefore, family crests became an essential part of samurai society.

### Family Crests as a Symbol of the Samurai

By the end of the Kamakura period, powerful families across the country had their own family crests. During the Nanboku-chō period, the family crests of powerful families were well-known, and they became a substitute for names. Military records like the "Taiheiki" used family crests to describe the actions of samurai. For example, in the "Taiheiki" chapter on the siege of Hyōgo, it states:

"From the direction of Suma's Ueno and Kasugayama, flags with 'Futahiki,' 'Yotsumata,' 'Sakihiki,' 'Sakibari,' and 'Karakuri' were seen, numbering five or six hundred, like clouds and mist."

The "Futahiki" belongs to the Ashikaga clan, the "Yotsumata" to the Sasaki clan of Ōmi, the "Sakihiki" to the Matsuda clan of Bizen, the "Sakibari" to the Utsunomiya clan, and the "Karakuri" to the Kō clan. This is a typical description in the "Taiheiki" where flags represent family names.

Initially, family crests were substitutes for names, and members of the same clan used the same crest. During the chaos of the Nanboku-chō period, it was common for members of the same clan to fight each other. Since the crests of the same clan were indistinguishable, they could easily be confused. During this time, the number of crests and the frequency of conflicts increased. For example, during the Meitoku Campaign (1391), which was a war between the Yamana clan, bamboo leaf flags were used to differentiate between them. Later, different crests were used by members of the same clan, often as a result of this practice.

The imperial family's crest is the chrysanthemum and the paulownia. In the early Kamakura period, these were often depicted on clothing and utensils, but on important occasions, flags with the sun and moon were used. During the Nanboku-chō period, the imperial family often granted the chrysanthemum and paulownia crests to meritorious soldiers (a famous example is Ashikaga Takauji, who was granted the "Goshichi no kiri" crest as a reward). Therefore, after the Nanboku-chō period, many samurai used the chrysanthemum and paulownia crests. Oda Nobunaga granting the "Goshichi no kiri" crest to Toyotomi Hideyoshi also followed this precedent.

During the Nanboku-chō period, whether in the nobility or the samurai, family crests were important symbols of family lineage. Granting them to meritorious soldiers was a significant reward, as the crests maintained their natural authority, and people of the time had great respect for flags and banners with crests. In "Dai Sōshi" by Imagawa Ryoshun, there is a section on "Flag Bearers' Insights," which states that a flag bearer must be an excellent soldier and carry a flag with the family crest, a white flag, and a brocade flag.

During the mid-Muromachi period, family crests spread throughout the country due to military needs. After the "Taiheiki," Muromachi-era military records like the "Bunshōki," "Dai Tōgunki," "Kamakura Daisōshi," "Hajikigahara Gassenki," and "Chintō I-nōshō" all recorded the crests of various soldiers. In "Chintō I-nōshō" by Gyōyū, various banner crests are listed:

"Kaki, Rengai, Kuri, Mitsubana, Yotsumata, Suihama, Hidari, Kaku, Kyōyō, Chūkuro, Suso, Hikimawashi, Hishi, Matsu-kawa Hishi, Rengai, Hōshiki, Kara-umbrella, Sailboat, Azalea, Kikkō."

Later, during the Eishō period (1504-1521), the "Kanmonshū" appeared, also known as the "Eishō Monshū" or "Ashikaga Bakufu Monshū" and "Tōzan-den Gotomon." This is a record of 260 family crests from the time of the eighth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, from the shugo daimyō to the kokujin. It includes patterns and names and is a well-known historical source for samurai family crests.

After the Ōnin and Bunmei Wars (1467-1477), the authority of the Ashikaga shogunate declined, and the shugo daimyō, the backbone of the shogunate, also weakened. New powerful families brought Japan into the Sengoku period. After entering the Kantō region, Uesugi Kenshin compiled the "Kantō Bakufu Chūmon" in 1561, which recorded the family crests of 251 powerful families centered in Shimotsuke and Kōzuke, including Musashi, Awa, Kazusa, Shimōsa, and Hitachi. Additionally, the "Awa no Kuni Kibumon" by Miyoshi Nagayoshi recorded the family crests of the Awa warlords. This marked the end of the peak of family crests.

### Significance of Family Crests

The selection of family crests almost always has unique significance. Initially, family crests were used for identification, but as time passed, the variety increased, and the crests became more complex, reflecting the influences of various eras. The following is a brief explanation of the various meanings of family crests.

1. **Elegance**

Family crests are decorative patterns, and their beauty is a significant factor in their selection. This type of crest is often found in the nobility, as the crests of the nobility are derived from the decorative patterns on clothing and carriages. Compared to samurai crests, elegant and refined crests are more common among the nobility.

Examples of noble family crests include peony, wisteria, gentian, kaki, duiru, Tang flowers, hidari, azalea, chrysanthemum, clove, diamond, apricot leaf, cypress, crane, plum bowl, butterfly. These were originally patterns on clothing, chosen according to the personal preferences of the nobility.

2. **Symbolism**

This type of crest is mainly related to the origin of the family name. Symbolic crests can be divided into two categories:

1. **Directly related to the family name.** For example, the Torii family uses the "Torii" crest, the Kato family uses the "Fumaru with the character 'Kato'" crest, the Ōno and Ōkubo families use the "large character" crest, the Kimura, Kida, and Kuchi families use the "wood character" crest, and the Ishii, Nagai, Sakai, Inoue, and Ii families use the "well frame" or "well tube" crest. This type of crest directly related to the family name is quite common.

2. **Puzzles or hints that require thought to understand.** For example, the Yoshino family uses the cherry blossom crest because the cherry blossoms in Yoshino are famous; the Itsuji family uses the "Fumaru with the character 'five'" crest, where the character 'five' on an abacus represents the number five (the top bead on an abacus).

3. **Auspiciousness**

Don't worry, it's not about divine omens... Auspicious family crests often contain wishes for longevity, prosperity, and good fortune.

Some crests are based on the second category of "symbolic meaning" and include characters such as "heaven," "long," "great," "good," "deputy," and "profit." A typical example is the "Dai Kichi Dai Ichi Dai Man" crest of Ishida Mitsunari, which combines several auspicious characters into a family crest, but it did not change his fate.

Ancient auspicious family crests, including the chrysanthemum crest of the imperial family, are elegant and are said to be longevity herbs. The family crest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the "Goshichi no Kiri," where "kiri" refers to the phoenix tree, the mythical tree where the phoenix resides. Cranes live for a thousand years, and turtles for ten thousand, and the blessings are clear, such as the crane crests of the Gamō and Nanbu families.

4. **Commemoration**

This type of crest often commemorates significant events in family history (such as achievements or the place of origin of ancestors). For example, the Matsura family, which originated in Hachigata, Hizen, uses the "Hachigata" crest; the Ōkawa family, which originated in Wadachi, Hida, uses the "Wadachi" crest.

5. **Martial Valor**

The family crests of the samurai,