Mon (emblem)
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Mon (紋), also called monshō (紋章), mondokoro (紋所), and kamon (家紋), are Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual, a family, or an institution, municipality or business entity. While mon is an encompassing term that may refer to any such device, kamon and mondokoro refer specifically to emblems that are used to identify a family. An authoritative mon reference compiles Japan's 241 general categories of mon based on structural resemblance, with 5,116 distinct individual mon. However, it is well acknowledged that there are a number of lost or obscure mon. Among mon, the mon officially used by the family is called jōmon (定紋). Over time, new mon have been created, such as kaemon (替紋), which is unofficially created by an individual, and onnamon (女紋), which is created by a woman after marriage by modifying part of her original family's mon, so that by 2023 there will be a total of 20,000 to 25,000 mon.
A scene from the Heiji Monogatari Emaki showing several gissha (牛車, bullock cart) with mon fleeing a battle; the mon with nine circles is called kuyō-mon, representing the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and two imaginary stars, and was believed to ward off evil. The mon of cranes represented good fortune, longevity, and prosperity of the descendants.
The mon on the right sleeve of the kimono of Kabuki actor Ichikawa Yaozo III, dressed as Umeōmaru. The kanji 八, meaning 'eight', is written within the triple square. Ukiyo-e (woodblock print) by Utagawa Kunimasa, 1796.
Maki-e sake bottle with Tokugawa clan's mon, 18th century, Edo period
Various kamon on display at Himeji Castle
Tokugawa shogunate
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The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Edo shogunate , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
Samurai of the Shimazu clan
Edo Castle, 17th century
Dutch trading post in Dejima, c. 1805
Sakuradamon Gate of Edo Castle where Ii Naosuke was assassinated in 1860