Monday, August 19, 2013

Key Facts About Asian 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 survives today. The roots 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.

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.

One thing is for sure, the Japanese family symbol boasts multiple and unique characteristics which are impossible to decipher by giving them generalized explanations.

There are no certain rules for the construction of Japanese family symbols. Generally mon is found as a disc-shaped symbol encircling any figure of plants, animals, man-made objects and mythical or real figures.

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

Although there are no predefined rules for the creation of mon symbols, their names are determined by the figures they consist of. Different from 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 custom and mythology.

Normally we find that a mon is black and white in colour. In truth however the colour does not constitute the design and so 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 identify their own family's mon in today's times.

In case any family requires to identify their mon, there are a number of ways to find it. The temple records keep the details of the ancestral home towns of people and these records can help when need arises.

The Japanese family symbols are available for sale at many of the conventional arts and crafts shops all over 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.




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