Family holds an important position in the culture of Japan even till today. This is one of the reasons why the concept of the Family Crest still remains 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 represents emblem or crest.
At the same time, in Europe also an insignia was popular named 'Coat of Arms'. So many researches have been done around the homogeneity of these two traditions.
Anyway, it is a fact that some general descriptions may not be enough to understand the Japanese family symbols because of their varied and distinctive aspects.
There are no certain rules for the construction of Japanese family symbols. Usually mon is found as a disc-shaped symbol encompassing any figure of plants, animals, artificial objects and mythical or real figures.
All of these items are placed on the family symbol in an abstracted form. The use of the Kanji script is also usual in the family symbols. One can also find geometric shapes and religious symbols in the Japanese family emblem.
In spite of the absence of written rules for the construction of mon, their name is defined by the figures they include. What makes this naming unalike the European method of naming is that, these names are only some explanations for the symbols and do not expose their inner meanings. Figures that are featured on these symbols eventually become fashion as they began to be known as tradition.
Generally we find that a mon is monochromatic in colour. In truth however the colour does not amount to 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 single out their own family's mon in today's times.
When a family is in need of identifying their mon, the temple records that keep the registries of the ancestral places of people will come with help. There are a lot of other ways to identify the mon of each family when they are required.
Some of the packed food items that are imported from Japan are marked with mon. You can avail a mon simply from the market or a craft shop to be used for your roof tiles and interior decorations.
At the same time, in Europe also an insignia was popular named 'Coat of Arms'. So many researches have been done around the homogeneity of these two traditions.
Anyway, it is a fact that some general descriptions may not be enough to understand the Japanese family symbols because of their varied and distinctive aspects.
There are no certain rules for the construction of Japanese family symbols. Usually mon is found as a disc-shaped symbol encompassing any figure of plants, animals, artificial objects and mythical or real figures.
All of these items are placed on the family symbol in an abstracted form. The use of the Kanji script is also usual in the family symbols. One can also find geometric shapes and religious symbols in the Japanese family emblem.
In spite of the absence of written rules for the construction of mon, their name is defined by the figures they include. What makes this naming unalike the European method of naming is that, these names are only some explanations for the symbols and do not expose their inner meanings. Figures that are featured on these symbols eventually become fashion as they began to be known as tradition.
Generally we find that a mon is monochromatic in colour. In truth however the colour does not amount to 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 single out their own family's mon in today's times.
When a family is in need of identifying their mon, the temple records that keep the registries of the ancestral places of people will come with help. There are a lot of other ways to identify the mon of each family when they are required.
Some of the packed food items that are imported from Japan are marked with mon. You can avail a mon simply from the market or a craft shop to be used for your roof tiles and interior decorations.
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zodiac symbols of Japan share some similarities with those found in other cultures. In order to read further on Japanese symbols of love please follow the links.
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