IDENTIFYING YOUR KAMON

Because many Japanese family crests were randomly chosen, families who share the same last name do not necessarily share a common crest. If your family has royal or samurai lineage, it is probably well documented. If not, you are like most of us whose ancestors were commoners and farmers. In that case, you must rely on the information of relatives, family heirlooms, or clothing that may have your crest fashioned on it. Studying old family pictures might also reveal clues.

Tracking down family burial sites in Japan can sometimes be very helpful; kamon are often engraved in the memorial headstones. To date, we have not found a reliable source to accurately identify your family’s crest. Although there are a few individuals claiming to be able to do this, it is not likely since most commoners unofficially chose crests of their liking.

It is also not guaranteed that every Japanese family owns a family crest. A rewarding option for Japanese-American families who are unsuccessful in identifying their crest is choosing an existing design or creating a new kamon together as a family. This is a wonderful way to continue a tradition started in Japan hundreds of years ago.