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Family emblems in Modern Japan

Azomyr

先輩
18 Feb 2013
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Hello. As far as I know, in today's Japan Japanese heraldic emblems are still used. My question is, if most Japanese families have an emblem, how they take it when they have not kuge or samurai roots?

I'm also wondering if it is possible that two ancient aristocratic clans share a same emblem. For instance, the emblem of the former Japanese Prime Minister 麻生 太郎 Tarō Asō (called 違い釘抜き Chigai Kuginuki) is only the crest of the Asō clan or it was used by other clans in the past?

Thank you very much
 
Thanks for your explanation but I would like to ask to you and to the whole forum some other things about:

In Edo period, not only samurai or nobles but also commoners had family emblems.

Are you talking about artisans, merchants and also peasants?

Could anyone tell me how can two different patriarchs choose the same emblem for their families? It was just an issue of copying the design which one preferred?
 
Not only 農工商, but even those who were considered in lower social rank positions such like actors, performers or prostitutes had family emblems.

There are so many cases. It might be copied as you guessed, gifted, plundered, or just made. In the first place, family emblems are not just one for a family. For instance, Date clan(you might know 伊達政宗) used seven emblems.
 
Thanks, this is very helpful

I would not be excessive with my questions but, by chance someone knows if the composition of the 違い釘抜き has some special known symbology?
 
窶廝 means "nail", and 窶敖イ窶堋ォ is a noun form of a verb 窶敖イ窶堋ュ, meaning "to pull out". Thus, 窶廝窶敖イ窶堋ォ means "nail puller". However, this emblem is from the shape of a nail washer, not from the shape of a nail puller, since washer was used when pulling out a nail.

The reading 窶廝窶堙ー窶敖イ窶堋ュ[窶堋ュ窶堋ャ窶堙ー窶堙岩?堋ュ] is close to 窶ケテ」ツ湘ゥ窶堙ー窶敖イ窶堋ュ[窶堋ュ窶堋ォ窶堙ー窶堙岩?堋ュ] "to capture nine castles", so this emblem is preferred by samurai families.

ヒ?。窶堋「 means "alternating" here.

more detailed explanation(all in Japanese)
窶督シナスナ。窶堙??ーテ??禿、_columnツ(窶廝窶敖イツ)
 
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