TheImperial crest of Japan, most commonly known in English and Japanese as thechrysanthemum crest (菊紋,kikumon) (also known byother names) is themon, used by theemperor of Japan and members of theImperial Family.
The5-7 paulownia was historically the personal crest of the emperor, and as such has also been called an imperial crest.[1][2] It was later adopted by theJapanese government, and it is largely used to represent theprime minister andCabinet.
The imperial crest is referred to by a number of different names in English. Japanese symbolism developed separately to Western heraldry, and as suchmon (紋) can be translated in a number of different ways, however most commonly ascrest,[3] but also asbadge,emblem, orcoat of arms.[note 1] To avoid translation difficulties,mon is sometimes used as a loanword.
It is usually referred to askikumon (菊紋) in Japanese, which is generally translated as chrysanthemum crest. Thechrysanthemum is considered a noble flower,[4] and the 16-petal chrysanthemum is the widely known symbol of the emperor, as such the name of the flower alone can be used to refer to the emperor or imperial family.[a] The nameimperial (chrysanthemum) crest can also be used, as well asimperial emblem,imperial coat of arms,[b]imperial (chrysanthemum) mon,[7] orstate mon.[8]
In Japanese it is also known aschrysanthemum flower crest (菊花紋, 菊花紋章,kikukamon, kikukamonshō) andimperial chrysanthemum crest (菊の御紋,kikunogomon). In English it is sometimes called theimperial seal, however thekikumon is not a seal, and should not be confused with the actual imperial seals, theprivy seal andstate seal.
During theMeiji period (1868–1912), no one was permitted to use the imperial crest except theEmperor of Japan, who used a 16-petalled chrysanthemum with sixteen tips of another row of petals showing behind the first row. Therefore, each member of the Imperial family used a slightly modified version of the crest.Shinto shrines either displayed the imperial crest or incorporated elements of the crest into their own tag.
Earlier in Japanese history, whenEmperor Go-Daigo, who tried to break the power of the shogunate in 1333, was exiled, he adopted the seventeen-petalled chrysanthemum in order to differentiate himself from the Northern Court'sEmperor Kōgon, who kept the imperial 16-petalledmon.[citation needed]
The5-7 paulownia can also be referred to as an imperial crest
The symbol is a yellow or orangechrysanthemum with black or red outlines and background. A central disc is surrounded by a front set of 16 petals. A rear set of 16 petals are half staggered in relation to the front set and are visible at the edges of the flower. An example of the chrysanthemum being used is in the star of theOrder of the Chrysanthemum.
Other members of theImperial Family use a version with 14 single petals, while a form with 16 single petals is used for orders,passports,Diet members' pins, and other items that carry or represent the authority of the Emperor. The Imperial crest is also used on thestandards of the Imperial Family.[9]
^Hawley, Willis M.; Chappelear, Kei K. (1994).Mon: The Japanese family crest. Frances Seyssel–Hawley.ISBN0-910704-93-7.
^Dower, John W.; Kawamoto, Kiyoshi (1990).The elements of Japanese design: a handbook of family crests, heraldry & symbolism. Weatherhill.ISBN0834802295.
^Goodall, John A.; Heim, Bruno Bernard (2003). "Heraldry".Grove Art Online.
^Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Kodansha. 1993. p. 200.ISBN4-06-206489-8.
^Ströhl, Hugo Gerard (1899).Heraldischer Atlas. Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann. p. 2.
^Amstutz, Walter, ed. (1994).Japanese emblems and designs. New York: Dover Publications. p. 11.ISBN0-486-28184-1.
^ This latter descriptor was mainly used to distinguish from the 5-7 paulownia, which was the personal or privatemon of the emperor. For this usage, see:Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1904).The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopædia of Armory. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack. p. 5-6.
^"皇室儀制令(1926〔大正15〕皇室令第7号)" [Imperial Household Ceremonial Regulations (Year 1926 or the Year 15 of the Taishō era) Imperial Ordinance 7] (in Japanese). Archived fromthe original on August 9, 2007.
