Family crests are coats of arms that have been used in Japan since ancient times to identify families and individuals. Today, it is said that there are currently around 200 basic types of family crest, and around 5,000 different designs that use the same motifs.Family crests exert influence in contemporary culture not only because of their historical and cultural value, but also because they appear in famous manga and anime, and their motifs are often chosen for tattoos, among other things. In this book, we have selected more than 2,500 family crests and explain their designs and meanings. The crests are organized around the motifs of “plants,” “animals,” “natural phenomena,” “martial values,” “patterns and designs,” and “buildings and vessels.”
