Japanese people still give enough importance to the family system and so the family symbols also haven\’t lost their significance until today. This concept of family symbols called \’Ka-mon\’ has been influencing them for the the last eight centuries. The word \’Ka\’ stands for family with a genealogical tree of its own and \’mon\’ means emblem.

Concurrently, in Europe also an insignia was popular named \’Coat of Arms\’. So many studies have been done around the similarity of these two traditions.

There are different intricate aspects for the Japanese family symbols. Hence it has never been easier to interpret these symbols with some simple explanations.

Mon, the Japanese family symbols are usually found in a round-shaped form, surrounding any figures like plants, animals, artificial materials and other natural or extraterrestrial figures. Really there are no restricted rules concerning the designing of these symbols.

Kanji script, which is an unavoidable part of Japanese art forms, can be seen in the family symbols also. Religious and geometrical figures also are used to form these symbols. Normally these scripts and figures would be put in an abstracted form.

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 different the European method of naming is that, these names are only some descriptions 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.

On the selection of the colours also, there are no specific rules. However, most of the mon symbols are seen in a black and white colour. The new generations are not accustomed to the family symbols and most of the Japanese families today may not be able to distinguish their mon because of the rare usage. Still there are some families that hold this custom dear.

When a family is in need of finding their mon, the temple records that keep the registries of the ancestral places of people will come with help. There are so many other ways to find the mon of every family when they are required.

Although it has turned an old practice, some people still adorn their roofs and interior decorations with the family symbols. Packed food products coming from Japan are marked with these mon symbols sometimes. Also mon can be obtained from the craft shops all over the world.