Japanese Kamon – Traditional Samurai Family Crests
Examples of traditional Japanese kamon (family crests)
Kamon are traditional Japanese family crests—symbols used to represent a family, clan, or household. They appear on clothing, armor, banners, lanterns, and modern items such as stationery and logos.
Today, more than 40,000 different kamon designs are known in Japan. This site currently catalogs 8,000+ kamon designs and continues to expand the collection.
If you are researching your Japanese roots, studying history, or looking for crest references for design work, this page is a quick starting point.
Start here: learn the basics, browse examples, and download selected kamon data for creative projects.
Download / Buy Kamon Data (PNG / Vector)
Credit required: Free use may be available for certain editorial/educational cases with proper credit. Commercial use and high-resolution/vector data are provided via licensing.
What is Kamon?
Kamon began as a way to distinguish people and families. They developed over centuries and became widely used by samurai clans, temples, and towns. Many designs are based on plants, animals, tools, and geometric motifs.
- Common motifs: wisteria (fuji), paulownia (kiri), hawk feathers (taka-no-ha), butterflies (chō), tomoe swirls
- Typical shapes: round crests (maru), layered patterns, repeated elements
- Where you see them: kimono, banners, armor, monuments, festival items
Why so many kamon designs?
Many kamon share the same base motif but differ in arrangement, line thickness, enclosures (circles), and small details. This is why you may find multiple versions attributed to the same clan or region.
Tip: When comparing crests, focus on (1) motif, (2) enclosure (circle/none), (3) number of elements, and (4) orientation.
Samurai Clan Kamon
Kamon are often associated with famous samurai clans. However, attribution can vary by period, branch families, and historical sources. Use kamon as a visual reference and verify details when accuracy is critical.
Browse Samurai Kamon Browse Motifs / Symbols
Download kamon data (PNG / Vector)
Selected kamon data is available for download for publishing, design, and production. Availability depends on the crest and data format.
- Web-size PNG (for reference)
- High-resolution PNG (for print)
- Vector (AI / EPS / PDF) for scaling and production
For commercial use, licensing is required. After purchase, you may edit/modify the data for your project, but redistribution of the data itself is not permitted.
Contact
If you need a specific crest, multiple crests, or a format not listed, contact us with:
- crest name (Japanese/English if known) or reference image
- usage (book / TV / web / product)
- required format (PNG / Vector)
- quantity and schedule (if applicable)
Last updated: 2026-03-05
