«Signs and Symbols» #8 Japan's National Emblem: The "Chrysanthemum Seal"

"Signs and Symbols" Magazine

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Chrysanthemum Seal

The Chrysanthemum Seal (Kikuka-monsho or Kikka-monsho) is a family crest that uses a stylized design of the chrysanthemum, a plant in the Asteraceae family, focusing particularly on the flower. It is also called the Chrysanthemum Crest (Kikuka-mon or Kikka-mon) or the Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest. When simply referred to as the Chrysanthemum Crest (Kiku-mon), it includes designs that combine leaves, stems, and flowers, or stylized versions of any of these.

The 16-petaled double-layered chrysanthemum (Juroku-yae-omote-giku) is known as the emblem of the Imperial House. By extension, it is also used as the de facto national emblem of Japan, and it is engraved on the lids of boxes containing the original copies of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan and the Constitution of Japan. "Double-layered" (yae) refers to a "layered structure." Also, since 1926, the emblem engraved on Japanese passports is the 16-petaled single-layered chrysanthemum (Juroku-hitoe-omote-giku).

Overview

A flower that was frequently used as an emblem since ancient times is the lotus (renge/hasu), and various designs of lotus-patterned circular roof tiles (renge-mon noki-maru-gawara) have been excavated from ruins across the country from the Asuka period, including Asuka-dera Temple.

Chrysanthemums for ornamental purposes were introduced from mainland China during the Nara period (710–794). Along with plum, bamboo, and orchid, they are considered one of the Four Gentlemen (shikunshi: a term praising these four types of plants as the gentlemen among vegetation).

They do not appear in the "Man'yoshu" (c. 759), but appear in the "Kokin Wakashu" (c. 905) and "The Tale of Genji" (c. 1008). During the Heian period (794–1185), the ninth month of the lunar calendar was called the Chrysanthemum Month (kikuzuki), and September 9th was celebrated as the "Choyo Festival" or "Chrysanthemum Festival," where people would ward off evil and pray for longevity by drinking chrysanthemum wine at "Chrysanthemum Banquets" or with "Chrysanthemum Cups." Chrysanthemum patterns were also favored as auspicious patterns (kissho-monyo: designs depicting animals, plants, or objects considered to be lucky) and were used on costumes.

During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), Emperor Go-Toba (Go-Toba Joko) favored the chrysanthemum as his personal seal. Emperors Go-Fukakusa, Kameyama, and Go-Uda inherited this, and through custom, the chrysanthemum crest, specifically the 16-petaled double-layered chrysanthemum (a 32-petal double chrysanthemum crest), became established as the emblem of the Imperial House.

In contrast to the Aoi-mon (Hollyhock crest: the "Mitsuba-aoi" (three-leaf hollyhock) crest of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa Shogunate is famous), which was strictly restricted by the Edo Shogunate during the Edo period, the chrysanthemum crest spread to various regions, with chrysanthemum designs being used for Japanese sweets, Buddhist altar fittings, and more.

Design

The chrysanthemum crest has long been used extensively as a family crest for court nobles and samurai families, as well as a trademark for shops, and it has been stylized in a rich variety of forms, with many variants existing. It is mainly expressed through the number of petals, the layering of petals (single or double), the front and back (if there are stamens it is an "Omote-giku" (front chrysanthemum), if there are sepals it is a "Ura-giku" (back chrysanthemum)), and other designs (such as "Kage-giku" (shadow chrysanthemum) with raised outlines, "Hishi-giku" (diamond chrysanthemum) shaped like a rhombus instead of a circle, "Kikusui" (chrysanthemum in water) featuring water currents, "Ogata Korin"'s "Korin-giku" (Korin chrysanthemum), "Wari-giku" (split chrysanthemum) and "Han-giku" (half chrysanthemum) split into semicircles, and combinations with well-cribs, characters, or chrysanthemum leaves).

However, there are differences in how they are expressed depending on the literature. In particular, for emblems related to the Imperial House and the Imperial Family, units such as "ben" (petals) or "yo" (leaves) are sometimes attached to the number of petals (e.g., sixteen petals [Dajokan Proclamation] or sixteen leaves [Imperial House Law]).

For example, if there are 10 petals, it is called "Jukiku" or "Juyokiku", and if there are 12, it is called "Junikiku" or "Juniyokiku". If the petals are in a single layer, it is called "Hitoekiku", and if they are layered, it is called "Yaekiku" or "Kuju-kiku". Those showing the front, such as those with the stamen depicted in the center, are called "Omotekiku", while those showing the back, such as those depicting the calyx, are called "Urakiku". By combining these, for example, a 16-petaled, layered, back-facing chrysanthemum is written as "Juroku-yae-urakiku" (Sixteen-leaf layered back-facing chrysanthemum).

Korin-giku is an auspicious pattern that simplifies and stylizes the chrysanthemum designs drawn by the Edo-period painter Ogata Korin. It is characterized by a modern design with dots arranged within a circular outline, and is also called "Manju-giku" (long-life chrysanthemum) to celebrate longevity. It is popular mainly as a design for autumn Japanese sweets (nerikiri or mochi), kimonos, and crafts.

Chrysanthemum Emblems of the Emperor, the Imperial House, and Government Agencies

Among the chrysanthemum emblems, the "Sixteen-leaf layered front-facing chrysanthemum," which is a stylized version of the layered chrysanthemum, is the emblem representing the Emperor and the Imperial House. It is also commonly known as the "Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest".

The use of this emblem by members of the Imperial Family, such as Imperial Princes, was restricted by a Dajokan Proclamation (official orders and notices issued by the government (Dajokan) in the early Meiji period in 1869 (Meiji 2).)

Subsequently, in 1926 (Taisho 15), Article 13 of the Imperial House Ceremonial Law (Imperial House Law No. 7 of 1926) established the "Fourteen-leaf single-layer back-facing chrysanthemum" as the emblem for the Imperial Family.

The emblems of each Miyake (Imperial branch family) are either this "Fourteen-leaf single-layer back-facing chrysanthemum" or "Sixteen-leaf single-layer back-facing chrysanthemum" with unique designs added (such as the Arisugawa-no-miya and Fushimi-no-miya families), or they use the "Fourteen-leaf layered front-facing chrysanthemum" as a small design (such as the Chichibu-no-miya, Mikasa-no-miya, and Kuni-no-miya families).

Examples of use

Since the Imperial Household Ceremonial Order was abolished in 1947 (Showa 22), there is no current law that defines the Chrysanthemum Seal as the emblem of the Emperor and the Imperial Family, or as the national emblem of Japan.

However, by custom, the Chrysanthemum Seal continues to be used as the emblem of the Emperor and the Imperial Family, and as an emblem equivalent to the national emblem of Japan.

At the entrances of Japanese diplomatic missions abroad, relief carvings of the Chrysanthemum Seal have continued to be displayed since before the war. Additionally, a stylized version of the 'sixteen-petaled single-layered front chrysanthemum' is used on the covers of passports issued by the Japanese government.

Furthermore, the 'eleven-petaled chrysanthemum' design is used for the lapel pins of members of the National Diet.

In addition, the chrysanthemum crest is incorporated into the designs of Japanese decorations, and the chrysanthemum is treated similarly to the cherry blossom as a national flower.

The Chrysanthemum Seal is treated as equivalent to Japan's national emblem and is legally protected in the same manner as the national flag; therefore, trademarks similar to it cannot be registered (Trademark Act, Article 4, Paragraph 1, Item 1).

Internationally, the sixteen-petaled double-layered front chrysanthemum was notified to the member countries of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in 1967, and trademark registration is not permitted in these countries.

Also, the Kyokujitsu-sho (Order of the Rising Sun) is the emblem of judicial institutions and its use is restricted (regulated by the Minor Offenses Act), so there are cases where detective agencies use it as their own emblem to project authority.

Manga artist Mineo Maya has stated that he used to frequently draw patterns featuring chrysanthemum flowers in the backgrounds of his works, but after realizing they closely resembled the Chrysanthemum Seal, he inquired with the Imperial Household Agency and was told, "We would prefer you refrain from using it," so he stopped drawing them thereafter.

The symbol of the Liberal Democratic Party is a 'fourteen-petaled shadow chrysanthemum' with the 'Jimin' monogram in the center.

Also, the emblem of Nippon Kaigi (Nippon Kaigi: A Japanese conservative political and religious organization) is also a 'fourteen-petaled shadow chrysanthemum' with a cherry blossom in the center.

The Japanese Tendai sect, a school of Buddhism, uses a crest featuring three stars in the center of a sixteen-petaled chrysanthemum (Santai-sho) as its sect emblem.

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Reference

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https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8F%8A%E8%8A%B1%E7%B4%8B%E7%AB%A0

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