Mon (emblem) - Modern Usage

Modern Usage

Virtually all modern Japanese families have a mon. On occasions when the use of mon is required, one can try to look it up in the temple registries of their ancestral hometown or consult one of the many genealogical publications available. Professional wedding planners, undertakers and other ritual masters may also offer guidance on finding the proper mon.

Mon can still be seen widely on stores and shops engaged in traditional crafts and specialties. They are favored by sushi restaurants which often incorporate a mon into their logos, while mon designs can be seen on the ceramic roof tiles of older houses. Mon designs also frequently appear on senbei, sake, tofu, and other packaging for foodstuffs to lend them an air of elegance and refinement. The paulownia mon appears on the obverse side of the 500 yen coin.

Items symbolizing family crafts, arts or professions were often chosen as a mon. A fan design might be chosen by a geisha. A woman may still wear her maiden mon if she wishes and pass them on to her daughters and does not have to adopt her husband's or father's mon.

Mon add formality to a kimono. A kimono may have one, three or five mon. The mon themselves can be more or less formal; more formal kimono display more numerous mon, and frequently in a manner so as to make them stand out more. This may help dress up or dress down the formality of a kimono at the wearer's discretion. In the dress of the ruling class, the mon could be found on the kimono on both sides of the chest, on both sleeves, and in the middle of the back. On the armour, it could be found on the kabuto (helmet), on the do (cuirass), flags, and various other places. Mon could also be found on coffers, tents, fans, and many other items of importance.

As in the past, modern mon are not regulated by any law, with the exception of the imperial chrysanthemum, which doubles as the national emblem, and the paulownia, which is the mon of the office of prime minister and also serves as the emblem of the cabinet and the government. Some local governments, associations and businesses may use mon as their logo or trademark, and thus enjoy all the protection as such, but otherwise mon are not recognized by law. One of the best known examples of a corporate logo in the form of a mon is the logo for Mitsubishi, a name meaning "three water chestnuts", which are represented as rhombuses. Another example corporate use is the logo for Kikkoman, which is the mon of the founder.