| Hand-painted navy cup with IJN flag and Japanese battle flag. In between is the wood sorrel (katabami) kamon, a very old crest famous among the martial class because of the seed's fertility. And also because a sword emblem could be inserted so effortlessly; note the pointed shapes between the petals. The characters read 'Navy Discharge Commemorative, Ueno.' |
| From the Russo-Japan War of 1904-5. Big kamon (family crest) in the center. This crest is the takanoha, or falcon feathers. The falcon was highly prized by the warrior class because of its combative, free spirit. The characters read 'Japan-Russia, Victorious Return Commemorative'. |
'Korea Defense, Engineer 12th Division,
Ichikawa Tojiro.'
Ichikawa Tojiro.'
| Here is an exceedingly rare Kempei-tai (Secret Police) sake cup, and a naval one, too. Inscribed 'Retirement Commemorative, Kempei Special Duty Sergeant-Major Nakagami'. In addition, a kamon (family crest) is above the flags. Looks like a tomoe crest. |
| This crest appears to be the karabana, or Chinese flower. Since this crest was used by the court aristocracy (not the warrior class), this was probably the individual soldier's personal kamon. Inscribed 'Military Service Commemorative'. |
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Kamon (Family Crests)
The kamon were--and still are--widely used in Japan. There is a huge variety of crests and
tons of variations on each crest. Since crests appear on non-military cups very often, I will
exclude them. Here I will show crests found on military cups only. For some unknown
reason, family crests rarely appear on military cups. Perhaps they were seen as too
individual--once a soldier entered service, his duty was to the Emperor. That could be one
reason.
Some kamon were known to be martial symbols so they could have been used as a general
symbol of warriors. Or they could have been the soldier's personal crest. It is impossible to
tell. However, if the crest is not one used often by the warrior class, one can safely assume
that it belonged to the soldier's family.
tons of variations on each crest. Since crests appear on non-military cups very often, I will
exclude them. Here I will show crests found on military cups only. For some unknown
reason, family crests rarely appear on military cups. Perhaps they were seen as too
individual--once a soldier entered service, his duty was to the Emperor. That could be one
reason.
Some kamon were known to be martial symbols so they could have been used as a general
symbol of warriors. Or they could have been the soldier's personal crest. It is impossible to
tell. However, if the crest is not one used often by the warrior class, one can safely assume
that it belonged to the soldier's family.
| This crest is the takanoha, or falcon feathers. The falcon was highly prized by the warrior class because of its combative, free spirit. The characters read 'Imperial Guard 2nd Regiment'. |
| No inscriptions; it could be a civilian cup. Hoshi crest, usually associated with Buddhism. Stars in the East were traditionally circles, not the five-pointed star like the West. |
| Army star and a kamon (family crest). This appears to be the oak crest, one of the more popular crests among the warrior class, particularly among those devoted to the Shinto religion. Inscribed '3rd Division, Discharge Commemorative'. |