Crane (Tsuru)

These family crests (In Japanese, KAMON) are called 'Tsuru-Mon' in Japan.

Since ancient times, cranes have been said to live for a thousand years, and were thus considered good omens of longevity. According to legend, there was a Japanese crane of great beauty that flew around with a hermit on its back.

Crane motifs became quite popular, especially in the Kamakura Period, and when the Kamakura shogunate dedicated swords to the shrine of each region in Japan, they were decorated with the pattern of a crane in a circle (tsuru-maru). Later, the crane pattern came to be widely used for family crests. (From 'Family Crests of Japan' ICG Muse, Inc.2001)

Facing white cranes Crane-shaped kanji
characters for Cho		 Korin-style cranes
in shape of
balloon flower		 Crane tortoise

Korin-style cranes
in shape of ivy leaf		 Circle of
three cranes		 Paper Crane Nanbu crane Crane circle
in a circle

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Family crest representing the crane

Crane-shaped
noshi circle		 Crane-shaped
arrowhead		 Crane-shaped
chrysanthemum		 Crane-shaped
noshi

Crane-shaped
ginkgo leaf		 Crane-shaped
ginkgo leaf
on circle		 Nakamuraza Kabuki Crane-shaped
oak leaves

Bisected
crane-shaped
paulownias		 Shadowed
crane-shaped
plum blossom		 Crane-shaped
plum blossom		 Crane-shaped
rice plant		 Crane-shaped
rice plant
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