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Japanese Rebus Monogram
A Japanese rebus monogram is a monogram in a particular style, which spells a name via a rebus, as a form of Japanese wordplay or visual pun. Today they are most often seen in corporate logos or product logos. These symbols are particularly common for traditional food brands, notably soy sauce. An example is the logo for Yamasa soy sauce, which is a ∧ with a under it. This is read as for (symbolized by the ∧) + . Composition The monogram is composed of two parts: one a Japanese character, most often kanji, but also katakana or hiragana; the other a simple symbol, such as a circle or square. The symbol is pronounced according to its name, and together (in either order, but generally symbol first) these form a Japanese name. Japanese family names are generally two kanji characters, each usually of one or two morae – hence one or two hiragana or katakana if written that way – and thus can be represented as one symbol plus one kanji character, sometimes one hiragana or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seal (East Asia)
A seal, in an East and Southeast Asian context, is a general name for printing stamps and impressions thereof which are used in lieu of signatures in personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgement or authorship. On documents they were usually used to print an impression using a pigmented paste or ink, unlike the wax impression commonly used in Europe. Of Chinese origin, the process soon spread beyond China and across East and Southeast Asia. Various countries in these regions currently use a mixture of seals and hand signatures, and, increasingly, electronic signatures. Chinese seals are typically made of stone, sometimes of metals, wood, bamboo, plastic, or ivory, and are typically used with red ink or cinnabar paste (). The word 印 ("yìn" in Mandarin, "in" in Japanese and Korean, "ấn" and "in" in Vietnamese) specifically refers to the imprint created by the seal, as well as appearing in combination with other morpheme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uma-jirushi
were massive flags used in feudal Japan to identify a ''daimyō'' or equally important military commander on the field of battle. They came into prominence during the Sengoku period. While many were simply large flags, not very different from '' sashimono'' or '' hata-jirushi'', most were three-dimensional figures, more like kites, and in the shape of bells, gongs, umbrellas, or streamers. While these standards took many forms, they all fall into two broad categories: the ''ō-uma-jirushi'' and the ''ko-uma-jirushi'', the great standard and the lesser standard respectively. Poorer ''daimyo'' had just one, the lesser standard, while wealthier ''daimyo'' had both. In 1645, the Tokugawa shogunate formalized this, allowing ''daimyo'' with an income above 1300 '' koku'' to have a ''ko-uma-jirushi'', and ''daimyo'' earning more than 6000 '' koku'' to have an ''ō-uma-jirushi'' as well. The ''ō-uma-jirushi'' was the nucleus of action on the battlefield, and while it aided the organizat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sashimono
''Sashimono'' (指物, 差物, 挿物) were small banners historically worn by soldiers in feudal Japan, for identification during battles. Description Sashimono poles were attached to the backs of the chest armor (''dō'') by special fittings. Sashimono were worn both by foot soldiers - including common soldiers, known as ''ashigaru'', as well as the elite samurai and members of the shogunate - and in special holders on the horses of some cavalry soldiers. The banners, resembling small flags and bearing clan symbols, were most prominent during the ''Sengoku period''—a long period of civil war in Japan from the middle 15th to early 17th century. Variety Given the great variety in Japanese armour, sashimono were used to provide a sense of “uniform” to the armies. The sashimono were typically black and white and came in either square or short rectangular forms, although many variations existed. A variation that is often bigger and coloured is the ''uma-jirushi'', which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sengoku Period
The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various samurai warlords and clans fought for control over Japan in the power vacuum, while the emerged to fight against samurai rule. The arrival of Europeans in 1543 introduced the arquebus into Japanese warfare, and Japan ended its status as a tributary state of China in 1549. Oda Nobunaga dissolved the Ashikaga shogunate in 1573 and launched a war of political unification by force, including the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, until his death in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed his campaign to unify Japan and consolidated his rule with numerous influential reforms. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, but their eventual failure damaged his prestige before his death in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noren
are traditional Japanese fabric dividers hung between rooms, on walls, in doorways, or in windows. They usually have one or more vertical slits cut from the bottom to nearly the top of the fabric, allowing for easier passage or viewing. are rectangular and come in many different materials, sizes, colours, and patterns. Homes were originally used to protect a house from wind, dust, and rain, as well as to keep a house warm on cold days and to provide shade on hot summer days. They can also be used for decorative purposes or for dividing a room into two separate spaces. Businesses Exterior are traditionally used by shops and restaurants as a means of protection from sun, wind, and dust, and for displaying a shop's name or logo. Names are often Japanese characters, especially kanji, but may be emblems, Japanese rebus monograms, or abstract designs. designs are generally traditional to complement their association with traditional establishments, but modern designs also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yagō
, literally meaning "house name", is a term applied in traditional Japanese culture to names passed down within a guild, studio, or other circumstance other than blood relations. The term is synonymous with and . The term most often refers to the guild names of kabuki actors, but is also applicable to the names artists take from their masters or studios, names taken from one's business, and a few other similar circumstances. The of , also often seen at the end of a name, means "house", "roof", or "shop", and helps to illuminate the origins and meanings of the term. A number of have associated emblems, some of which incorporate rebuses; see Japanese rebus monogram. History Originally, were place names of homes or buildings taken on by the inhabitants. Even when the house changed hands entirely from one family to another, the new family would take on the name of the house. However, the previous owners would frequently keep the house name when they moved. Often, a family (or in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masu (measurement)
A was originally a square wooden box used to measure rice in Japan during the feudal period. In 1885 Japan signed the Convention du Mètre and in 1886 converted all of its traditional measures to the metric system. ''Masu'' existed in many sizes, typically covering the range from one to one . The advent of modern rice cookers and a higher calorie diet in Japan has made them impractical for measuring portions of rice. Today ''masu'' are largely used for drinking sake. Drinking vessels are made from ''hinoki'' (Japanese Cypress wood), as it imparts a special scent and flavor. The drinker sips from the corner of the box, which pours it into the mouth.Toasts are poured by stacking a pyramid of the guests' ''masu'' on a towel or cloth, with the toastmaker's ''masu'' on top. It is then overflowed until it fills all the ''masu'' beneath it. This symbolizes the generosity of the toaster to their friends and how they wish to share their happiness and good fortune with them. *''San ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conical Asian Hat
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines connecting a common point, the apex, to all of the points on a base that is in a plane that does not contain the apex. Depending on the author, the base may be restricted to be a circle, any one-dimensional quadratic form in the plane, any closed one-dimensional figure, or any of the above plus all the enclosed points. If the enclosed points are included in the base, the cone is a solid object; otherwise it is a two-dimensional object in three-dimensional space. In the case of a solid object, the boundary formed by these lines or partial lines is called the ''lateral surface''; if the lateral surface is unbounded, it is a conical surface. In the case of line segments, the cone does not extend beyond the base, while in the case of half- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kikkoman
is a Japanese food manufacturer. Its main products and services include soy sauce, food seasoning and flavoring, mirin, , and sake, juice and other beverages, pharmaceuticals, and restaurant management services. Kikkoman has production plants and offices in Japan, the U.S., the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, China and Canada. Kikkoman is the most popular brand of soy sauce in Japan and the United States. The village of Sappemeer in Groningen, the Netherlands, is the European headquarters of the company. A plant on the site began operations in 1997 and now produces over 400 million litres of soy sauce per annum. History West Japanese-style soy sauce, called , has been a well-known condiment for over 300 years. Kikkoman is the largest manufacturing company in the world, and "the one most responsible for introducing to the West". Founded contemporarily in 1917, with the merger of eight family-owned companies, Kikkoman is based in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Those comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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