Mon (emblem) in the context of "Toyotomi Hideyoshi"

⭐ In the context of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, what historically significant distinction did he achieve regarding the position of *Kampaku*?




⭐ Core Definition: Mon (emblem)

Mon (紋, [mõ̞ꜜɴ]), also called monshō (紋章), mondokoro (紋所), and kamon (家紋), are Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual, a family, or (more recently) an institution, municipality or business entity. While mon is an encompassing term that may refer to any such device, kamon and mondokoro refer specifically to emblems that are used to identify a family. An authoritative mon reference compiles Japan's 241 general categories of mon based on structural resemblance (a single mon may belong to multiple categories), with 5,116 distinct individual mon.

It is well acknowledged that there are a number of lost or obscure mon. Among mon, the mon officially used by the family is called jōmon (定紋). Over time, new mon have been created, such as kaemon (替紋), which is unofficially created by an individual, and onnamon (女紋), which is created by a woman after marriage by modifying part of her original family's mon, so that by 2023 there will be a total of 20,000 to 25,000 mon.

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👉 Mon (emblem) in the context of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉; Japanese pronunciation: [to.jo.to.mʲi (|) çi.de(ꜜ).jo.ɕi], 27 March 1537 – 18 September 1598), otherwise known as Kinoshita Tōkichirō (木下 藤吉郎) and Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴 秀吉), was a Japanese samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan. Although he came from a peasant background, his immense power earned him the rank and title of Kampaku (関白, Imperial Regent) and Daijō-daijin (太政大臣, Chancellor of the Realm), the highest official position and title in the nobility class. He was the first person in history to become a Kampaku who was not born a noble. He then passed the position and title of Kampaku to his nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu. He remained in power as Taikō (太閤), the title of retired Kampaku, until his death. It is believed, but not certain, that the reason he refused or could not obtain the title of shogun (征夷大将軍), the leader of the warrior class, was because he was of peasant origin.

Hideyoshi rose from a peasant background as a retainer of the prominent lord Oda Nobunaga to become one of the most powerful men in Japanese history. He distinguished himself in many of Nobunaga's campaigns. After Nobunaga's death in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, Hideyoshi defeated his assassin Akechi Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki and became Nobunaga's successor. He then continued the campaign to unite Japan that led to the closing of the Sengoku period. Hideyoshi became the de facto leader of Japan and acquired the prestigious positions of daijō-daijin and kampaku by the mid-1580s. He conquered Shikoku in 1585 and Kyūshū in 1587, and completed the unification by winning the Siege of Odawara in 1590 and crushing the Kunohe rebellion in 1591. With the unification of Japan complete, Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 to initial success, but eventual military stalemate damaged his prestige before his death in 1598. Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori was displaced by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 which would lead to the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

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In this Dossier

Mon (emblem) in the context of Lacquer

Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from tree sap and wax and has been in use since antiquity.

Asian lacquerware, which may be called "true lacquer", are objects coated with the treated, dyed and dried sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. This dries to a very hard and smooth surface layer which is durable, waterproof, and attractive in feel and look. Asian lacquer is sometimes painted with pictures, inlaid with shell and other materials, or carved, as well as dusted with gold and given other further decorative treatments.

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Mon (emblem) in the context of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長; [o.da (|) no.bɯ(ꜜ).na.ɡa, -na.ŋa] ; 23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582) was a Japanese daimyō and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the Tenka-bito (天下人; lit.'person under heaven') and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven".

Nobunaga was an influential figure in Japanese history and is regarded as one of the three great unifiers of Japan, along with his retainers, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Nobunaga paved the way for the successful reigns of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu by consolidating power, as head of the very powerful Oda clan, through a series of wars against other daimyō beginning in the 1560s. The period when Nobunaga and Hideyoshi were in power is called the Azuchi–Momoyama period. The name "Azuchi–Momoyama" comes from the fact that Nobunaga's castle, Azuchi Castle, was located in Azuchi, Shiga; while Fushimi Castle, where Hideyoshi lived after his retirement, was located in Momoyama.

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Mon (emblem) in the context of Keisei Electric Railway

The Keisei Electric Railway Company, Ltd. (stylized as K'SEI since 2001) is a major private railway in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from Tokyo () and 成 from Narita (), which the railway's main line connects; the combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railway's main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and the eastern suburb cities of Funabashi, Narashino, Yachiyo, and Sakura. Keisei runs an airport limited express train called the Skyliner from Ueno and Nippori to Narita International Airport.

In addition to its railway business, the Keisei Electric Railway Company owns large bus and taxi services and some real estate holdings. It owns a controlling share of the Oriental Land Company which owns and manages the Tokyo Disney Resort. Keisei is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 index.

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Mon (emblem) in the context of Later Hōjō clan

The Later Hōjō clan (Japanese: 後北条氏, Hepburn: Go-Hōjō-shi) was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条), but were called "Later Hōjō" to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan who had the same name and mon, even though it was not their official family name.

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Mon (emblem) in the context of National emblems of Japan

The national emblems of Japan are symbols used by the Emperor and government of Japan to identify themselves. The emblems consist of seals and mon (known as crests or emblems).

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