Japanese family crests, or kamon, are visual symbols that have represented family lineage and identity sometimes for centuries. While they are often associated with tradition and cultural heritage, their meanings, usage, and significance can vary widely. Some kamon hold profound historical or personal meaning for families, while others may have been chosen for aesthetic reasons or simply inherited without deeper thought. These variations make kamon, a practice deeply intertwined with family narratives, yet subject to varying levels of personal or historical significance. Designer and illustrator So Terada has brought a playful twist to family crests, by reimagining kamon with food-inspired designs.
Terada reimagines kamon with a playful and innovative approach, demonstrating how traditional forms can be adapted to reflect contemporary aesthetics and everyday life. For example, in the “Italian Food Crest” category, Terada offers a lattice of crisscrossed uncooked spaghetti bundles as the “Pasta Bundle” crest. There’s also the “Food Sample Pasta,” which depicts a bowl of spaghetti with a fork elegantly twirling the strands within a triangular frame, reminiscent of the model you sometimes find in shop windows. Pizza lovers aren’t left out either, with crests like “Stretch Pizza,” showing two slices connected by gooey cheese, and “Pizza Spin,” featuring a hand tossing pizza dough high in the air.
Not forgetting Japanese cuisines, Terada has also reimagined noodle-inspired crests. The “Three-Tama Udon” features three servings of flowing udon noodles neatly arranged in their bowls, while “Draining Noodles” shows three hands holding strainers in a triangular formation. For fans of instant noodles, the “Drained Yakisoba” crest includes hands holding four instant yakisoba packs arranged in a circular design. And not forgetting a summer staple, there’s also the “Flowing Somen” crest, depicting chopsticks catching somen noodles from a stream.
Even the polarizing natto- the sticky, fermented soybeans adored by some and detested by others – has been turned into striking kamon designs. “Natto”, is a simple circular crest where strands of sticky, stringy natto beans arc out from a natto container. The “Sticky Natto” crest, features stringy, wave-like arcs of gooey beans connecting in intricate patterns. The “Straw-Wrapped Natto” crest, depicts a triangular arrangement of traditional straw bundles with the beans peeking through, a nod to the way natto was traditionally stored before plastic packaging. The “Three-Tiered Natto” crest brings a modern touch, showcasing six stacked natto containers. With such playful ingenuity, So Terada’s designs invite us to imagine: what food would you choose to represent your family crest?
