Kikusui T-Shirt

Kikusui is a crest that symbolizes chrysanthemum and water. According to "Japanese Crests" by Yoriyoshi Numata, 'Kikusui crest is a type of chrysanthemum crest that represents chrysanthemum and water.' In the crest books 'Heian Monkan' and 'Mon Den' from the Showa period, Kikusui is also classified as a chrysanthemum crest. Therefore, it is considered a chrysanthemum crest here. Kikusui is originally the crest of the Kusunoki family and is also the divine crest of Minatogawa Shijo Nawate Ryogushinga Shrine. There are several theories about the origin of this crest. One theory is that Masashige Kusunoki was given the Imperial Crest of Chrysanthemum by Emperor Go-Daigo, but he humbly modified it to Kikusui by changing the lower half to represent water. This explanation is considered reasonable based on the personality of the great Kusunoki clan (according to 'Research on Family Crests' by Manjiro Fukui). The crest was also inspired by an ancient Chinese legend that people living in valleys with flowing Kikusui water live long lives due to the life-prolonging properties of chrysanthemum. The Kusunoki, Wada, Hashimoto, and Kaisho families use this crest (according to 'Japanese Crests' edited by Kosaku Ito).