Yatsusuisha Playing Cards

Yatsusuisha is a family crest that is shaped like a waterwheel with eight spokes, also known as 'Hishakuguruma'. There are two types of waterwheels: one with boards attached to the spokes and the other with scoops attached to the rim. The one with scoops is called 'Hishakuguruma'. The family crest is based on this 'Hishakuguruma'. However, in later years, the scoops were mistaken for hammers due to their similar shape, and the crest came to be called 'Tsuchiguruma' or hammer wheel. Some crest books list it under this name. However, it is clear that the crest is not based on a hammer, as it is described as 'waterwheel with eight scoops' in the 'Kansei Revisions and Ancestral Records'. (from 'Japanese Crests' by Numata Jōsuke). The term used here follows 'A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Family Crests' by Niwa Mototsugu.