Editing Heraldry (section)

===Mon===
{{Main|Mon (emblem)}}
{{nihongo|'''Mon'''|紋|}}, also {{nihongo|'''monshō'''|紋章|}}, {{nihongo|'''mondokoro'''|紋所|}}, and {{nihongo|'''kamon'''|家紋|}}, are [[Japan]]ese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual or family. While ''mon'' is an encompassing term that may refer to any such device, ''kamon'' and ''mondokoro'' refer specifically to emblems used to identify a family.{{Explain|reason=This is the same as previously stated, so what is the difference with mon and monshō? |date=February 2016}} 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 5116 distinct individual ''mon'' (it is however well acknowledged that there exist lost or obscure ''mon'' that are not in this compilation).<ref>{{cite book |script-title=ja:日本の家紋大全 |publisher={{lang|ja|梧桐書院}} |year=2004 |isbn=434003102X}}</ref><ref>Some 6939 ''mon'' are [https://x181.secure.ne.jp/~x181007/kamon/goodslist.cgi listed here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028043638/http://x181.secure.ne.jp/~x181007/kamon/goodslist.cgi |date=2016-10-28 }}.</ref>

The devices are similar to the [[Heraldic badge|badges]] and [[Coat of arms|coats of arms]] in European heraldic tradition, which likewise are used to identify individuals and families.  ''Mon'' are often referred to as [[Crest (heraldry)|crests]] in Western literature, another European heraldic device similar to the ''mon'' in function.

Japanese helmets (''[[kabuto]]'') also incorporated elements similar to crests, called ''[[Kabuto#Parts of the kabuto|datemono]]'', which helped identify the wearer while they were concealed by armour. These devices sometimes incorporated ''mon'', and some figures, like [[Date Masamune]], were well known for their helmet designs.