Fujiwara Clan kamon with text Pin

The Fujiwara clan (藤原), was a powerful family of regents in Japan. The clan originated when the founder, Nakatomi no Kamatari (614–669), was rewarded by Emperor Tenji with the honorific “Fujiwara”, which evolved as a surname for Kamatari and his descendants. In time, Fujiwara became known as a clan name. The Fujiwara dominated the Japanese politics of Heian period (794–1185) through the monopoly of regent positions, sesshō and kampaku.The Fujiwara were one of four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, the other three were the Minamoto, the Taira, and the Tachibana. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Fujiwara clan, Sagari Fuji (下り藤) or “Hanging Wisteria”. Below the crest is “Fujiwara” in kanji.