Maru ni ichi no ji travel mug

The crest known as "Maru-ni-Ichi-no-ji" features a single character. The character was likely chosen for its clear strokes, making it easily identifiable, as well as its martial and auspicious connotations. According to "Reference Taiheiki," the single character was interpreted as "katakinashi," or invincible, which was likely a reason for its selection as a crest. The fact that many warriors of the Sengoku period used this character in their names, reading it as "katsu," or "to win," supports this interpretation. For example, Yamauchi Tsushima-no-kami's name was written as "Kazutoyo" but read as "Katsutoyo," and Takigawa Ichimasu's son, known as "Tokitaka," was read as "Katsutoki." The character was often used to signify honor, such as "ichiban-nori" or "ichiban-yari," indicating that it was also considered ausp