Abe no Kaji no Ha Throw Pillow

The Abe family crest is the Kaji-no-Ha or "leaf of the paper mulberry." During the Nanboku-cho period, a group called the "Jinke party" or "Jinke ittō," centered around the Suwa Shrine in Shinano (present-day Nagano Prefecture), worked for the Southern Court. They supported Prince Munenaga, the son of Emperor Go-Daigo, and fought until the end. The Abe family's ancestors were part of this group. The Suwa faith deified this group, and the "Kaji-no-Ha" crest of the Suwa Myojin became their symbol. Some members of this group later became a naval force in western Japan and used the crest as a sign of their maritime protection. The Abe family secretly brought the crest to Abe Valley in Suruga (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture). They originally called themselves "Unno" or "Umino," the same as the Sanada family in the northern part of