Hikone Tachibana

The Hikone Tachibana crest is the designated family crest of the Ii family, who ruled over 250,000 koku in Hikone, Omi. The Ii family resided in Ii Valley in Totomi for generations and took their name from the region. They are descended from the Fujiwara clan, with Tomosuke, a sixth-generation descendant of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu, considered the founder. Tomosuke had no sons, only daughters. While searching for a suitable son-in-law, they heard of a child prodigy at the Ii Valley Hachiman Shrine and brought him in as Tomoyasu. The Ii family crest is known for its 'igeta' and 'tachibana' designs, both tied to the legend of Tomoyasu's birth. According to the legend, the shrine priest found a boy shining like a jewel in a well while strolling through the grounds. They decided to use the 'igeta' as their flag emblem since he was born from the well. Additionally, when Tomoyasu was born, there was a tachibana orange beside the well, so the priest used it as the design on Tomoyasu's birth clothes, a tradition continued to this day. However, the true evidence behind this story is uncertain.