Three sparrows in a bamboo circle playing cards

Takenomaru Sanwasuzume / Bamboo Crest / This crest is the representative family crest of the Kajuji family, one of the noble families among court nobles. Because this crest was treated as prestigious, second only to the botan crest of the Konoe family, it was not used by just any family. The Kajuji family only bestowed it upon powerful families such as the Nagao, Date, and Mogami. Therefore, even today, the crest is mostly limited to the regions where these families were located. The crest used by the samurai families that were bestowed the crest by the Kajuji family all feature two sparrows, contrasting with the three sparrows used by the court nobles. (From "A Complete Guide to Japanese Family Names and Crests")