Saigō Takamori Waterfles

Nanshū chrysanthemum The Saigō family has a crest called 'Daki kiku' (embracing chrysanthemum), in which two leaves embrace sixteen petals. It is said that the Meiji Emperor granted this crest to Takamori in recognition of his achievements in the Meiji Restoration, saying 'The central flower is me, and the two embracing leaves are you. Support me on both sides and work for the pacification of the country.' (from 'Family Crests: The More You Know' edited by Mototsugu Niwa) It is said that Takamori Saigō left a will saying 'Let it be for my generation only' regarding the Nanshū chrysanthemum. (from 'Japanese Family Crests Made Easy' by Mototsugu Niwa) This design was created based on the 'Nanshū chrysanthemum' published in 'Family Names and Crests: A Tour of Western Japan' by Mototsugu Niwa (created on August 11, 2013)