Vintage kimono, is this from Star Trek?

[myamazinggrace]

Hello! I was off to list this awesome vintage kimono but then I got to thinking it looks like the star trek logo at the bottom and this writing doesn't look japanese to me....?? Does anyone have any ideas? Anyone know what this could be? I am really unsure what to say about this now! Any info would be greatly appeciated! It is super cool, whatever it is!!!

[sonomabarn67]

My first thought is that it is a traditional Japanese emblem that was borrowed from the Japanese when they were shooting the films/writing scripts/storyboards, etc.  George Lucas borowwed heavily from eastern cultures for his Star Wars universe so maybe this is something similar. But maybe I just made all that up cause it sounded good.. Hard to tell these days.  Maybe this will get you started.

[lacemaker3]

I agree, this is just a decorative symbol. It looks rather like a mon, which is like a family crest or coat of arms. They are popular for decoration, although this is not a traditionial way to display a mon.

It's not quite the same as the Star Trek logo. It looks like the Acura logo too, but it's not exactly that, either.

If the kimono is made of cotton, then it is called a yukata.

[pixzee]

A kamon is a Japanese family crest, also called a mon. They are a common decoration for a kimono cloth. Because of their often bold graphics, some lend themselves to modern logos, like Mitsubishi.

But I have yet to find a kamon with a broken circle, nor where the symbol extends beyond the circle. In fact it may not be a real kamon, but an imitator.

The robe does look like a wearable art piece, with the calligraphy and bold pattern of Kamons, a modernization of the kimono.

You may have better luck with a translation at a Japanese language forum.

[maxine*j]

And I'll add another voice for "family symbol."   I've seen Japanese crests that look like:   The old Macmillan-Bloedel logo.  A Celtic Knot.  The warning symbol for radioactive materials.   So, no this is not Star Wars.  It may or may not even be a Japanese family crest.  But it is a very pretty garment and will be nice to wear in the coming hot weather.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's a town/city emblem. Here's one that is similar.

Rebun
礼文町 Town
Flag
Emblem

[maxine*j]

But would the symbol be used upside down?   Or do you think someone copied it purely for its form and then decided it worked better upside down on this garment?

I do know -- from wonderful stories of the results -- the designers sometimes copy other languages for the way they look but have no clue what they say.  The classic one is about the lovely dress that had characters copied from a sign and said, roughly translated from the Chinese, "Cheap goods inside."

[myamazinggrace]

Thank you SO much everyone! 

So I think it's decided it's some sort of family crest, and can be listed as Japanese? 

It is made of a very heavy cotton or even maybe a linen.....

I really appreciate the info and intend to do more research! 

Thanks!!!