abstract
| - The Azai clan (浅井氏 or 淺井氏), also romanticized as the Asai clan, was an influential clan during the Warring States period in Japan. "Azai" is the common reading for the family name based on its form in contemporary kanji (浅井). "Asai" is said to be closer to the traditional and archaic script it was originally recorded under (淺井). It is currently argued that "Asai" is the correct pronunciation, but it's still unknown if this is actually the case. In the Samurai Warriors series, the clan is represented by the color cyan. They were known to have a thoroughly disciplined military and were considered to be upper to middle class lords of their time. It is believed that they were originally middle class vassals of the Kyōgoku family before they branched off. Their origins possibly date back to the Fujiwara clan, specifically the Kan-inryu division. This division is also the known root for the ancient Sanjouke, Saionji and Taokudaiji families. They are recorded to have at least 76 generals serving them before their clan's end. The kikkō is a hexagon pattern that has divine and fortuitous connotations. Believed to have originated from the Izumo Grand Shrine, it represents the durability of a turtle and the combination of six wishes. Usually a kikkō has something within the center which, in this case, is a hanabishi, a crest believed to have originated from the Heian period. Hanabishi generally don't have a meaning and were made popular due to the beautiful balance the design creates. They are usually used as a decoration for the upper class. The particular set of hanabishi used for the Azai crest is the four leafed water caltrop flower, commonly believed in Japan to originate from China. As a symbol of their alliance, the hanabishi were arranged in a similar pattern as the Asakura crest.
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