Tomoe

The swirling “tomoe” symbol may remind many of China’s well-known yin-yang symbol. However, the meaning and use are quite different. Tomoe, often translated as “comma”, was commonly used on Japanese badges of authority called “mon”, and as such, tomoe is associated with samurai.

Tomoe can have two, three or even four commas in its design. The three-comma “mitsu-domoe”, however, is the most commonly used in Shinto and is said to represent the interaction of the three realms of existence: heaven, earth and the underworld.