The origin of the design is uncertain. The most common view is that tomoe patterns originated in
magatama jewelry from
late Jōmon period approximately 1,000 BCE of Japan which was used for the shinto rituals. A pattern resembling the two-comma () has been found in ancient cultures on all inhabited continents. A stylized design on a
Yangshao bowl dates back to 2,000 BCE. The motif of two encircling dolphins biting each other's tails has been found on
Cretan ceramics dating from the
Minoan period (1700–1400 BCE), and the two fish biting each other in circular fashion recurs in both Chinese and Central Mexican ware. It is frequently seen on prehistoric Celtic remains, and one mirror from
Balmaclellan is almost identical to the . In China, the double comma form came to be assimilated to the
Yin-Yang philosophy of opposing male/female principles, formalized in the design of the
late Song dynasty period. This in turn recurs in the seventh century in
Unified Silla (now Korea), where it was known as
taegeuk. and also in the Japanese and patterns, the former in association with
divinatory rites, the latter frequently linked to temple drums with
apotropaic functions. According to
Jean Herbert in these contexts, the embodied three spirits, the
yin-yang dyad being represented by an (rough
kami) and a (gentle kami), while the third comma denoted the , or lucky spirit. However, there is no clear evidence tomoe, taijitu and yin-yang is directly related.
Neil Gordon Munro argued that the basis for the pattern, a motif found also among the
Ainu, was the eastern European and western Asian figure of the
triskelion, which he believed lay behind the Chinese
three-legged crow design, and, in his view, its reflex in the mythical Japanese crow, the (八咫烏).
Tomoe emblem history in Japan drum As a leather wrist protector appear to have been employed at least as early as the
Kofun period, where they are frequently attested on
haniwa terracotta figurines depicting archers, and may even have had, aside from their military function, a ritual or fetish value, perhaps related to their
phallic shape. The pattern was also interpreted as water swirling, and because it is a water-related pattern, the Tomoe pattern was applied to roof tiles on buildings at the end of the Heian period as a fire protection. The tomoe emblem established itself as a common emblem during the
Fujiwara ascendency of the late
Heian period, around the 10th–11th centuries, and proliferated through to
Kamakura times. It is thought that a resemblance between the tomoe and the
Emperor Ōjin found in the
Nihongi may also account for its rising popularity among samurai, since Ōjin was
apotheosized as a god in Hachiman shrines. In the Nihongi account, when Ōjin was born, inspection of his body revealed a fleshy growth on his arm similar to a warrior's wrist or elbow pad, and for this reason he was called (誉田: lit.(Lord) Armguard) (
OJ: ), an old word for a .
Usage in Ryukyu Fragmentary sources suggest that the
First Shō dynasty, who founded the
Ryukyu Kingdom, used the symbol if not as their family crest. American historian George H. Kerr claims that King
Shō Toku adopted the mitsudomoe as the crest of the royal house after his successful invasion of
Kikai Island in 1465. The
Second Shō dynasty, who ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1470 to 1879, adopted the mitsudomoe as its family crest. Since it was the royal family crest, its usage was once severely restricted. Okinawans who visited Japan shortly after the
kingdom's annexation in 1879 were surprised that mitsudomoe banners were flown everywhere. During the American military occupation of
Okinawa Prefecture, the
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) made a failed attempt to recreate a
Ryukyuan national flag with a mitsudomoe, only to find that Okinawans were apathetic towards, or did not recognize, the former royal family's symbol. Today the symbol is still regarded as a symbol for Ryukyu and, to a lesser extent, Okinawa. ==Symbolism and uses==