Tachibana Clan kamon with clan name T-Shirt

The Tachibana clan (橘) was among the most powerful kuge (court nobility) families in Japan's Nara and early Heian periods. Members of the Tachibana family often held high court posts within the Daijō-kan (Ministry of State), most frequently Sadaijin (Minister of the Left). Like the other major families at court, they also constantly sought to increase and secure their power by marrying into the imperial family. However, as the Fujiwara clan gained power over the course of the 9th and 10th centuries, the Tachibana were eclipsed and eventually became scattered across the country. The Tachibana were one of four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period - the other three were the Minamoto, the Taira, and the Fujiwara. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Tachibana clan, Tachibana (橘) or "Mandarin orange/Tachibana citrus". Below the crest is "Tachibana" in kanji.