▁a ▁war rior , ▁cl an ▁or ▁a ▁state . ▁The ▁first ▁record ▁of ▁a ▁shield ▁bla zon ▁is ▁illustrated ▁in ▁A esch yl us ' ▁tra ged y ▁Seven ▁Again st ▁The bes . ▁ ▁Mon ▁ ▁, ▁also ▁, ▁, ▁and ▁, ▁are ▁Japanese ▁em blem s ▁used ▁to ▁decor ate ▁and ▁identify ▁an ▁individual ▁or ▁family . ▁While ▁mon ▁is ▁an ▁en comp ass ing ▁term ▁that ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁any ▁such ▁device , ▁kam on ▁and ▁mond ok oro ▁refer ▁specifically ▁to ▁em blem s ▁used ▁to ▁identify ▁a ▁family . ▁An ▁author itative ▁mon ▁reference ▁comp iles ▁Japan ' s ▁ 2 4 1 ▁general ▁categories ▁of ▁mon ▁based ▁on ▁struct ural ▁res embl ance ▁( a ▁single ▁mon ▁may ▁belong ▁to ▁multiple ▁categories ), ▁with ▁ 5 1 1 6 ▁distinct ▁individual ▁mon ▁( it ▁is ▁however ▁well ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁there ▁exist ▁lost ▁or ▁obsc ure ▁mon ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁in ▁this ▁compilation ). ▁ ▁The ▁devices ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁bad ges ▁and ▁co ats ▁of ▁arms ▁in ▁European ▁her ald ic ▁tradition , ▁which ▁like wise ▁are ▁used ▁to ▁identify ▁individuals ▁and ▁families . ▁ ▁Mon ▁are ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁cr ests ▁in ▁Western ▁literature , ▁another ▁European ▁her ald ic ▁device ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁mon ▁in ▁function . ▁ ▁Social ist ▁her ald ry ▁ ▁Social ist ▁her ald ry , ▁also ▁called ▁commun ist ▁her ald ry , ▁consists ▁of ▁em blem s ▁in ▁a ▁style ▁typically ▁adopted ▁by ▁commun ist