Hikone Tachibana Ceramic Tile

The Ii family lived in Ii Valley in Totomi for generations, and it is said that they took the name Ii from the place name. They are descended from the Fujiwara clan, and it is said that Tomosuke, a sixth-generation descendant of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu (a Sadaijin during the Heian period), is the founder. Tomosuke had no sons, only daughters. While searching for a good son-in-law, he heard that there was a child prodigy at the Iinoya Hachiman Shrine and brought him in, who was Yasuyasu. The family crest of the Ii family is known as 'Iigeta' and 'Tachibana'. Both are related to the legend of Yasuyasu's birth. The chief priest of Hachiman was casually walking around the precincts when he saw something shining in a well. When he picked it up, it was a boy as bright as a jewel. Therefore, it was decided that 'since he was born from a well, the Iigeta would be used as a flag emblem.' It is also said that 'when Yasuyasu was born, there was a Tachibana beside the well, so the chief priest used Tachibana as Yasuyasu's birth clothing crest. For this reason, it is said that Tachibana is still used as a crest on clothing to this day.' However, the truth of this story is 'uncertain' (Kenichi Takahashi, 'Family Crests of Daimyo Families').