Family crests for kimono?

Question:

I am an American living in Japan, and I absolutely LOVE kimonos. I have several and I'm looking to add a formal kimono to my collection, however, I do not have a Japanese family crest (well... duh). What would be the appropriate course of action? Design my own family crest? Ask around for any defunct or extinct family crests? Simply not wear family crests on my formal kimono?

Please don't answer unless you have a knowledge of kimonos and Japanese tradition.

Answer:

There is actually a generic crest used for families that do not traditionally have crests of their own. I believe it is a paulownia crest, but I can't remember exactly. However, unless you are of Japanese descent the best course of action may be to skip the crests. If you are buying second-hand kimono, many will already come with crests, so you won't have much say in the matter of what crest is used, but if you are having a kimono made for you things may be different.