reorganize intro, include kanji and Heian significance
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[[Image:Abe_mon.jpg|left|thumb|The Abe kamon.]]
[[Image:Abe_mon.jpg|left|thumb|The Abe kamon.]]
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The Abe of [[Mikawa province]] claimed Imperial descent and rose to some prominence under [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]].
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*''Japanese:'' 阿部氏 ''(Abe-shi)''
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The Abe clan was among the oldest in Japan, claiming [[Imperial family|Imperial]] descent and possibly originating as early as the [[Yamato period]]. The Abe were prominent during the [[Heian period]] and experienced a resurgence in the 18th century; during the [[Edo period]] the clan was based in [[Mikawa province]].