Typography & Texture

Bamboos are sacred and are said to prevent illness and injury, and to purge bad luck. It symbolizes longevity and the wish for children to grow up healthy.

The fan is a motif of prosperity and maritime transportation, due to its expanding shape. Its shape opens outwards to bright prospects for the future, and is a good omen for development and prosperity.

Sakura, or cherry blossoms, symbolizes auspicious beginnings. It can also refer to a bountiful harvest, as the way the cherry tree bloomed was used to predict the year’s grain yield.

Chrysanthemums have various meanings such as nobility, loftiness, prolongation of life, removal of evil spirits, stability of mind and body, and immortality. This pattern is often used in traditional kimonos.

The arabesque’s curly pattern of intertwined vine is often shown in a deep green color. The strong and uninterrupted growth of vines gives it a meaning of prosperity and longevity, symbolizing good fortune.

The design is based on a net used in fishing, and evokes the act of capturing happiness. At the same time, it is also popularly used to ward off disease and evil spirits.

Bamboo has been a symbol of good fortune since ancient times, while also meaning immortality, longevity, strength, and purity. Chinese legends describe the Phoenix eating the plant, and it also grows straight and strong.

Sharkskin, compared armor due to its strength, is meant to ward off evil and misfortune.

Chidori (a thousand birds) is a pattern used to pray for good luck and to achieve one’s goals, as it is believed to bring a great deal of happiness. Among Japanese patterns, Chidori patterns are often more playful and cute.

Chidori can also mean a flock of many birds. It is also called hound’s tooth check, and is an example of a pattern that differs in usage and tone between Japan and other countries.

This pattern is intended to ward off evil spirits. Because arrows fly straight forward without returning, it was customary in the older generations for daughters to wear a kimono with this pattern upon marriage.

The name draws from the pattern’s resemblance to the spots on the back of a fawn. Deer are also believed to be messengers of the gods. They symbolize the prosperity of descendents due to their vitality and fertility.

Composed of evenly spaced isosceles triangles, this pattern evokes the scales of a snake or fish. The triangles are believed to ward off evil and misfortune. There are traditions in Kyoto for women to wear kimonos with this pattern.

Since the Heian period (794—1185), the wheel has been used as a symbol of luxury and nobility. It is said to symbolize the passing of time and reincarnation.

It was customary for newborns to be dressed in hemp-leaf patterned clothing. Historically, when expected the life span of a child was shorter, this custom was meant to ward off evil and to wish for their healthy growth.

Diamonds-shaped flowers compose this pattern. Due to the fact that only a few people were allowed to use this pattern during the Heian period, it has come to represent nobility and refinement.

This pattern combines two components. One represents shippo, a Buddhist term for seven treasures: gold, silver, crystal, lapis lazuli, agate, coral, and shako (giant clam). The second component is a circle, symbolizing prosperity.

The tortoise shell is represented as a hexagonal motif, developed for the design of a coat of arms. The tortoise has long been revered as a symbol of longevity. The name of the emblem is derived from the word “happy turtle,” meaning that blessings will be extended to all six directions.

This pattern incorporates an intertwined hexagonal tortoiseshell pattern. Like the tortoiseshell pattern, it is a good omen symbolizing longevity.

Water has long been considered a symbol of purity in Japan, and the ever-changing flow of water signifies purification and future eternity.

This design is said to draw from the forms hishi (water caltrop) plant, but its origins are unclear due to the shape’s simplicity. Hishi also indicates “a diamond or lozenge shape, a rhombus.” It was depicted on earthenware of the early Jomon period (7000–5000 B.C.).

These interlinked bricks are shaped like weights for a balance beam. Because gold and silver were preserved by casting them into these forms, this pattern is considered auspicious as a symbol of wealth.

The curved stripes are bent and staggered, like waves.

The pattern is shaped like a broken piece of sangi, a calculation tool, and was also called sangi-kuzushi (broken sangi). The pattern consists of three strips of wood arranged vertically and horizontally, and is still used today on floors and wallpaper.

This pattern expresses the appearance of dewdrops on a field of grass, a harbinger of summer. With this seasonal association, it is often used in textiles for yukata (summer kimonos).

Thin sheets of cypress are woven diagonally in a wicker pattern. Still popular today, the pattern symbolizes good health.

This woven pattern has existed since ancient times. It is also called Arare (hail stones), and those existing before the Edo period are called Ishidatami (stone matt).

This woven bamboo pattern is said to ward off evil, which demons hate, because it looks like a series of six-pointed stars. It was also meant to stop the spirits of men and children from floating around.

The depiction of waves spreading out infinitely is a good omen that carries the wish for eternal happiness and a peaceful life for the people.

Plum blossoms symbolize perseverance, vitality, and the prosperity of children. Available in various forms, this pattern is representative of the New Year and is still widely used today for crafts and kimonos.