Japanese Pattern Meanings: Seigaiha, Asanoha, Shippo, Kikko, Ichimatsu
Walk through any Japanese town and you will see the same handful of patterns again and again: on tenugui towels, furoshiki wrapping cloths, shop curtains, ceramics and kimono. These traditional patterns are called wagara (和柄), and most of them carry a meaning. They were chosen as small wishes for the person who wore or used them.
This guide covers five of the most common wagara, where their names come from, and what they are traditionally said to mean. It is a starting point, not the final word. Many patterns arrived in Japan from mainland Asia, and their stories have been told in slightly different ways over the centuries.
Seigaiha 青海波: waves of the blue sea
What it looks like: rows of overlapping concentric arcs, like fish scales or layered waves.
The name: 青 (blue), 海 (sea), 波 (wave). Seigaiha is also the name of a piece of gagaku, the old court music of Japan, and dancers performing it wore robes with this wave pattern. That link is one reason the pattern is associated with elegance and celebration.
The meaning: the waves continue without end in every direction, so seigaiha became a wish for a calm, peaceful life and good fortune that lasts. The design itself is thought to have traveled along the Silk Road from Persia and China long before it became popular in Japan. In the Edo period (1603 to 1868), a lacquer craftsman known as Seigai Kanshichi was famous for drawing it, which helped spread it into everyday goods.
You can see our version on the Seigaiha wave throw blanket, in indigo and white.
Asanoha 麻の葉: hemp leaf
What it looks like: a geometric field of six pointed stars made from straight lines, built on a grid of hexagons.
The name: 麻 (hemp) and 葉 (leaf). The star shape resembles the pointed leaves of the hemp plant.
The meaning: hemp grows tall and straight very quickly and is hardy, so asanoha became a wish for healthy, steady growth. For that reason it was traditionally used for babies' and children's clothing. Hemp was also considered to keep away bad luck, so the pattern doubles as a protective charm. It became especially fashionable in the Edo period after kabuki actors wore it on stage.
Asanoha appears on several of our pieces: the Asanoha crest hoodie with the kanji 麻の葉, the embroidered Asanoha crest dad hat, and the Asanoha tenugui style hand towel.
Shippo 七宝: seven treasures
What it looks like: circles that overlap by a quarter of their width, so each circle links to four neighbors and the chain can continue forever.
The name: 七 (seven) and 宝 (treasure). The seven treasures are a list of precious materials from Buddhist sutras, such as gold, silver and lapis lazuli. The same word, shippo, is also used for Japanese cloisonné enamel.
The meaning: because the circles are endlessly connected and none stands alone, shippo is read as a wish for harmony, good relationships and bonds that last. Some explanations add that the round, continuous shape suggests that relationships are as precious as treasure.
Our Shippo crest knit beanie carries an embroidered shippo crest, and the 縁 (en) tote bag uses a band of linked shippo rings to echo the idea of connection.
Kikko 亀甲: tortoise shell
What it looks like: a honeycomb of hexagons, sometimes with a flower or crest inside each cell.
The name: 亀 (tortoise) and 甲 (shell). The hexagons recall the plates on a tortoise's back.
The meaning: long life. A Japanese saying goes tsuru wa sennen, kame wa mannen, "the crane lives a thousand years, the tortoise ten thousand." Both animals became symbols of longevity, and the kikko pattern carries that wish. Hexagon patterns are found across Asia, and in Japan kikko has been used for centuries on textiles, armor and family crests. Variations include bishamon kikko, where three hexagons join into a larger shape.
Kikko is one of the six crests on our Wagara Mon sticker sheet.
Ichimatsu 市松: checkerboard
What it looks like: a simple checkerboard of alternating squares in two colors.
The name: the pattern itself is very old and was once called ishidatami (stone paving). The name ichimatsu comes from Sanogawa Ichimatsu, a popular kabuki actor of the mid 1700s who wore a hakama in this pattern on stage. Fans copied it, and his name stuck to the design.
The meaning: the squares can repeat in every direction without a break, so ichimatsu is associated with prosperity that keeps expanding and with things continuing and growing. Its clean geometry also makes it one of the easiest wagara to use in modern design.
Ichimatsu also appears on our sticker sheet, alongside seigaiha, asanoha, shippo, kikko and yagasuri.
Seeing them together
If you want all of these patterns in one place, our Wagara canvas print shows six patterns labeled in kanji and English with their meanings, and the Wagara wallpaper pack is a set of digital phone and desktop wallpapers. You can browse everything in the Wagara collection and our wider Japanese Goods collection.
A note on how our pieces are made
Our designs are drawn in Tokyo and inspired by traditional Japanese patterns. They are not antique textiles or handmade crafts. Each physical item is printed or embroidered on demand by our print partner after you order, which keeps waste low and lets us offer the patterns on everyday things you will actually use.
Designed in Tokyo by Mojinami. Printed on demand by our print partner.