＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・意外と知らない柄・模様・パターンの名前。ﾉﾙﾃﾞｨｯｸ柄、ﾊｳﾝﾄﾞ･ﾄｩｰｽ、ﾍﾘﾝﾎﾞｰﾝ･ﾍﾟｲｽﾞﾘｰ等
Kei Komuro, who married Princess Mako and traveled to the US with her on November 14, 2021, was also wearing a “Nordic sweater.”
On a TV quiz show, there was a question about what to call “horizontal stripes” as opposed to “vertical stripes.” The correct answer was “border.”
As you can see, even with familiar “patterns,” “designs,” and “designs,” there are some whose names we surprisingly don’t know.
1. Stripes
ストライプ
Striped patterns.
In Japan, vertical stripes are called “stripe” and horizontal stripes are called “border,” but in English, regardless of the direction of the stripes, they are all called “stripe.”
There are various types, such as “chalk stripes,” which have a faded, chalk-like touch, and “pin stripes,” which are made of fine dots.
Incidentally, the English word “border” means “edge,” “edge (border),” “boundary (line),” or “national border (line),” and does not mean “horizontal stripes.”
2. Check
チェック
Checkered patterns
格子柄模様
(1) Ichimatsu pattern (checkerboard pattern)
市松模様
A pattern consisting of alternating squares of two colors.
Because it resembles a chessboard, it is also called a “checkerboard check” or “block check.”
This checkerboard pattern also appeared in “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.”
(2) Argyle check
アーガイルチェック
A diamond-shaped grid pattern. Often seen on sweaters and socks.
Argyle check (argyle pattern) is composed of a series of diamonds in several colors, with lines parallel to the edges intersecting the center. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes called the “abacus pattern.”
The origin of the name is said to be rooted in the tartan check of the Campbell family (Campbells of Argyle), a clan from the Argyle region of western Scotland.
(3) Gingham check
ギンガムチェック
Gingham is a type of check pattern unique to woven fabrics.
In digital designs, it’s represented by a grid pattern of equal widths in different colors.
There are several theories about the origin of the name. One theory suggests it comes from the Malay word “Genggang” (meaning “striped pattern”). Another theory suggests it originates from the French regional name “Guingamp.”
Initially, striped patterns were called gingham; for example, a London magazine from 1828 mentions “pink striped gingham.” There’s also a theory that Victorian-era umbrellas were sometimes called “a gingham” because of their pattern.
(4) Tartan check
タータンチェック
“Tartan check” is also called “tartan.”
It is a traditional checkered pattern originating from the Scottish Highlands.
The most widely accepted origin of the English word “tartan” is the Middle French word “tiretaine.” Other theories suggest it originates from the Gaelic word “tarsainn” or from the Old Spanish word “tiritana” (tiretana).
(5) Hound’s Tooth
ハウンドトゥース
A pattern consisting of a grid resembling the teeth of a hound.
In Japan, it is also called “Chidori-goshi（「千鳥格子」）” (plover pattern).
The origin of houndstooth dates back several hundred years to the Scottish Lowlands. It is said to have originally been used to distinguish Scottish clans from each other, signifying their neutrality.
For example, the well-known “tartan check” has the same meaning as a clan. In 16th-century Scotland, checks were used as the coats of arms of various clans.
In the past, the clan system was dismantled by England but later revived. At this point, clans were established in the Lowlands, and patterns for identification emerged. It seems that houndstooth became associated with the Lowlands, while tartan became associated with the Highlands.
3. Dot
ドット
Polka dot pattern.
水玉模様
While “dot” refers to a “point” or a “circle close to a point,” in design, a pattern where small circles or dots are dyed at a certain width against a background color is called a “dot pattern,” and is often also referred to as a “polka dot pattern.”
The smaller the diameter of the circle, the more formal the pattern is for formal wear. Dots with a diameter of 1-2 mm are called “pin dots,” those with a diameter of 2-3 cm are called “coin dots,” and those in between are called “polka dots.” These are mainly used on ties, dress shirts, and panties.
Incidentally, a pattern consisting of irregularly placed dots of various sizes is called a “shower dot.”
4. Patterns resembling animals
(1) Animal pattern
アニマル柄
Patterns of various animals such as leopards, giraffes, zebras, and tigers.
(2) Scale patterns / scale designs
鱗文様（うろこもんよう）・鱗文（うろこもん）
A pattern with triangles arranged vertically and horizontally.
(3) Herringbone
ヘリンボーン
A pattern resembling fish bones. It can be seen on floors and wooden furniture.
Its shape resembles the bones of a split fish, hence the name “herringbone.” Sometimes, the “g” is silent, resulting in “herringbone.”
The shape consists of V-shapes and rectangles arranged in a continuous pattern.
5. Plant-like patterns
(1) Camouflage pattern
カモフラージュ柄
Also known as “camouflage pattern.” A pattern with shapes and colors that blend into natural landscapes.
Often worn by members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. Marine Corps.
(2) Country-style floral pattern
カントリー調花柄
A general term for simple and charming small floral patterns, such as slightly muted pastel shades, reminiscent of the country life of Europe and America.
(3) Paisley
ペイズリー柄
n Japan, it is also called the “magatama pattern（「勾玉模様」）.”
It is believed that the Persian floral and bird motif was transmitted to India and the Islamic world and then abstracted.
(4) Botanical pattern
ボタニカル柄
Detailed botanical art, such as the kind found in specialized books, or patterns featuring a rich and dense array of flowers and plants.
6. Japanese Patterns（和柄）
(1) Arabesque Pattern (Karakusa Moyo)
唐草模様
This pattern is often seen on furoshiki（「風呂敷」） (wrapping cloths).
For me, it strongly evokes images of “the thief’s furoshiki（「泥棒の風呂敷」）” and “Tokyo Bonta（「東京ぼん太」）.”
(2) Shippo pattern
七宝文様（しっぽうもんよう）
An auspicious pattern made up of overlapping circles.
It is called “shippo” because the circles spread out in all directions.
(3) Seigaiha (wave pattern)
青海波（せいがいは）
A pattern that depicts waves.
(4) Thunder pattern (meander)
雷文（らいもん）
This pattern is often seen on ramen bowls.
Incidentally, “meander” refers to the Greek thunder pattern, named after the Maeander River (Meander River) that meanders through Asia Minor. It is also called meander, meander pattern, or meander design.
It originated in the Neolithic period in the Tripolian and Diminian cultures of the Danube River basin in the Balkans, as decorative patterns on pottery. It was later adopted by the Apennine Mountain cultures and flourished as Greek geometric patterns.
In Greece, it was used primarily in architectural decoration, and in Rome, in paintings and mosaics, mainly in architecture and crafts. It is also found in tapestries, pottery, and furniture.
7. Other Patterns
(1) Arabesque Pattern
アラベスク模様
A pattern composed of curves from plant motifs, geometric patterns, and straight lines from braided cord patterns.
It’s often seen in carpets and tiles.
(2) Splash pattern
スプラッシュ柄
Patterns that look like paint or pigment has been dripped or splattered.
There are also abstract paintings that use this technique.
(3) Fractal pattern
フラクタル柄
Fractal shapes and color patterns created using computer graphics (where the parts of a natural or geometric shape are similar to the whole).
Incidentally, a “fractal” is a self-similar structure where the same shape appears even when the scale is changed. It’s a geometric concept named by the French mathematician B. Mandelbrot.
One example is a tree. The branching of the trunk closely resembles the branching of twigs, and even the spread of leaf veins. Similar structures exist in mountain ridges and coastlines.
The degree of complexity of these contours is expressed by “fractal dimension.” The more complex the contour drawn on a surface, the closer it approaches two dimensions (a space with planar extent, like polygons or circles) from one dimension (a space where only straight lines exist).
(4) Monogram pattern
モノグラム柄
A pattern that uses a monogram (a combination of two or more letters, such as initials, to create a design) as a large focal point or as a small pattern.
A typical example is the pattern on Louis Vuitton bags.
(5) Mondrian pattern
モンドリアン柄
A pattern inspired by the designs found in the “Composition” series, a masterpiece by the Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944).
(6) Nordic pattern
ノルディック柄
“Nordic patterns,” as the name suggests, refer to traditional knitted patterns from Norway and other Nordic countries.
They are characterized by motifs such as snowflakes and reindeer, geometric patterns, and pointillism, evoking the Nordic region.
“Nordic sweaters,” which use Nordic patterns, are sweaters that have been made in Norway for centuries.
Nordic sweaters also always feature pointillist patterns, known as “rus costa.”
Due to the cold climate of the Nordic region, Nordic sweaters are often thick, with intricate knitting patterns throughout and double-knitted to enhance warmth.
The warmth and nostalgic feel that Nordic patterns evoke can be attributed to their often thick texture and their origins as traditional Nordic patterns.
Currently, as a standard pattern, they are incorporated not only into sweaters and knitwear, but also into scarves, socks, and other fashion items.