Japanese pattern ICHIMATSU

 Today, we're going to talk about the traditional Japanese pattern "Ichimatsu Moyo".

Ichimatsu Moyo became famous through the worldwide hit anime and manga "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba".
The checkered pattern is a simple pattern made up of squares of two different colors arranged alternately.
Outside of Japan, it is also known as a check or checkered pattern, and it is originally from all over the world.

The name "Ichimatsu pattern" first appeared in the Edo period.
Until then, it was called "Ishidatami pattern" because it looked like stone paving.
In the even older Heian period, it was called "Arare". Arare" means "hail" that falls from the sky.

 The word ichimatsu in ichimatsu-moyō comes from the name of a kabuki actor from the Edo period called Ichimatsu Sanokawa.
Ichimatsu Sanokawa wore a kimono with a white and navy blue pattern when he appeared in a play called Shinju Mannengusa in 1741.
This play was a huge hit in Edo, and it was this that led to the checkered pattern being called ichimatsu-moyō.

A picture of Ichimatsu Sanokawa, acting as a cosmetics seller in the Edo period
/Cultural Heritage Online (japan) Toshinobu Okumura

Ichimatsu Sanokawa performing a story about revenge
/Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (USA) Kiyomitsu Torii

Ichimatsu Sanokawa as a puppeteer
/Tokyo National Museum (Japan) Masanobu Okumura

Since this Kabuki play was a big hit, many dolls of the characters that appeared in the play were released. These are called ichimatsu ningyo. They are the equivalent of the figurines we have today. Ichimatsu ningyo dolls can be dressed up and played with. These dolls were used not only as toys, but also for sewing practice.
Making the kimono to dress these dolls was a form of practice in itself.
(Recently, Ichimatsu Ningyo has become a standard item in Japanese horror).

By the way, the Ichimatsu pattern is also used on the jacket of Kamado Tanjiro, the main character in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" Because many products imitating this pattern were sold around the world, the publisher Shueisha tried to patent the Ichimatsu pattern (in 2020).
However, the Japan Patent Office rejected it, saying that the Ichimatsu pattern was a design that was commonly used in everyday life, and Shueisha was unable to register the trademark.
I think, "That's right."

Now, I would like to talk a little about Ichimatsu Ningyo and Japanese horror.
In Japan, there is a belief that spirits inhabit various objects. There is also a belief that tools that have been used for 100 years become yokai (tsukumogami).
The idea that objects that are treated with care by children, such as Ichimatsu Ningyo, become inhabited by spirits, is a very natural concept in Japan.
And in fact, there are many ghost stories related to Ichimatsu Ningyo. Typical examples include "the hair grows longer" and "the facial expression changes", but there are also other stories such as "the posture changes without you noticing" and "after going missing, they are always found in unexpected places". It seems that this still happens sometimes even now. (I'm too scared to search for it just writing about it)

In the 1995 anime film "Ghost in the Shell", the character "Batou" says, "Even celluloid dolls can have souls", and I thought this might be referring to "Ichimatsu Ningyo".
In fact, Ichimatsu Ningyo were made from celluloid in the Taisho era.

Also, the human body model dolls "Taro & Hanako" that appear in episode 11 of "Dandadan" also have souls, and I think that many Japanese people who see this would think "I can understand that" or "that's possible".

the human body model dolls "Taro & Hanako"

In Japan, it is thought that dolls and animal furnishings have souls, so there are also shrines where unwanted dolls are sent to be "requited". Dolls are sent to these shrines from all over the country.

Awashima jinja shrine (Wakayama,Japan)

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