Japanese Pattern Quiz
Ichimatsu (Checkerboard)
You lay out two colors in strict alternation and keep going, on and on, at the same steady pace.
Ichimatsu is a grid pattern of squares in two alternating colors. Long ago it went by names such as “ishidatami” (stone paving), but in the middle of the Edo period, it's said, the kabuki actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu wore it in his stage costumes, it became popular, and it came to be called by his name.
Each square is clearly set apart from its neighbors by color, and the arrangement carries on at the same steady pace in every direction. Because it goes on without a break, ichimatsu has long been considered a pattern carrying a wish for prosperity. You, too, treat each thing as its own separate piece and handle it reliably, and keep up the steps you've set at the same steady pace, with no set end.
The beauty of ichimatsu is that wherever you cut it, the arrangement is the same. On the other hand, when one thing with a different shape comes along, you may not be sure where to put it. Keep one small frame for trying new things outside your set grid, and you can take them on without disturbing the arrangement.
Strengths
- You can separate things out and finish each one reliably
- You can keep up the steps you've set at the same pace for a long time
- You can keep things in a clear shape that anyone can follow the same way
Where you may stumble
- When an errand comes along that won't fit your set arrangement, you're not sure where to put it
- Deciding where to draw the line — “This is where it ends” — keeps getting put off
- Where the conversation keeps linking up and spreading, you're uneasy not seeing where each part ends
Sounds familiar, Ichimatsu (Checkerboard)?
- You find yourself walking so as not to step on the lines between the floor tiles
- When someone's telling you something, you never bring up a new topic until theirs is finished
- Every morning, you go around opening the windows one by one, in the same order
Where you shine
Work that means repeating the same task over time, or building things up reliably one at a time — that's when your unchanging pace can give the people around you a sense of security.
Tips for “Ichimatsu (Checkerboard)”
- Outside your set grid, make one small frame for trying new things
- Every so often, look again at how the things you've separated relate to each other
- For something you keep up, set aside one day a month to draw a line under it
Matches
See every match in the Japanese Pattern Quiz compatibility chart →
Yagasuri (Arrow Feathers) — Yagasuri also breaks things into separate pieces and moves by the plan. Ichimatsu wants to keep the same arrangement going, and Yagasuri points the way — “Next, up to here” — so what you've kept up moves a step forward.
Seigaiha (Blue Ocean Waves) — Seigaiha also keeps each shape intact and carries on with no set end. Seigaiha gently adjusts Ichimatsu's plan-keeping arrangement to fit the moment, so keeping at it doesn't feel confining.
Karakusa (Arabesque Vines) — Karakusa goes with the moment, linking things together and reaching toward where it wants to grow. To Ichimatsu, who wants to separate things and keep the same arrangement going, the way Karakusa spreads looks like it has no end in sight, and to Karakusa, Ichimatsu's arrangement can feel like it's blocking the way forward.
Close neighbors
These differ from this one on just 1 of the 3 axes. If one of your axes was near the middle, you may have their side too.
Which one are you? 18 everyday situations, about 3 minutes.
Start the quiz← Back to the Japanese Pattern Quiz