Japanese Pattern Quiz
Kikko (Tortoiseshell)
You fit identical hexagons together without gaps, and keep holding a shape that doesn't crumble.
Kikko is a pattern of regular hexagons fitted together without gaps. It's modeled on the pattern of a tortoise's shell: each side of every hexagon is shared with the one next to it, so the whole forms one connected shape that goes on and on in every direction. The kikko shape has also been used in family crests and in the crests of shrines.
As a Japanese saying puts it, “The crane lives a thousand years, the tortoise ten thousand.” The tortoise has long been considered a long-lived creature, and kikko a pattern that wishes for long life. You, too, keep firmly to the steps you've set, link things together, and carry on for a long time with no set end.
Hexagons fitted together without gaps make a shape that's hard to break. Because of that, changing shape partway through may not be your strong suit. When someone brings in a new way of doing things, start by picking just one spot to try it out, and you can take it on while keeping the overall shape.
Strengths
- You can keep up the steps you've set at the same steady pace for a long time
- You can link things together and build them up without leaving gaps
- Without rushing to finish, you can build things up little by little by keeping at it
Where you may stumble
- When asked to change the procedure partway through, the effort of rebuilding everything weighs on you
- When asked to draw a line — “This is where it ends” — you keep thinking about what comes next and find it hard to stop
- With people who handle things separately, one by one, the different way of linking things throws you
Sounds familiar, Kikko (Tortoiseshell)?
- You feel good when the containers in your fridge fit together side by side with no gaps
- When asked how many years you've been doing something, you start counting on your fingers
- One old story leads you to a whole string of related ones, one after another
Where you shine
Long-running projects, or building many things into one shape — that's when your sturdy structure can become the footing everyone stands on.
Tips for “Kikko (Tortoiseshell)”
- Bring in new ways of doing things by first picking just one spot to try them
- Now and then, give what you've kept up a small milestone and look back
- Before linking things, check once whether some would be better kept separate
Matches
See every match in the Japanese Pattern Quiz compatibility chart →
Asanoha (Hemp Leaf) — Asanoha also links things together with straight lines. Kikko tends to keep repeating the same shape, and Asanoha points the way — “Next, up to here” — giving what you've kept up a new milestone.
Ichimatsu (Checkerboard) — Ichimatsu also keeps a set shape going at the same steady pace, on and on. Kikko wants to connect things and Ichimatsu wants to separate them, so you build in different ways — but you both stick to the plan, so once you've split up the roles, things move quickly.
Chidori (Plovers) — Chidori goes with the moment and flies lightly toward its destination, one thing at a time. To Kikko, who wants to link up a set shape and hold it for a long time, Chidori's movements look restless, and to Chidori, Kikko's way of doing things can feel like a frame that won't budge.
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.
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