Strolling Through Tōfuku-ji in Kyoto to Discover Louis Vuitton’s Iconic Plaid

The leather goods brand Louis Vuitton Malletier encountered Japanese culture at the exposition. Its founder and his son, Georges Vuitton, were deeply fascinated by the world of forms created by Japanese traditional artisans. It was here that they encountered the decisive key that transformed craftsmanship into branding—Japanese family crests.

 

At the time, the rapidly rising Louis Vuitton was plagued by counterfeit products. The concept of family crests and patterns opened the eyes of the father-and-son duo, ushering in the era of brand identity. The classic Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas and Damier Canvas—minimalist yet highly distinctive patterns built on repeated geometric techniques—are derived from the shapes and concepts of family crests and patterns.

The iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas and Damier Canvas—minimalist yet highly distinctive patterns built on repeated geometric techniques—are derived from the shapes and concepts of family crests and patterns.

Family crests are part of Japanese traditional culture, signifying a family’s lineage and socio-economic status, and are a type of pattern. Patterns, traditionally, involve stylizing and decorating text, flora and fauna, and objects into decorative motifs. These motifs are formed by the regular repetition of a single design, evolving over time and deeply rooted in folk culture, often carrying conventional symbolic meanings. Beyond everyday decorative use, certain social classes such as samurai or kabuki actors had exclusive patterns, which were variations of family crests.

 

For tourists, these beautiful patterns form part of the Kyoto impression and fuel the desire to bring home travel memories. But for the people of Kyoto, who have strong personal preferences in food, clothing, housing, and transportation, changing into new kimono dyed with seasonal floral designs or sending a postcard adorned with cool flowing water patterns to friends in the peak of summer—patterns are a small daily joy and an unconscious form of self-expression for the people of Kyoto.

Besides buying them, how else can you collect patterns? Kyoto’s pattern map lies within Tōfuku-ji. The garden design of Tōfuku-ji is one of the most unique and unparalleled sights in Kyoto: its karesansui (dry landscape) gardens not only possess artistic elegance, harmony between nature and human craftsmanship, and rich symbolism and storytelling, but most importantly, they were designed by Shigemori Mirei, who pioneered a new aesthetic in traditional garden design.

 

Shigemori Mirei (1896–1975) was a master who integrated traditional Japanese arts such as Japanese painting, ikebana (flower arrangement), and the tea ceremony into Japanese garden design. The clever use of patterns inspired by traditional motifs is one of the most recognizable features of Shigemori-style gardens. To uncover the hidden patterns secretly embedded by Shigemori, the North Garden of Tōfuku-ji’s Hōjō and Ryōgin-an are must-visit treasure troves of patterns.

 

Upon entering the North Garden, you’ll be greeted by a very familiar design. Using your imagination, this chessboard-patterned garden made of moss and gravel might remind you of Louis Vuitton’s most iconic handbag. This is the ichimatsumon (ichimatsumon grid), one of the most basic traditional Japanese patterns. It was the sight of the ichimatsumon at the Paris Exposition Universelle that inspired Louis Vuitton and his son to create the classic Damier pattern—the world’s first registered trademarked design. Japanese traditional patterns unexpectedly laid the foundation for some of the most basic vocabulary in today’s fashion industry. Shigemori loved this simplicity: unleashing boundless creativity from a minimalist base, boldly cutting and breaking traditional layout norms, and expanding the pure beauty of geometry into the overall style and tone of the garden.

Another hidden pattern gem rarely known even to locals is Ryōgin-an. In its West Garden, Shigemori “raised” a cloud dragon: using broken stones as the dragon’s head and body, arranging black-and-white gravel into auspicious cloud patterns, raking the sand into undulating cloud motifs, and arranging bamboo fences into lightning patterns. All these patterns and symbols come together to create the magnificent scene of a lucky dragon bursting from the sea, tumbling and surging through a stormy sky.