Ichimatsu: checkerboard pattern in light and dark colors; largely popularized in the Edo period (1741) by Sanogawa Ichimatsu, an Osaka actor [JCaTA,pg.40

Igeta: decorative motif consisting of two sets of parallel beams, criss-crossed and enclosing a diamond; form represents drinking well as seen in isometric perspective; frequently used as kasuri motif [trad.]

Iki: (pure, unadulterated): chic, up to date; a standard of taste that favored sophisticated simplicity; established in opposition to yabo; applied especially to personal dress [JCaTA,pg.87-92]

Inkin: stamped gauze weave; originally a Ming import; usually small motifs.

Iromuji: A single‑colored kimono without contrasting patterns. It may include woven designs and ranges from casual to formal depending on crests.

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Irotomesode: a formal kimono same as kurotomesode but the base is not black but beautiful light colors. It's the second most formal kimono for married women. It also has five family crests and have more festive air and worn at formal parties or gatherings.

Ishidatami (paving stone): checkerboard pattern originally derived from stone paving in Chinese palaces; similar to ichimatsu but often laid on a diagonal and without color contrasts [AoJ,v.1,pg.138]

Itajime: A dyeing technique similar to that used in the Nara period to make kyokechi resist dyed textiles that involves clamping yarns or lengths of fabric between wooden boards, usually used in groups of 10-20, that have been carved with decorative motifs. When the dye is poured on the clamped areas remain white.

Jiire: Sizing of the fabric prior to dyeing with gojiru, seaweed glue or water to prevent blotching and to ensure an even take up of the dye.

Jinboari: sleeveless half-coat worn by warriors on the battlefield. Jinbaori patterns were often designed to show off a warriors military power.

Jinken: (aka "rayon"). A man‑made fiber created from plant pulp, similar to rayon, used as an affordable silk substitute.

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Jofu: superior grade of plain-weave hemp [Cannabis sativa]or linen cloth; especially favored for summer wear by the samurai class; see katabira; later applied to summer weight fabrics that have a similar texture (even silk) [BtTB, Nagasaki, pg.17]

Jomon: pattern produced by shaping clay vessels with a paddle or stick wrapped with twisted cord; the pottery and period derive their names from this technique [AoJ,v.1,pg.138]

Juban: undergarment worn beneath the kimono; it�s construction is similar to that of the kimono. Traditionally the patterns and colors are bold. Naga-juban are ankle length, and han-juban are hip length.

Junihitoe (12 unlined): colloquially, the term applied to a 12 layered form of dress for court women, which originated in the Heian period; actual number of layers varied with time; sometimes as many as 15 or as few as nine; [JCaTA,pg.14]

Kagayuzen: style of decoration employing yuzen technique; motifs and compositions reflect a more exuberant taste developed in Kaga (present Ishikawa); especially when persimmon red is used; also Kagazome [trad.]

Kakeshita: name for the kimono worn under the uchikake during a wedding ceremony.

Kaketsugi: mending technique. To sew a torn part to hide the seam.

Kaki-e: Hand-painting on fabric, usually with sumi ink. The best-known example is the use of kaki-e in tsujigahana textiles.

Kaku obi: stiff, single-layer obi some 4-5 inches in width; mostly worn by adult males, but sometimes also by adult females [trad.]

Kakuregasa: magic "hiding hat", one of the auspicious Collection of treasures motifs.

Kakuremino: magic "hiding cape", one of the auspicious Collection of Treasures motifs.

Kamiko: treated paper (usually made from mulberry fiber); used as fabric for clothing [BtTB, Nagasaki, pg.17-19]

Kanebukuro: "money bag", one of the auspicious Collection of Treasures motifs.

Kanji: Logographic Chinese characters used in Japanese writing.

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Kanoko (fawn): ): tie-dye technique; named for its' resemblance to the spotting on a fawn's coat [trad.]

Kanoko-Shibori: One of the tie-dyed techniques. The pattern looks like dots on the back of deer. Kanoko literally means infant deer.

Kappa (cape): specifically, thigh-length traveling cape; semi-circular form, with shallow stand-up collar; usually double layer of cotton fabric with waterproof paper sandwiched between [Trad.]

Karako: 'Chinese child'. refers to playful, cherubic figures with distinct features such as round faces, large eyes, and plump cheeks.

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Karakusa: Literally "Chinese grasses".  A design of curving tendrils, sometimes with leaves and flowers, introduced into Japan from Tang dynasty China in the eighth century.  "Arabesque", another translation of  karakusa, is an inaccurate description of these textile designs. Unfortunately, it was chosen rather than "foliage" or "scroll work", two other meanings of karakusa.

Karaori (Chinese weave): compound weave, with satin designs on a twill ground; highly embellished with multiple colors and gold; now largely used exclusively in Noh drama [AoJ,v.1,pg.138]

Kari+ginu: short over-jacket; with round collar closure and drawstring duffs; often used for Noh- male roles [trad.]

Kariyasu: yellow tint obtained from miscanthus grass [Miscanthus tinctorius]; [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg. 27]

Kasanegi (multi-layered wear): style of dress that derives it effect from the contrast of many layers of single-colored garments.

Kasuri: A Japanese ikat technique using pre‑dyed threads to create soft, feathered patterns. Designs may be formed through warp, weft, or combined dyeing.

Kata-yuzen: A stencil-dyed katazome technique intended to imitate yuzen.

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Katabira: unlined summer kosode made of fine hemp cloth; often yuzen-dyed,and embellished with embroidery. The katabiri was often decorated with patterns that give a �cool� feeling, such as flowing water or snow.

Katagami: specialized hand-made stencils involved in the dyeing of patterns.

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Kataginu: stiff, sleeveless jacket or jumper worn as a costume in Kyogen drama [AoJ,v.1,pg.109,114]; similar in form to the upper half of the kamishimo

Katamigawari (half-and-half): style of garment in which the halves are made from different fabrics or designs; sleeves may be alternated as well [AoJ,v.1,138]

Katasuso (shoulder and hem): style of decoration for kosode confined to the shoulders and hem; often done in embroidery [JCaTA,pg.119]

Katazome (stencil dying): dye technique; starch resist process applied with paper stencils; one paper stencil per color required. Often dip-dyed, but sometimes dye is applied by brush or thickened and applied by tube. Stencil dyeing is well suited for mass production, while the designs, made by repetition of the patterning process, have a uniquely rhythmical beauty that has been cherished by people in all parts of Japan since ancient times. Bingati is the bright, polychrome katazome developed in Okinawa.

Kesa: rectangular or trapezoidal stole worn by Buddhist priests; often paired with an ohi of similar design; is draped under the right arm and cinched over the left shoulder with cords; styles vary according to sect. Kesa are often made of patchwork to suggest the patched clothing of the poor

Kicho: curtain: standing curtain used to partition rooms or to block the wind.

Kihada: yellow tint derived from the bark of Amur cork tree [Phellodendron amurense]; [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg. 27]

Kikko: "tortoise shell": hexagonal motif used as an allover pattern or as a single unit.  Has felicitous connotations because the tortoise symbolizes longevity.

Kiku: The chrysanthemum, symbolizing longevity, beauty, and autumn. Associated with the Imperial family and seasonal festivals.

Kimono: : literally �the thing worn�. Originally, to the Japanese kimono meant simply �clothing�, but today kimono sometimes is used often as a generic term for all types of kosode and as the name for any contemporary garment that in any way resembles the kosode. However, the contemporary wearer of these garments uses the proper Japanese name for each garment. Kosode, not kimono, is the generic term used when referring to the kimono-like garments worn in earlier periods.

Kinkoma: (aka koma-nui): Couching: Colored, gold, and silver threads that are too thick to pass through the eye of a needle are laid along the underdrawings and couched by another thin silk thread.

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Kinran: A luxurious brocade woven with gold leaf paper strips and silk. Used historically for temple textiles, noh costumes, and high‑status garments.

Kinsai-Yuzen: from Yuzen-zome. Gilt technique with gold and silver

Kinsha: fine grade of chirimen [trad.]

Kinsya: High quality silk-gauze woven with foil, gold and silk threads. As it is thin and light, it is used for summer wear.

Kintoshi: silk fabric woven with gold threads.

Kiri hoo: combined paulownia and phoenix motif.

Kirihame: decorative fabric inserts or applique; formerly known as zogan [JCaTA,pg.157]

Kissyo-Ka: auspicious flowers such as chrysanthemum, peony, plum flower, Paulson and others

Kofurisode: Short-sleeved furisode. The length of the sleeves is about 30 inches.

Kogin: dense geometric patterned embroidery on work clothing.

Komainu: guardian dog, a mythical lion-like beast that repels evil.

Komanui: Couching: Colored, gold, and silver threads that are too thick to pass through the eye of a needle are laid along the underdrawing and couched by another thin silk thread.

Komon: A kimono with a small repeating pattern across the entire surface. Casual but can be dressed up with a formal obi.

Koshimaki (hip wrap): style of wear characterized by belting only the lower half of kosode at the waist and allowing the upper half to drape freely; also kosode of stiff brocade designed for this style [trad.]

Kosode: : literally "small sleeves".  The kosode is the forerunner to the modern kimono worn by married women.  In the Heian period, it was worn as an undergarment by both men and women of the court nobility.  Later it became the outer garment for all the classes.  The "small sleeves" referred originally to the small opening for the wrist, which distinguished the kosode from the "osode", "large sleeves", in which the wrist opening was the full length of the sleeve.  In modern times, kimono also have small sleeves in the sense that that they are shorter than those of the furisode.

Kotobuki: ideogram meaning "long life" and "prosperity"; often used on textiles and porcelain [trad.]

Kozo: mulberry [Broussonetia; bast fiber used for paper; paper used either as fabric or woven with other fibers [BtTB, Cort, pg.38]

Kuchinashi: yellow tint derived from gardenia hulls [Gardenia jasminoides]; [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg. 27]

Kumihimo: Braided cords used for ties and accessories. Historically used in samurai armor and now common as obijime.

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Kuro: black tint derived from initial immersion in brown (usually derived from native acorns), followed by application of iron mordant; [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg. 27]

Kuro Montsuki Haori: formal black crested haori

Kurotomesode (black tomesode): ): formal kimono characterized by narrow cuffs and black ground; decorated with appropriate motifs in yuzenzome; worn by the mother and female relatives of the principals when attending weddings; by contrast, invited female guests wear the irotomesode [trad.]

Kusakizome: dyeing using plant extracts.

Kyogen: Literally "wild words".  An interlude of light social comedy or parody between two Noh plays in which the actors use ordinary speech or a dialect and do not wear masks.  There is no musical accompaniment.

Magatama: comma-shaped beads, often made of precious materials like jade, jasper, or agate.

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Maiginu (dance robe): garment, based upon court dress; generally used for female dance roles in Noh performances [trad.]

Maiwai: fisherman's ceremonial jacket.

Mame shibori: style of tie dying; said to resemble bean (mame) shape but split by a resisted line [trad.]

Manji: A Buddhist symbol representing good fortune, eternity, and the teachings of the Buddha. Used in religious art and traditional patterns.

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Maru obi: The most formal obi, patterned on both sides and throughout its length. Heavy and now worn mainly for weddings and ceremonies.

Matsuinui: An embroidery technique for rendering lines. The curved stitch follows upward the lines of the underdrawing and the width of the lines are varied by the layers of the stitch.

Matsukawabishi: "pine bark lozenge", a geometric motif of three superimposed diamond forms used as an allover repeating pattern as well as a single unit.

Mawata: The silk wadding processed from the cocoons that have been pierced as the moth emerged from the cocoon. The thread cannot be reeled as a continuous filament from a pierced cocoon, but the cocoon can be stretched into a fairly large, flat, thin square of wadding.

Meibutsugire: Fabrics imported from abroad during the 13th-16th century preserved in shrines, temples and the collections of daimyo families, they were highly prized and often used in the mountings of hanging scrolls or made into bags for tea ceremony utensils.

Meisen: a woven fabric that has had both warp and weft threads resisted and dyed prior to the final set up of the loom and weaving, so as to produce a preplanned design. The meisen style silk kimono was the most popular garment at the beginning of the Showa era, and was mainly produced between 1910 and 1960. Meisen garments were casual wear for wealthy Japanese but a fine cloth for ordinary people.  The technique is related to earlier methods kasuri (ikat), in which threads are resisted before dyeing and weaving, and e-gasuri ("picture-ikat"), a Japanese innovation in which threads are resisted, rather than direct-dyed, with the use of a stencil.  The silk used in meisen fabrics was made from broken cocoon filaments and silk thread

Meyui: tie-dyed motif of hollow squares, formalized into a checkerboard pattern arranged on a diagonal; commonly used as a mon [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Michi+yuki (rain+snow): 3/4 overcoat, usually worn by women; conforms to the kimono worn underneath and unlike the haori has a square collar that is closed with cords. [trad.]

Mingei: Japanese folk crafts.

Minogame: 'Straw-raincoat Turtle': minogame is a legendary turtle creature in Japanese folklore, often associated with longevity and wisdom.

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Miyamairi: ceremonial kimono draped over a one-month old infant when first presented at ancestral Shinto shrine; usually styled like furisode but reduced; decorated with auspicious themes or motifs; mostly for boys.

Mizugoro+mo: over-garment for male Noh roles

Mofuku: formal style of mourning dress with five mon (family crests) worn by both genders; characterized by plain black color and lack of ornamentation; complemented by black tabi [trad.]

Mojiri-ori: or gauze weaving, in which the warps are twisted together to create open-structured fabrics such as sha, ro and ra gauzes.

Mokume shibori (wood-grain): process of resist dying; parallel rows of basting stitches compress fabric into furrows and ridges; only exposed edge of shirred fabric receives dye solution; simulates the parallel lines of tree ring growth [trad.]

Momiji: A motif of autumn maple leaves, celebrated in seasonal viewing traditions and widely used in textile design.

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Mon or kamon(Crests): a stylized, circular family crest displayed on certain Japanese clothing and used to identify family.  handed down through the generations.  It began as a heraldic emblem in the Heian period.  Soon each noble family, the "daimyo", began to adopt a specific crest.  In the feudal period, samurai families adopted a mon to identify members of their clan during battles.  After the Meiji restoration, the common people were permitted to use a family mon.   Most mon designs are based either on flowers or geometrical designs. However, a few are based on the animals of the zodiac, birds, or butterflies. The mon design is dyed or woven at the back neck and top center of front and back of sleeves of the most formal black kimono (sometimes called a "five-mon kimono"). Slightly less formal are three-mon kimono with mon at the back neck and the top center back of sleeves. Formal haori and other kimono may have a single mon at the back neck.

Montsuki: refers to a traditional Japanese kimono with a plain, solid black design often worn on formal occasions, typically adorned with family crests.

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Murasaki: : purple tint derived from gromwell [Lithospermum crythrorhizon] plant root; originally, a luxury import from China; also termed shikon; [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg. 27]

Naga hakama (long+hakama): a type of hakama worn exclusively indoors; during Heian Period, always red in color and worn by females with a white kosode as underlayer for more decorative and elaborate garments; in Edo Period most frequently worn at the Shogun's court on the most formal of occasions by daimyo[trad.]

Nagoya obi: a post-Meiji type of obi made from and extra long, standard width fabric; trailing end made by folding last few yards back upon itself then seaming the selvages; the plain remainder is folded in half, lengthwise and seamed all the way to the end; narrow portion is wrapped closest to the body [trad.]

Nambam (southern barbarian): the term originally applied to Portuguese and Dutch traders, who first arrived in Japan during the 16th century; by extension, any European; also motifs that either feature European figures or artifacts [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]