Hello! Bouncing off of that ask regarding rain patterns in kimono, I was curious if lightning is ever used as a motif in kimonos, and if so, what sort of vocabulary is used to describe it? ^^
I've read about the Inazuma pattern before, but I was wondering if there were any others I wasn't aware of, since there's so many different vocabulary terms for kimono patterns!
Thank you for your time!
It is indeed generically named inazuma 稲妻, or also kaminari 雷/raimon 雷文 :)
Lightning is mainly represented via thick lines curling at squares angles (sometimes difficult to tell apart from sayagata) or zigzag lightning bolts shapes (Pikachu's tail style). Another common representation is a bit harder to catch as it looks a lot like matsukawa (pine bark pattern).
Another thunder-adjacent concept coming to me is mitsudomoe 三つ巴 (circle made of 3 magatama/comma-shaped jewels):
This symbol is often used on percussions (like taiko 太鼓, gakudaiko 楽太鼓) which were/are still used for Shinto rituals purpose. This symbol can so symbolize the rumbling sound of thunder (which can drive evil spirits away)... hence why you find it on the dendendaiko of thunder god Raijin 雷神 or used for some oni representations.
