Design AtlasThe name literally means "hemp leaf," after the plant's six-lobed leaf shape. In Korean it's sometimes translated as sambe-munui (hemp-cloth pattern), though the Japanese pronunciation "asanoha" is also common in Korean textile and design contexts. Hemp grows fast and straight, so the pattern was traditionally used on baby clothes as a wish that the child would grow up just as straight and healthy.
Geometrically it's a hexagonal/triangular grid subdivided into a repeating six-pointed star, and it's also the signature motif of kumiko, the traditional Japanese craft of assembling wooden lattice screens without nails. Notably, unlike most East Asian ornamental motifs, the six-pointed star is built entirely from straight lines — no curves needed.
That "straight lines only" trait is exactly what makes it cheap in CSS: layer three thin repeating-linear-gradients at 0°, 60°, and −60°, and the six-pointed star outline falls out automatically wherever the three line sets cross. No SVG <pattern> required — this is the leanest build in the whole category, three CSS lines deep.
When to use
Use for Japanese-inspired branding, baby-product or wellness packaging, and geometric loading-skeleton texture.