Japanese heraldry uses several strategies to generate new kamon variations. Apart from enclosures and blenders, there are numerous fixed patterns that are recurrently applied to emblems: the X or “crossing” pattern, the “embracing” pattern, the “splitting” pattern, the “inverting” pattern… Those are but a few examples of recurrent patterns that compose Japanese heraldry.
Below is a (non exhaustive) glossary of kamon design patterns:
| Agari | ascending |
| Atsume | gathering |
| Chigai | crossing |
| Chūkage | emptied |
| Chū-wa | semi thick circle |
| Daki | embracing |
| Eda-maru | branch circle |
| Fusen | butterfly-shaped |
| Futae | double-layered |
| Gyōyō | saddle ornament shaped |
| Hoso-wa | thin circle |
| Irechigai | upside down |
| Ito-wa | thread circle |
| Janome | snake eye |
| Kage | inverted |
| Kana-wa | metal ring |
| Kashira awase | top combined |
| Katate | single |
| Kawari | variation |
| Kokumochi | inverted ~ on a black circle |
| Kōrin | Korin style |
| Kumiai | intertwined |
| Kuzushi | modified |
| Mamuki | facing forward |
| Mori (x-mori) | doubled, tripled, etc. |
| Mukai | confronting |
| Musubi | tied |
| Narabi | side by side |
| Ni-kai (x-kai) | 2-stacked, x-stacked |
| Sagari | descending |
| Shiri awase | bottom combined |
| Tachi | standing |
| Tomoe | jewel-shaped |
| Ushiro muki | facing backward |
| Wari (x-wari) | split, x-split |
| Yokomi | facing sideways |
| Yose | combination |
| Yuki-wa | snow crystal ring |