I have a friend who majored in Japanese and spent a year or two as an exchange student in Japan. I showed her this link, and this is what she said: "They aren't Japanese, they're Chinese. There are only three characters on this fabric, just all facing different directions. "喜" is one of them, which means happiness. "福"is another one, which means good fortune/luck. The last one I know I should know, but it's escaping me at the moment. If I think of it, I'll let you know."