Stroll around Ginza, Shibuya or any other trendy shopping area in Japan, and chances are you'll see plenty of women carrying dark-brown bags with the same distinctive pattern-a succession of what look like flowers, stars and the letters L and V.

Though almost certainly aware that their Louis Vuitton bags come from France, few of these women probably know that the luxury brand's globally recognized symbols, known as Monogram, could trace their roots to Japan.

The origin of the Monogram canvas is the central theme of ``Universal Symbol of the Brand,'' an exhibition now under way at Tokyo's Mori Arts Center Gallery.

``It started with a question: Why do the Japanese like Louis Vuitton so much?'' says exhibition curator Kaori Ikeda.

``Then, after learning that Japan's kamon family crests had an influence on Monogram, I wanted to let people know about it, so they could be proud of Japanese culture,'' she said.

Trunk maker and company founder Louis Vuitton opened his first store in Paris in 1854, but it was his son, Georges Vuitton, who designed Monogram in 1896 to make the company's products more difficult to fake.

Though little documentation remains to give any clues as to how he came up with the pattern, Ikeda said, it was generally understood throughout the French firm that Monogram had its roots in kamon and similar traditional Japanese motifs.

The Japanese motifs of flowers and stars on display at the exhibition, which date back hundreds of years, do bear a resemblance to components of Monogram.

It is not too hard to imagine how Georges Vuitton could have come into contact with Japanese culture. Japonisme, a taste for Japanese art and crafts, was exerting a growing influence in France in the late 19th century, following Japan's participation in international expositions with ukiyo-e woodblock prints and other items.

Louis Vuitton exhibited at the same international expositions, many of which were held in Paris. So it's possible that Georges Vuitton was exposed to Japanese designs through these events.

However, Ikeda warns that an ongoing Japanese research project into the roots of the design suggests that Japan is not the only possible influence on Monogram.

Though the researchers have yet to reach a conclusion, they suspect that Monogram was also influenced by such decorative styles as Art Nouveau and Gothic.

Art Nouveau was the decorative style most familiar to Georges Vuitton, who in 1892 hired Louis Majorelle, one of its major proponents, to redesign his family home near Paris. Through Majorelle, Vuitton befriended another star of Art Nouveau, Emile Galle.

France was also undergoing a Gothic revival during the 19th century, and four-petaled flower motifs like those used in Monogram are a common feature of architecture in that style.

``The research group believes that Monogram derives from a balanced, global integration of Japonisme, Art Nouveau and the Gothic style,'' Ikeda said.

Another section of the exhibition traces Louis Vuitton's 150-year history through its trunks, which were transformed as railroads and luxurious ocean liners, automobiles and airplanes took over from horse-drawn coaches as the most popular means of transportation.

All of the antique trunks on display were custom-made. Among the most interesting are the ``Rayee sleeping trunk'' (ca. 1880) with a built-in cot, used by a French explorer of Africa; the ``Vuittonite driving bag'' (ca. 1905) for spare tire tubes; and the ``Vuittonite picnic trunk'' (ca. 1910), large enough to carry plates, glasses and utensils for six people.

Similarly intriguing are the ``Vuittonite billiard cue trunk'' (1914); the ``Monogram traveling bureau for 30 pairs of shoes'' (1926); and the ``Gentleman's Vuittonite hat box'' (1929) for two silk hats and two round hats.

While there's no clear proof that kamon influenced the original Monogram design, it's possible to see a definite Japanese influence on its modern incarnation elsewhere in the show.

In 2003, contemporary artist Takashi Murakami took the century-old design to a new level, adding a wealth of colors to the canvas. His works are on display, along with some of the brand's recent collaborations with other artists.

``Universal Symbol of the Brand'' runs through March 21 at Tokyo's Mori Arts Center Gallery, near Roppongi subway station. Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 1,200 yen for adults. Call 03-5777-8600.(IHT/Asahi: February 18,2005)