Traditional Japanese color

How many colors in the world? I read it is impossible to tell the number because it is concern to wave length of light, many factores and its combination are countless. PC can show 16.77 million colors. But our eyes can identfy about 7 million colors or so. Then when we see something, we can tell we see the same color? Maybe it will be different because each person's sensiblity for colors. So our common color is only a expedient standards.

Each place, each countries will have thier traditional colors, people has used for long time and still using in thier life. Japan has too. Some was named in Heian Period which that runs from 794 to 1185. The Heian period is considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art and especially in poetry and literature. So name of colors concern to such lites. Or some came from Edo Culture, and some are named after Meiji period which we could have chemical dye. Yes yes when we see the name of color, it can tell a lof of our history, life, and cultures.

The words concern to color.
There are many words and proverb regarding to color. let's see some of them. Well I can find close words in English, and some will make NO sense in English. Okay just try it!

[color]
the word "color" is "IRO" in Japanese, "IRO" is used for meanings of sexy, sexual feeling, attractive, becautiful. "IRO PPOI" means sexy, "IRO ME WO TSUKAU"(use color eye) means putting on amorous looks, IRO OTOKO (color guy) is attractive guy. We have old proverb, "EIYU IRO TO KONOMU" (hero can enjoy sexual affair). Maybe this is close to "Who loves not wine, women, and song he is a fool his whole life." in Engslih.
Or couse as it is, it means color of face. "GANSHOKU NASHI" (colorless face) means succumb to the power of the other side and turn pale. This expression is written in Chinese old book.

[other color]
=""SHIRANAMI" (white wave) = thieves (this come from Kabuki word).
"HAKUBI" (white brow) = outstanding person or goods.
"HARAGUROI" (black stomach) = malicious
"AONISAI" (blue young) = beardless youth, blue has the meaning of younth, so "SEISHUN"(blue spring) = young days.
"AKAPPAJI" (red shame) = crying shame

The color name in Japan.
Of course red or blue or such standard color is common in the world. And we use English color name too like orange, lemon, sarmon pink, cyan, Olive etc,.
Then we have Japanese uniqe name too. I heard it would be 300 or so. Like I said it is concern to the number which our predecessors could find and make, dye. Okay I will pick colors whichI think very Japanesque... :-)

AKANE IRO
The Dye from a root of Akene(grass). This color was made in Heian Period. We call the red of sunset as AKANE IRO too.

SHOUJO HI
Name of this color has the meaning of a Blood color of Legend animal SHOJO. Bright red plus yellow. This color was made in Muromachi Period.

AZUKI IRO
The color named of red bean AZUKI. This color was made in Edo period.

TERUGAKI
This is the color has name of Shining Kaki under the blight Sunshine

URABA YANAGI
This is named on the color of backside of willy. made in Edo period.

RIKYU-CHA
SENNO RIKYU would like this sort of Brown. People in Edo period suppose it and made it.
Since RIKYU is person in AZUCHI MOMOYAMA period. He does not like this actually. RIKYU is the
representetive of "something cool" always for the people. So there is some colors which has his name.

ASAGI IRO
This named from raddish. Raddish is used for many color names. Most popular one is this "color of young raddish".
This color appeard in Literature of Heian Period. SABIASAGI is deeper green which was popular in Edo period. MOEGIIRO is darker green, MIZU-ASAGI is close to blue.

SHIKKOKU
This name means "Japanese lacquer", lacquer.

There are good sites about Japanese traditional color. here. here.

this is very interesting site. They say each country has thier own color. They say China is blight yellow and red. Actually they have yellow river, yellow sand, and they set yellow as the center color of all. Korea is white and celadons blue. Then Japan is monotone.

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