17 Traditional and Unique Japanese Colours You've Probably Never Heard Of

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In our previous post, we covered the basic colours in Japanese.

Even though we pretty much discussed each colour of the rainbow, it is barely a drop in the bucket when it comes to the expansive world of colour!

For example, we learned that the word ‘red’ is aka in Japanese. However, red can range from coral, orangey shades like vermillion to deep brown reds like maroon, and even burgundy which contains hints of violet.

Each culture has their own unique words for these various colours and shades. The inspiration behind the names of traditional colours is often influenced by the surroundings of that specific culture, its nature, customs and common materials.

In Japanese, ‘traditional colours’ are referred to as dentoushoku (伝統色 / でんとうしょく).

Let’s learn some unique, traditional Japanese colour names – and what they can teach us about Japanese culture!

Table Of Contents

Red shades
Yellow and orange shades
Green shades
Blue shades
Purple shades
Grey, black and white shades
Recap

Red shades

Red is one of the most important colours in Japanese culture. Just take a look at the Japanese flag, or hi no maru, as it’s known in Japanese.

In fact, the pairing of red and white has its own term: kouhaku. This is the colour scheme of many festivals or occasions and team events! For example, school sports days aka undoukai always feature a red team and a white team.

Beni iro

紅色

Crimson red

Beni iro (紅色 / べにいろ) comes from the word benibana (紅花 / べにばな) which is the Safflower. Upon first glance, a safflower appears to be yellowy orange colour, as opposed to red. It is only through a lengthy (and expensive) process of crushing, separating, fermenting that the crimson colour is produced.

In turn, it was a more exclusive colour and if you possessed something made from the benihana it would have been a symbol of luxury.

Fun fact, a geisha’s iconic lipstick was made from pigments of the benibana!

Akane iro

茜色

Madder red

Deep orange and red sunset over a calm body of water, with sun rays streaming through dramatic clouds in the sky.

Akane iro (茜色 / あかねいろ) is another well know traditional Japanese colour. It is a darker, more autumnal red. It is often used to describe the colour of the sky at sunset.

In ancient times, this pigment was made from the root of the rose madder plant, which is called akane in Japanese.

Shu iro

朱色

Vermillion

Shu iro (朱色 / しゅいろ) is a shade of red we call in English ‘vermillion’. The word comes from the mineral it was made from, a bright red mineral called ‘cinnabar’.

In terms of traditional Japanese colours, shu iro is thought of as a sacred colour and is often the red of choice for torii gates and other shinto shrine decor.

Azuki iro

小豆色

Reddish-brown

Two pieces of traditional Japanese mochi filled with sweet red bean paste on a black tray, with adzuki beans and rice stalks in the background.

If you are a fan of Japanese desserts, you might already know what kind of brown azuki iro is!

Azuki (小豆 / あずき) is ‘red mung bean’ and is a reddish-brown colour.

Yellow and orange shades

Kuchinashi iro

梔子色

Cape Jasmine Yellow

A close-up of a yellow ball of yarn placed on a solid yellow background.

Kuchinashi iro (梔子色 / くちなしいろ) is a warm yellow shade which was made from the fruit of the ‘Cape Jasmine’ plant.

Confusingly, it was also later discovered by a Japanese researcher that the same fruit could be used to produce a blue pigment. That being said, kuchinashi iro is first and foremost known as a beautiful yellow!

Yamabuki iro

山吹色

Bright golden yellow

Close-up of a bright yellow double-flowered blossom, the yamabuki or japanese rose, with soft-focus yellow flowers and green leaves in the background.

Yamabuki iro (山吹色 / やまぶきいろ) is named after the Japanese term for the ‘Japanese rose’, a golden yellow shrub flower. The spring season in Japan does not end when the cherry blossom season is over, as this is when the bright yellow yamabuki blooms! It is said that this traditional Japanese colour represents elegance and luck with money.

Daidai iro

橙色

Orange

Daidai iro (橙色 / だいだいいろ) is the traditional word for ‘orange’, which we call orenji (オレンジ) these days. Although both colours are orange and named after the fruit they represent, daidai is more of a bitter orange, as opposed to the sweeter orange linked to orenji.

Green shades

Uguisu iro

鶯色

Olive green

A small brownish-green Japanese bush warbler bird stands on a piece of wood, with a blurred green background.

Uguisu (鶯 / うぐいす) is a bird called the ‘Japanese bush warbler’ in English. These birds are a brownish, olive green. It is a soft, natural colour so it’s fitting that the name comes from nature itself!

Hisui iro

翡翠色

Jade green

Close-up view of a green jade crystal surface with jagged, translucent textures and layered formations.

Hisui iro (翡翠色 / ひすいいろ) refers to jade green, like the gemstone! As you can imagine, pigment made from a rare gemstone would be expensive and hard to come by. As a result, this shade of green was a symbol of nobility and elegance.

Blue shades

Rindou iro

竜胆色

Gentian blue

A close-up of a Japanese gentian, a blue bell-shaped flower with a blurred background of yellow and purple flowers.

Rindou iro (竜胆色 / りんどういろ) is another traditional Japanese colour which is derived from a flower. It is named after the ‘Japanese Gentian’, a beautiful rich deep blue flower!

Ai iro

藍色

Indigo

Ai iro, (藍色 / あいいろ) as we know it today, represents indigo blue. That being said, it was traditionally a dark greenish blue. Ai iro was made from the ai plant, or ‘Japanese indigo’, which was reasonably readily available. In turn, this colour was liked by common people, and was a popular colour for the summer season.

Gosu iro

呉須色

Porcelain blue

Traditional Japanese ceramic teapot and three cups with various patterns in deep traditional blue colour are arranged on a wooden crate indoors.

Gosu iro (呉須色 / ごすいろ) is that beautiful shade of blue found on porcelain and Chinese style ceramics, known as sometsuke in Japanese.

The term gosu means ‘asbolite’. The mineral ‘asbolite’, although naturally black in colour, becomes the porcelain blue we know and love after refining.

Purple shades

Edo murasaki and kyo murasaki

江戸紫と京紫

Royal purple (Tokyo) and reddish purple (Kyoto)

Three Japanese women in purple floral kimonos sit outdoors; two share a drink while the third smiles at the camera, holding a floral purse.

Edo (江戸 / えど) is the old name for modern day Tokyo. Edo murasaki is a royal purple with a hint of blue. It became popular during the Edo period when the capital of Japan moved from Kyoto to Tokyo (ancient name Edo).

Not to be confused with its sister colour: kyo murasaki (京紫 / きょうむらさき). This shade is more of a reddish-purple, and hails from Kyoto, as the name suggests. Kyo murasaki has a sense of tradition and cultural richness due to its ties to the ancient capital.

Grey, black and white shades

Nezumi iro

鼠色

Mouse colour

A grey mouse standing on a white background, facing forward with its whiskers visible and tail extended behind it.

Nezumi iro (鼠色 / ねずみいろ) is the traditional name for a shade of dark, slate grey. It comes from the word ‘mouse’ in Japanese, nezumi!

Kinari iro

生成色

Off white

Kinari (生成り / きなり) in Japanese, refers to ‘unbleached cloth’, which is an off-white colour. It is what we might refer to as ecru or beige in English.

Nureba iro

濡羽色

Jet black

Nureba iro (濡羽色 / ぬればいろ) is a traditional colour inspired by the shiny jet black wings of a crow. Nure actually refers to something which is wet, while ba translates as wing. This kanji compound depicts a deep black with a sheen.

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Recap

A woman in traditional Japanese attire stands under a red umbrella. Text reads: "traditional Japanese colours, 紅色, beni iro, crimson, teamjapanese.com.

Text graphic showing the Japanese word "茜色" (akane iro), meaning "madder red (sunset colour)," over a sunset background with the caption "traditional Japanese colours.

Bright orange torii gates form a tunnel; overlaid text reads "traditional Japanese colours," "朱色 shu iro," and "vermilion.

A plate of traditional Japanese sweets filled with red bean paste, illustrating the azuki iro (reddish-brown) color associated with azuki beans.

A ball of yellow yarn on a yellow background with Japanese kanji, romaji, and English text describing the color "cape jasmine yellow.

Yellow yamabuki flowers with text describing "yamabuki iro," a traditional Japanese color meaning bright golden yellow, on a blurred yellow-green background.

Three oranges are stacked against an orange background. Text reads "traditional Japanese colours," "橙色," "daidai iro," and "orange.

A bush warbler perched on a branch with text explaining "uguisu iro" as bush warbler colour (olive green) in Japanese.

Text reads "traditional Japanese colours," the kanji for "jade green," "hisui iro," and "jade green" over a green jade stone background.

Close-up of blue gentian flowers with overlaid text describing "rindou iro" (gentian blue), a traditional Japanese color.

A blue woven pattern background with the Japanese kanji and text "藍色 ai iro indigo," representing the traditional Japanese color indigo.

A collection of blue and white porcelain teapots and cups, illustrating the traditional Japanese color "gosu iro" or porcelain blue.

Two people in purple kimonos stand outdoors. Overlaid text explains "kyo murasaki," a traditional Japanese color meaning "Kyoto purple" (a reddish purple).

A slate grey mouse stands on a white background with the text: "traditional Japanese colours, 鼠色, nezumi iro, mouse colour (slate grey).

A woman sits on a bed in a minimal, beige-toned room with clothing on a rack; overlaid text describes "kinari iro" as "unbleached cloth colour," a traditional Japanese shade.

A close-up of a black crow with Japanese and English text describing "nureba iro," meaning "jet black (crow’s wing colour)," a traditional Japanese color.

A row of colorful Japanese kimonos with floral patterns hangs beneath text that reads, "Unique traditional Japanese colours and their meanings.

Hannah Stafford

Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!

17 Traditional and Unique Japanese Colours You’ve Probably Never Heard Of