Nippon no dentō-shoku

Traditional Japanese colors,
with the stories behind them.

Q: What are traditional Japanese colors?

Japanese traditional colors (nippon no dentō-shoku) are named colors that arose from natural dyes, minerals, flowers, and cultural aesthetics developed over more than a thousand years. Many names date back to the Heian period (794–1185), and every color carries a specific origin — a plant, a bird, a landscape, or a social convention.

Q: Where can I learn more about the color culture?

The Edo-period aesthetics of iki (understated cool) and shijū-hacha hyaku-nezu (“forty-eight browns and a hundred greys”) are especially fun rabbit holes. Standard Japanese-language starting points include Nagasaki Seiki's 『日本の伝統色 その色名と色調』 and the ongoing publications of the Nippon Color & Design Research Institute.

Sixty named colors from more than a thousand years of Japanese dyeing, painting, and craft — each with kanji, romanized reading, English name, precise codes for design work, and the plant, bird, or aesthetic tradition it comes from.

60 colors · 10 palettes · Click any tile to copy HEX

桜色

Sakura-iro

Cherry Blossom Pink #FCE2E6

紅梅色

Kōbai-iro

Red Plum Blossom #F2A0A1

鴇色

Toki-iro

Crested Ibis Pink #F4B3C2

桃色

Momo-iro

Peach Blossom Pink #F596AA

Cherry-Blossom Grey #E8C4C4

Sappanwood Red #973D49

Cochineal Crimson #9E3D3F

浅葱色

Asagi-iro

Pale Leek Blue #33A6B8

Lapis Lazuli Blue #1E50A2

縹色

Hanada-iro

Middle Indigo #2E5E86

Fresh Sprout Green #AACF53

Japanese Bush Warbler Green #6C7B3B

Thousand-Year Pine Green #316745

深緑

Fukamidori

Deep Forest Green #264822

Siskin Yellow-Green #D0BF40

Egg Yolk Yellow #F1BF67

刈安色

Kariyasu-iro

Miscanthus Yellow #E9D75C

Persimmon Orange #ED6D3D

Scorched Brown #564138

紫

Murasaki

Imperial Purple #65318E

紫紺

Shikon

Deep Indigo Purple #3D1F4A

Chinese Bellflower #6A4C9C

桔梗鼠

Kikyō-nezu

Bellflower Grey #5C5476

Peony Pink-Purple #D53E7C

Unbleached Silk White #F2E9E1

Fallen Leaf Brown #917347

Hunting Robe Blue-Grey #8394A6

納戸色

Nando-iro

Storeroom Blue #376383

草萌黄

Sōen-midori

Awakening Grass Green #5D8C5A

若竹色

Wakatake-iro

Young Bamboo Green #68BE8D

錆色

Sabi-iro

Rust #8D6449

Frequently asked

What are traditional Japanese colors?

Japanese traditional colors (nippon no dentō-shoku) are named colors that arose from natural dyes, minerals, flowers, and cultural aesthetics developed over more than a thousand years. Many names date back to the Heian period (794–1185), and every color carries a specific origin — a plant, a bird, a landscape, or a social convention.

How were the hex values chosen?

We used the most widely accepted hex value from established Japanese color references. Where sources disagree we chose the most common variant. Because these were originally natural-dye colors, exact digital matches are approximations — think of the hex as a good screen-readable stand-in, not a canonical spec.

Can I use these colors commercially?

Yes. Colors themselves cannot be copyrighted. The names are common Japanese nouns and are free to reference. Any specific product or brand name that happens to use one of these color names may be trademarked in its own category — check locally if you plan to build a brand around a name.

How do I copy a HEX code?

Click any color tile to open its detail page, then click the HEX card (or the large swatch) to copy the value to your clipboard. RGB, HSL, and CMYK cards work the same way. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Where can I learn more about the color culture?

The Edo-period aesthetics of iki (understated cool) and shijū-hacha hyaku-nezu (“forty-eight browns and a hundred greys”) are especially fun rabbit holes. Standard Japanese-language starting points include Nagasaki Seiki's 『日本の伝統色その色名と色調』 and the ongoing publications of the Nippon Color & Design Research Institute.

Traditional Japanese colors,with the stories behind them.

Frequently asked

Traditional Japanese colors,
with the stories behind them.