What is the traditional Japanese color "Kuro Oak"?
Kuro-oak is a dark gray color that is close to black, but in the old days it was also called kuri-iro (black oak color). The oak (tsurubami) in the color name is an old name for oak (kunugi). It was also used for dyeing, for example by crushing the fruit, boiling it, and developing the color with iron mordant. In "Utsubo Monogatari," there is a passage that says, "The black oak's small robe came out," which shows that it was also used as a costume for aristocrats. Oak was originally black in color, and the name "kuro-oak" was born from the contrast with white oak.
Black oak = Kurotsurubami
Kuro-oak is also famous as a color often used for mourning clothes. In the Nara period, it was a color that was permitted even for people of low status, but in the Heian period, it was also used by the aristocracy and was a color loved by people of a wide range of status. "Kuro-oak" is pronounced "kurotsurubami".
R11 G16 B19 #0B1013／Black Oak
What is “Learn about Japan’s traditional colors”?
We will also introduce beautiful traditional Japanese colors, how to read their kanji, and the background behind the colors. Let's enjoy together the Japanese sensibilities that have been passed down since ancient times.
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Learn about Japan's traditional colors
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