What is the traditional Japanese color "rainbow"?
The pale red, reminiscent of the rich light emitted by thin silk dyed with safflower, is like a rainbow. Safflower-dyed silk changes its appearance depending on the angle at which it receives light, sometimes appearing bluish or with overlapping purple hues. People in the past perceived this shimmering luster as a rainbow and called this pale red "rainbow color." Rather than referring to a multi-colored rainbow as we know it today, the name originates from the delicate shimmer created by the interplay of the red and the texture of the silk. The expression "rainbow color" also appears in the stories of Kenji Miyazawa, describing the fluctuations of these colors along with the beautiful resonance of light passing through them.
Rainbow colors = nijiiro
A rainbow is created when sunlight is refracted by water droplets in the air, causing the angle of light to change slightly for each color. "Rainbow colors" is pronounced "nijiiro."
DIC Traditional Japanese Colors: C0 M25 Y10 K5 / R242 G182 B218 / Rainbow Colors
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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