The Dictionary of Color Combinations https://colorcombinations.org/ Historically-grounded color palettes from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations. Curated editorial picks with hex values, usage notes, and export formats for designers. en-us Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:02:26 GMT https://colorcombinations.org/favicon.svg The Dictionary of Color Combinations https://colorcombinations.org/ <![CDATA[Crimson & Navy (紅と紺)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kurenai-kon/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kurenai-kon/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT A study in warmth against depth. Kurenai, the crimson drawn from safflower petals, was a luxury dye reserved for the robes of high-ranking courtiers. Set against kon — the darkest grade of indigo — the pair became a signature of formal attire from the Heian court through to Edo merchant households.

Colors: Kurenai (#9A2A2A), Kon (#1B2A4E), Gofun (#F4EEE0)

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]]> heian era red <![CDATA[Cherry Blossom & Young Bamboo (桜と若竹)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/sakura-wakatake/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/sakura-wakatake/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Sakura-iro and wakatake-iro are two of the most quoted colors in Japanese seasonal poetry. Together they mark the exact moment of spring: blossoms falling, bamboo shoots rising. The contrast is quiet, balanced, never shouting.

Colors: Sakura (#F9D5E0), Wakatake (#A3C293), Kinari (#F8F4E9), Matsuba (#4C5D3F)

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]]> heian era pink <![CDATA[Pale Blue & Vermillion (浅葱と朱)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/asagi-shu/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/asagi-shu/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Asagi, a pale teal-blue, was the color of the Shinsengumi's haori in late-Edo Kyoto. Shu, vermillion, is the color of torii gates and temple pillars. Together they carry the tension of duty and devotion.

Colors: Asagi (#6B9BB0), Shu (#D8453A), Gofun (#F4EEE0), Sumi (#2B2B2B)

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]]> edo era blue <![CDATA[Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey (刈安と利休鼠)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kariyasu-rikyu/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kariyasu-rikyu/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Kariyasu is a soft, earthy yellow extracted from wild mountain grass. Rikyū-nezumi — a cool olive-tinted grey — is named for the 16th-century tea master whose wabi-sabi sensibility changed Japanese aesthetics forever. This pairing embodies wabi restraint: warmth present but never loud.

Colors: Kariyasu (#DCCB7A), Rikyū-nezumi (#878A74), Neri-iro (#F3EBDA)

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]]> muromachi era yellow <![CDATA[Ultramarine & Chalk White (群青と胡粉)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/gunjo-gofun/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/gunjo-gofun/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Gunjō is ground lapis lazuli — the blue of Buddhist statuary hair and illuminated sutras. Gofun, a chalk white made from ground oyster shell, is the traditional gesso of Japanese painting. Together they are the base and sky of classical temple art.

Colors: Gunjō (#264A6B), Gofun (#F4EEE0), Kogane (#C5AC6B)

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]]> kamakura era blue <![CDATA[Persimmon & Burnt Brown (柿と焦茶)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kaki-kogecha/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kaki-kogecha/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Kaki-iro is the flushed orange of ripe persimmons drying under eaves. Kogecha is the near-black brown of scorched cedar planks. Together they recall the mountain villages of late autumn.

Colors: Kaki (#D66B37), Kogecha (#4B2E20), Kinuta (#E8D8B7)

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]]> edo era orange <![CDATA[Royal Purple & Silver (紫と銀)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/murasaki-gin/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/murasaki-gin/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Murasaki, the purple of The Tale of Genji, was the highest-ranked color in the Heian court — so precious that wearing it was regulated by imperial edict. Paired with gin (silver), the combination is lunar, nocturnal, aristocratic.

Colors: Murasaki (#7A4E8F), Gin (#BCBCBE), Sumi (#2B2B2B), Gofun (#F4EEE0)

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]]> heian era purple <![CDATA[Spring Green & Ink (萌黄と墨)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/moegi-sumi/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/moegi-sumi/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Moegi is the yellow-green of new shoots pushing through earth in early spring. Sumi is the black of stick ink ground on a slate inkstone. Together they frame the scroll of the monk-calligrapher: life against discipline.

Colors: Moegi (#A7C957), Sumi (#1C1C1C), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> kamakura era green <![CDATA[Bitter Orange & Navy (橙と紺)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/daidai-kon/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/daidai-kon/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Daidai — the bitter orange used in New Year decoration — signals renewal and prosperity. Against kon, the deepest grade of indigo, it carries a merchant-class energy: confidence, generosity, success earned.

Colors: Daidai (#F28C28), Kon (#1B2A4E), Gofun (#F4EEE0)

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]]> edo era orange <![CDATA[Celadon & Unbleached (青磁と生成)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/seiji-kinari/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/seiji-kinari/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Seiji is the blue-green glaze of Longquan and Arita celadons — a color prized across East Asia for a thousand years. Kinari is the natural color of undyed hemp and silk. Together they compose the simplest, quietest tea-ceremony still life.

Colors: Seiji (#8DB6A5), Kinari (#F3EBDA), Matsuba (#6E7B6A)

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]]> muromachi era green <![CDATA[Madder Red & Evergreen (茜と常磐)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/akane-tokiwa/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/akane-tokiwa/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT Akane is a red extracted from the madder root — an ancient, slow-growing dye. Tokiwa is the deep, constant green of pine needles that never brown. The pairing speaks of longevity, faithful duty, and the old agricultural calendar.

Colors: Akane (#B23B3B), Tokiwa (#344E3D), Suna-iro (#EAE1CC), Sumi (#2B2B2B)

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]]> edo era red <![CDATA[Lapis & Chalk (瑠璃と胡粉)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ruri-gofun/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ruri-gofun/ Fri, 01 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Ruri is lapis lazuli, considered one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. It is the blue of sutra frontispieces and deity robes. Against gofun, the matte white of temple painting, it reads as devotional, timeless, and unmistakably sacred.

Colors: Ruri (#1E4B8A), Gofun (#F4EEE0), Kogane (#D4AF37)

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]]> heian era blue <![CDATA[Pink Dianthus & Water (撫子と水色)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/nadeshiko-mizu/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/nadeshiko-mizu/ Sun, 03 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Nadeshiko — the fringed pink flower — was the standard metaphor for Japanese feminine ideals in classical poetry. Mizu-iro, water color, is the blue of a cold spring seen through ferns. The pair is lyrical, seasonal, and tender.

Colors: Nadeshiko (#EBA6B4), Mizu-iro (#B4D6E5), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> heian era pink <![CDATA[Matcha & Raw Silk (抹茶と生成)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/matcha-kinari/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/matcha-kinari/ Tue, 05 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Matcha-iro is the slightly yellow-tinted bright green of freshly whisked powdered tea. Kinari is the pale cream of undyed silk or paper. Together they ARE the tea ceremony, distilled to two colors.

Colors: Matcha (#A7B86B), Kinari (#F3EBDA), Cha (#6C5A3C)

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]]> muromachi era green <![CDATA[Red Lead & Ink (鉛丹と墨)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/entan-sumi/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/entan-sumi/ Thu, 07 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Entan — red lead — was the pigment of temple pillars and warning marks. Paired with sumi ink, it is the color of shrine gates at night: ceremonial, sharp, a little dangerous.

Colors: Entan (#C8411D), Sumi (#1C1C1C), Kogane (#D4AF37)

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]]> kamakura era red <![CDATA[Kerria Gold & Chestnut (山吹と栗)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/yamabuki-kuri/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/yamabuki-kuri/ Sat, 09 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Yamabuki is the saturated, almost metallic gold of the kerria rose in full bloom. Kuri-iro is the rich brown of roasted chestnuts — a favorite of Edo merchants. Together they are autumn abundance.

Colors: Yamabuki (#F5B71C), Kuri (#6B3E26), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> edo era yellow <![CDATA[Wisteria & Indigo (藤と藍)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/fuji-ai/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/fuji-ai/ Mon, 11 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Fuji-iro — wisteria purple — is a light, cool lavender drawn from the pendulous flowers of the fuji vine. Ai, true indigo, grounds it with depth. The pair is a signature of early summer gardens.

Colors: Fuji (#B5A6C9), Ai (#1C3D5A), Gofun (#F4EEE0)

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]]> heian era purple <![CDATA[Kite Brown & Gold (鳶と黄金)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/tobi-kogane/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/tobi-kogane/ Wed, 13 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Tobi-iro — kite brown — is the color of the common Japanese black kite's feathers: warm, dusty, rural. Paired with kogane gold leaf, it is the brown of an old lacquer box with gilt edges, a signature of Edo craftsmanship.

Colors: Tobi (#8A5A3B), Kogane (#D4AF37), Sumi (#2B2B2B)

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]]> edo era brown <![CDATA[Ao & White (青と白)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ao-shiro/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ao-shiro/ Fri, 15 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT In classical Japanese, ao covered a range from blue to green — what a modern eye would call teal. This palette pairs that ancestral ao with shiro, a bright white, for a look that reads as cleanly contemporary while staying rooted.

Colors: Ao (#3A7D7B), Shiro (#FFFFFF), Sumi (#1C1C1C)

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]]> heian era blue <![CDATA[Bellflower & Ink (桔梗と墨)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kikyo-sumi/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kikyo-sumi/ Sun, 17 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Kikyō-iro is the cool, deep purple of the Chinese bellflower — a traditional emblem of faith and honesty. With sumi ink, it becomes the color scheme of samurai formal wear in late Muromachi period.

Colors: Kikyō (#5B4B8A), Sumi (#1C1C1C), Gin (#BCBCBE)

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]]> muromachi era purple <![CDATA[Light Pink & Tea (薄紅と茶)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/usubeni-cha/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/usubeni-cha/ Tue, 19 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Usubeni is a light, slightly washed-out crimson — the pink of cherry petals after two days on the branch. Cha-iro is the brown of roasted tea leaves. Together they are the color scheme of wagashi: delicate, warm, appetite-inviting.

Colors: Usubeni (#E8A4A4), Cha (#6C4F3B), Kinari (#F3EBDA)

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]]> edo era pink <![CDATA[Scorched Brown & Unbleached (焦茶と生成)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kogecha-kinari/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kogecha-kinari/ Thu, 21 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Kogecha is the near-black brown of cedar scorched for weatherproofing (yakisugi). Kinari is the pale warm cream of undyed hemp. Together they compose the traditional Japanese farmhouse: dark timber posts, pale paper walls.

Colors: Kogecha (#3E2A1E), Kinari (#F3EBDA), Kakishibu (#8A6A47)

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]]> muromachi era brown <![CDATA[Sky Blue & Vermillion (空と朱)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/sora-shu/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/sora-shu/ Sat, 23 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Sora-iro is the clear, bright blue of a winter sky over the Kanto plain. Shu is the sacred vermillion of torii gates at Shinto shrines. Together they compose the exact visual of a New Year's shrine visit — expectation, prayer, cold air.

Colors: Sora (#7AB2D3), Shu (#D8453A), Gofun (#F4EEE0)

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]]> edo era blue <![CDATA[Indigo Blue & Silver (縹と銀)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/hanada-gin/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/hanada-gin/ Mon, 25 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Hanada is a mid-tone indigo — not as dark as kon, not as pale as asagi. Paired with gin silver, it has the quiet assurance of old money: confident enough to avoid flash.

Colors: Hanada (#3C6E8F), Gin (#BCBCBE), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> edo era blue <![CDATA[Deep Indigo & Cream (紺と生成)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kon-kinari/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/kon-kinari/ Wed, 27 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Kon is the deepest grade of indigo — used for samurai undergarments, farmers' field clothes, and eventually Meiji-era school uniforms. Against the cream of unbleached cotton, it reads as straightforward, honest, and quietly formal.

Colors: Kon (#142747), Kinari (#F3EBDA), Sumi (#2B2B2B)

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]]> meiji era blue <![CDATA[Vermillion, Black, Gold (朱・黒・金)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/shu-kuro-kin/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/shu-kuro-kin/ Fri, 29 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT This is the imperial and Buddhist ceremonial combination, found on lacquer boxes, shrine architecture, and festival floats. Shu for protection, kuro for ground, kin for transcendence. Use sparingly; it carries a lot of weight.

Colors: Shu (#C8352B), Kuro (#141414), Kin (#D4AF37)

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]]> kamakura era red <![CDATA[Valerian Yellow & Pale Blue (女郎花と浅葱)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ominaeshi-asagi/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ominaeshi-asagi/ Sun, 31 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT Ominaeshi — one of the seven autumn plants — has tiny pale-yellow flowers that cluster in late summer fields. Paired with asagi, the pale blue-green of lingering summer sky, it reads as the exact turning of a season.

Colors: Ominaeshi (#DCCB6E), Asagi (#88B9C4), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> heian era yellow <![CDATA[Crimson Lake & Pine (臙脂と松葉)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/enji-matsuba/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/enji-matsuba/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:00:00 GMT Enji is a deep, slightly cool crimson — a lake dye traditionally made from cochineal insects. Matsuba is the dark green of pine needles. Together they are the auspicious color scheme of New Year decorations: pine branches tied with red cord.

Colors: Enji (#9E2B3D), Matsuba (#3B5133), Kinari (#F8F4E9), Kogane (#D4AF37)

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]]> edo era red <![CDATA[Edo Purple & Mouse Grey (江戸紫と鼠)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/edo-murasaki-nezumi/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/edo-murasaki-nezumi/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:00:00 GMT Edo-murasaki is a cooler, bluer version of royal purple — made with ash mordants rather than iron, and associated with the famous kabuki role Sukeroku. Nezumi, mouse grey, was the understated Edo 'iki' aesthetic — cool, unshowy, refined. This is the color scheme of old Tokyo cool.

Colors: Edo-murasaki (#5E4A8C), Nezumi (#8A8A8A), Sumi (#1C1C1C), Kinari (#F8F4E9)

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]]> edo era purple <![CDATA[Turmeric & Indigo (鬱金と藍)]]> https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ukon-ai/ https://colorcombinations.org/palettes/ukon-ai/ Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:00:00 GMT Ukon is the yellow extracted from turmeric root — used to dye baby clothes and protective wrappings. Ai is the workhorse blue of every farming village. Together they are the most common and most honest textile pair in Japanese rural history.

Colors: Ukon (#E0B740), Ai (#1C3D5A), Kinari (#F3EBDA)

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]]> edo era yellow