What is the traditional Japanese color "Mulberry Tea"?
Mulberry tea, with its striking light brown tinge, is a color created by using a decoction of mulberry bark and roots, with lye as a mordant. During the Edo period, attempts were made to dye using mulberry fruit, but because mulberry fruit is purple-black, it is thought that using it would result in a deep reddish-purple color. As a result, mulberry brown became established as a color made primarily from tree bark and roots. In Ihara Saikaku's "Koshoku Ichidai Otoko," there is a passage that reads, "Even though we were three, we wore mulberry-dyed cotton tabi socks," which suggests that mulberry-dyed tabi socks were popular during the Edo period.
Mulberry tea = Kuwacha
Mulberry is known as the staple food for silkworms. It has supported Japan's sericulture industry since ancient times and is an essential plant for silk production. "Mulberry tea" is pronounced "kuwacha."
DIC Traditional Japanese Colors: R201 G152 B51 #C99833 / Mulberry Tea
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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