What is the traditional Japanese color "Kikyō"?
The traditional color known as kikyo is a bluish purple, reminiscent of the bellflower flower. A representative bluish-purple color that has been popular since the Heian period, kikyo has appeared in court literature such as "The Tale of Utsubo" and "The Tale of Eiga," and has come to symbolize autumn. Kikyo was used as a woven color and layered color during the Heian period, but it wasn't until the Edo period that it began to be used in dyeing. As a layered color, color schemes such as "double indigo on the front and dark blue on the back" were used for autumn attire.
Bellflower = Kikyou
The bellflower is a perennial plant of the Campanulaceae family that blooms with star-shaped, blue-purple flowers from summer to autumn. It was originally called "kichikau" and is written about as "asagao" in the Manyoshu, but it is a different plant from the modern-day morning glory. "Kikyou" is pronounced "kikyo."
DIC Traditional Japanese Colors: R106 G76 B156 #6A4C9C / Bellflower
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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