Hi everyone! I’m Mikaze.
What color do you like?
I like orange and light green. Probably, I like contrasting these colors!
I’d like to introduce you to a Japanese color name that has been around for a long time.
For instance, blue has many colors: light blue, deep blue, pale blue, etc.
Have you heard the Japanese old blue name Ai (あいいろ 藍色)?
It’s a traditional color called Japan blue and is loved around Japan.
This time, I wanna share with you the types of blue and green colors’ names!
What type of blue do you like?
How does it make you feel when it is seen?
As you know, the shape of Japanese grand is an island because it’s originally several colors. The culture had come from China by the Silk Road. Do you have historical colors in your country?
紺 こん kon (navy)
It’s a mixture of purple and dark blue.
Kon had started as a men’s clothing color in the Heian era.
[The Heian era continued for 400 years when Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-Kyo (present-day Kyoto Prefecture) until the opening of the Kamakura shogunate in 1192]. Recently, it’s been used in school uniforms and business suits. I wonder if it is familiar to all people. My image of it is classy because I have a navy color business suit. It seems that Kon has a lighter impression than black.
瑠璃 るり ruli (lapis lazuli)
You will easily imagine what this type of color is because jewelry,rings and earrings are often made of lapis lazuli. In general, it said that ruri color is a beautiful vivid deep blue.
If you watched animation, you would have heard a girl’s name ”るり.”. Almost all people named るり write it like this 漢字. In fact 紺 (こん) was named as a boy’s name. Did you know that sometimes color is used to name a baby? For instance, 青 ( あお blue)、蒼 (あお、そう)、碧 (あお). I have no idea, but the blue color was called green before because 蒼 and 碧 are a kind of green.
群青 ぐんじょう gunjo
群青 (ぐんじょう) resembles 瑠璃 (るり). Did you notice two subtle differences?
My image is that of the middle of the sea; it’s not too dark, soft, and warm.
浅葱 あさぎ Asagi
It was born in the Heian era. For most of history, it was worn 羽織 (はおり like a cape) 新選組(しんせんぐみ)’s symbolic color. (新選組 was organized in1863 to save Kyoto and crack down on rebellion. )
This color is like Tiffany blue, right?
Does your country’s history image have a color?
April and May leaves are growing and getting vivid green. Do you walk around under trees or along flowers? The most beautiful nature season is coming soon! Because winter is done, the temperature changes to warm. Would you like to go out or work out outside? I hope that you spend a nice day when you see leaves, flowers, or any nature because I think you will get relaxed. (It is better if you don’t have hay fever.)
Absolutely, this contrast will be somebody’s favorite. Nobody dislikes it. From the left to share! First, did you realize these names have “若 わか”? It means the fresh greenery leaves have sprouted for the first time in a year.
草 (くさkusa) is grass, 芽 (めme ) is sprout, 緑 (みどりmidori) is green color, 竹 (たけtake) is bamboo.竹 (たけ) not the verb “take.”
By the way, baby girls were named 芽 while born from April to May. For instance, 芽衣 (めいmei) contains a wish that the baby grows freely, like fresh green leaves.
It is my coworker’s name too! She was born in May!
In this way, when parents think about a baby’s name, it is one of the options.
Thank you for reading my topic! If you had fun, I would be happy.
When I decided to write about this subject, I looked into Japanese color names.
I’m most interested in the fact that each color has some historical background.
Every country will have a color name without a normal name, and what image or memories does it bring back in your life? Please tell me your nice story.
If you name a baby, cat, dog or something, what do you use as the basis?
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