An updated edition of Katsumi Yumioka’s Kimono and the Colors of Japan explores the significance of color for the traditional Japanese garment
- Hana asagi (Blue) Hana’asagi (blue) kimono.
- Momo-iro (Pink) Momo-iro (pink) kimono.
- Shōjōhi (Red) Shōjōhi (red) kimono.
- Koki-murasaki (Purple)
- Kihada (Green-Yellow)
In this post
What color kimono should you wear?
If you think about it it’s not difficult to keep your kimono in touch with the seasons. For autumn, leaves and colors such as brown, red and dark green are very fitting. For winter darker colors such as red and black, spring brings to mind pink and flowers and summer needs bright colors such as blue and yellow.
What do black kimonos represent?
Black colous symbolized the bride’s strong intention to “not be dyed by anyone else”, and it is a kimono that gives an image of “hard chastity” like Shiromuku.
How do you tell if a kimono is traditional or not?
Authentic kimono are closed with an obi, which are quite thick and never made with the same material as the kimono. These matching thin belts are a dead giveaway that these are not authentic kimono. The only exception to this rule is bathhouse yukata, which you may get when visiting a Japanese onsen.
What does a yellow kimono mean?
For the Japanese, yellow is the colour of light, and the warmth of the sun is soothing and the benefit of light is most felt. Therefore, the yellow kimono has the meaning of “warm”, “active”, and “gorgeous” that the light has. It also means “youth,” “hope,” and “change.”
Do kimono colors mean anything?
Kimono color meanings
Japanese kimono colors denote different meanings but it is the color of the Obi that is especially important. So if you see a woman wearing black or white kimono or a man wearing a black suit with a black tie, it does not necessarily mean they are attending a funeral.
What do different kimono colors mean?
In Japan, there are only four colors to be considered primary, pure, and genuine. White is a color of purity and represents truth, humility, and mourning. Black is associated with formality as well as mourning. Red is symbolic of the sun and is linked to authority, strength, sacrifice, joy, and happiness.
What do purple kimonos mean?
Koki-murasaki (Purple)
It was reserved for the kimonos worn by Japan’s highest-ranking individuals and denied to lower classes.
What does a white kimono mean?
purity
White Kimono Worn at the Wedding Ceremony
“White” has the meaning of “purity” and “ready to be dyed in the customs of the house one wedded to”. Therefore, at the wedding, the bride wears a kimono called Shiromuku (白無垢 stain-less white).
Is it OK to wear red in Japan?
In fact, as far as fabrics are concerned, red is considered in Japan as the happiest color you can get.
What are the rules of wearing a kimono?
How to Wear a Kimono: 5 Rules to Respect
- Cross the left side over the right side.
- Wear white tabi socks.
- Tie the obi knot on the backside.
- Wear a nagajuban under your kimono.
- Reserve the yukata for informal events.
Is it disrespectful to wear a short kimono?
There are no rules about when you can and can’t wear a kimono. Don’t forget kimono were still worn daily in Japan by most people just a few decades ago, so kimono are really just normal clothing.
Why do kimonos have big sleeves?
It became popular for unmarried women to imitate the dancers when expressing their feelings to men, which is the reason that the furisode became a kimono for unmarried young women. Additionally, the long sleeves are thought to ward off evil and bring in good luck and relationships.
What does a red kimono mean?
Kimono for a young woman, 1800-1850, Khalili Collection. In Edo period Japan, the colour red signified youth and glamour. The benibana dye faded quickly, so the colour became symbolic of mad, passionate love that is all consuming but fleeting.
What does purple mean in Japan?
nobility
The color violet, or murasaki, is the color of warriors and symbolizes nobility and strength.
What color is good luck in Japan?
Symbol of good luck and happiness, red is the ultimate color. The wagasa – traditional Japanese umbrella made from bamboo, cord and washi paper (a type common throughout the archipelago) – had up to the 16th century the status of luxury object, thought to ward off evil spirits.
What color means death in Japan?
White
White (Shiro)
White is like a double-edged sword in Japanese culture. It is a blessed and sacred colour that you see in traditional wedding and Japanese national flag, but not the other hand it inherently denoted death and mourning too.
Is Orange a good luck in Japan?
Over time, the Japanese tradition of giving mandarins as holiday gifts merged with the European story and mandarins became a symbolic representation of the gold coins, and again a symbol of good fortune and wealth. In Russia, mandarin oranges are traditionally used as Christmas tree and New Year tree decorations.
What does yellow mean in Japan?
I find that fascinating, that in Japan the color yellow is one of courage. Here in America, it is the exact opposite. Yellow is considered the color of cowardice; indeed, to “show a yellow streak up the back” or to be “yellow bellied” or even just to be “yellow” is to be insultingly termed a coward.
Is it okay for a foreigner to wear a kimono?
Can foreigners wear kimono? To get straight to the point: As long as a kimono is worn out of respect and appreciation of the Japanese culture, it’s perfectly fine to wear a kimono as a foreigner.
What does green symbolize in Japan?
Green is the color of fertility and growth in traditional Japanese culture. As the color of nature, the Japanese word for green, midori, is also the word for vegetation. In addition, the color green represents youth and vitality, and the energy of growth.