Blue

Blue, a cool color, evokes feelings of calm, nobility, coolness, and serenity. People use it in a wide range of items, from everyday objects to celebratory decorations.

In Japanese art, artists have long featured blue prominently. One famous example is The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. Since the Edo period (1603 to 1868 CE), people have used shades like mizuiro, a pale blue that literally means “water color,” especially in summer kimonos for its light and refreshing look. Meanwhile, deep navy (kon) conveys calm and refinement, and people have incorporated it widely into daily life throughout history. Artisans have also crafted sometsuke, which refers to blue-and-white porcelain, for centuries. Its classic color combination remains popular today.

Japanese culture offers many other beautiful shades of blue. Below, we introduce some of them.