Japanese Traditional Colors – Purple

PURPLE

We can say that purple is the most noble color. (“Kodai-murasaki” is the most typical.)
Since ancient times, purple has been considered a noble color worldwide.
In Japan, during the first system of ranking officials into 12 levels established by Prince Shotoku in A.D. 603, purple was a color exclusively reserved for the highest-ranking individuals.

However, in the Edo period (17th-19th century), the color “Edo-murasaki” became fashionable among ordinary people. (“Edo” is the ancient name of Tokyo, and “murasaki” means purple).
During the reign of the 8th Shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa, the “Murasaki-sou” (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) plant was cultivated, and dyeing clothes in a purple hue became popular in the western part of Edo.
This particular shade of purple had a bluish tint and came to be known as “Edo-murasaki,” contrasting with “Kyo-murasaki” (“Kyo” means “Kyoto”), which has a reddish-purple tone.

In one of the famous Kabuki performances called “Sukeroku yukari no Edo-zakura,” the main character Sukeroku wears a browband, and the color of the browband is “Edo-murasaki.”

Purple is sometimes referred to as ‘yukari’ as well. However, it is not commonly used in everyday language.

When two words are united in one word, the pronunciation of the initial letter ‘s’ in the latter word chenges to ‘z’. (e.g. Edo + sakura = Edo-zakura)

*An example of coordination of kimono is here.

Typical purplish colors and their Japanese name

murasaki

shikon
kurobeni / kurokoubai
benikakehanairo
aomurasaki
kongikyou
benikikyou
tekkon
hanairo
usuhanazakura
usuhanairo
fujinando
kakitsubatairo
kikyouiro
kuwanomiiro
futaai
kokimurasaki / fukamurasaki
kokiiro
metsushi/ keshimurasaki
edomurasaki / kakitsubata
sumireiro
budounezumi
nasukon
ayameiro / syoubuiro
koushi
kodaimurasaki
kyomurasaki
hashitairo
ouchiiro
fujiiro
fujimurasaki
shion
usuiro
benifuji
botan
umemurasaki
ebizome
hatobanezumi
fujisusutake
hatobairo
budounezumi / ebinezumi
murasakitobi
nisemurasaki