SETTING THE COLOUR MOOD

Japanese Traditional and Ceremonial Colors

General Color Meanings

Chrysanthemums are favorite flowers of Japanese. In general, they prefer flowers that drop their petals one by one, rather than fall off in one clump. That is why the rose is not popular, and even considered bad luck. Sakura (cherry blossoms), daisies, plum blossoms are greatly admired. Something with many petals can also be related to many years of life (long life) which is another "good fortune" wish.

Ideas for backgrounds enlightened in a very soft blue- reddish complementary contrast.

Red and White are auspicious colors (good luck). You will find the two colors used for many special occasions, such as weddings, and births. Since tassels are used to decorate things of celebration, red and white are the colors you will find (unless it is black and white, or all black for a funeral). There is an observance in Japan that you may find amusing - you are in a train station and see a couple. The man is in an all black, double-breasted suit, the woman in all black kimono. Both are carrying a shopping bags (yes, shopping bags!) containing gifts. Are they returning from a funeral or a wedding? The only way to tell is if the woman's obi is colorful, or solid black, and the man's tie is white or black. Colorful/white is for a wedding, black/black is for the funeral.

Blue and White are also prominent colors in Japanese fabrics and dishware. Yukata is a blue and white cotton fabric used to make summer kimonos. I

The color list is referenced to Liza Dalby's book "Geisha", about her study of Japanese geisha life. The layering of colours for kimono and their surface decoration vary with the season and even the month. Apparently, as ceremonial kimono are very expensive, only geisha follow the tradition of changing colours for each month. This is one list of colours from a traditional school of Japanese etiquette. (Web master's note - Japanese culture is closely linked with the seasons, so each month is also represented by a nature reference.)

• January Pine: sprout green and deep purple
• February Redblossom plum: crimson and purple
• March Peach: peach and khaki
• April Cherry: white and burgundy
• May Orange Flower: deadleaf yellow and purple
• June Artemesia: sprout green and yellow
• July Lily: red and deadleaf yellow
• August Cicada wing: cedar bark and sky blue
• September Aster: lavender and burgundy
• October Bush Clover: rose and slate blue
• November Maple: vermilion and grey-green
• December Chrysanthemum: lavender and deep blue

http://www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/nightscenes.htm

Sadako died on 25th of October 1955, so ussage of the colour palette between those two nuances- rose and slate blue might be great idea to base the film on.

These colours appear the most frequently, along with black, (in Kimono). I was surprised over the amount of red ad rose nuances:

Ao (blue-green)
corresponds most closely to *turquoise-green*

Kurenai (scarlet-pink)
a bright, slightly yellow-toned pink produced from the benibana,*safflower*, an herbal
dye source. The closest thing to red in the fashion palette, since truer red, *AKE*
was primarily used to indicate rank.

Kobai (plum-pink)
a light red with a purple cast.

Suo (maroon)
another red, wandering in tone from purple to brown to orange. It is the name of the tree
(sappanwood) from which the dye comes.

Kuchiba (old-leaf tan)
(also the one I believe is closest to what she described as *dead-leaf yellow. The name means rotted leaves. If it were a bit brighter it would approachmustard.

Yamabuki (golden yellow)
a tree-shrub, the *Kerria japonica* with a roseate yellow blossom. A golden yellow like
that of the common freesia.

Murasaki (purple)
from the root of the gromwell, difficult to work with and restricted for the use of those of
high rank. A fragile colour, tended to fade. A range of purples included shades called
*fuji* (wisteria),*keshi murasaki* (a greyed mauve), *ebi* (red-violet), *koki* (deep violet
and *usuki* (pale violet).

Johannes Itten's colour theory (all about colour mixing, contrasts,...)

http://www.worqx.com/color/index.htm

A color chart for Japanese colors :

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Generalized Color Meanings

In repsonse to requests for generalized color symbolism, here is a brief list with credit to Jasc Software/PSP Newsletter:

• Yellow - In the Far East, a sacred color; but it the West it can mean treachery.
• Red - Passion; gets the blood flowing more intensely.
• Orange - Represents knowledge and civilization.
• Violet - Stately and royal
• Blue - Cool, passive, and also symbolizes fidelity (as in true blue)
• Green - Restful and fresh
• White - Purity and truth
• Black - Gloom, sorrow and depresssion.

However, there are also many believed meanings to precious and semiprecious gemstones, and using these approximated colors can also transcribe meanings.