Kimono and the Colors of Japan

For designers, artists, and anyone building a sharper eye for color, Kimono and the Colors of Japan is a serious reference on Japanese color sensibility—seen through an antique kimono collection and the delicate palette decisions behind it.

This book focuses on color rather than construction: the hues of kimono and obi (sash), and the subtle combinations that make Japanese textiles feel so distinct. Color names like “coconut brown,” “horizon blue,” “cupid pink,” and “lamp black” hint at how Japanese textile artists perceive and describe tone.

Collector Katsumi Yumioka organizes the garments by what he calls “Japanese Kokoro no Iro”—the colors of the Japanese heart—showing how individual colors are understood and what they are meant to express. With knowledge of both Western and Japanese fashion cultures, he presents the collection in an accessible way for modern readers.

This title is especially useful if you want to:

• Study Japanese color theory through real historic textiles
• Build stronger intuition for subtle palette combinations
• Use full-color reference to inform design, illustration, and textile work

Book details

• Title: Kimono and the Colors of Japan
• Binding: Softcover
• Language: Japanese / English
• Pages: 240
• Size: 267 × 161 × 24 mm (10.51 × 6.34 × 0.94 in)