November 3rd Color Calendar: Fallen Leaves

November 3rd Color Calendar: Fallen Leaves

"Colors speak even when they fade."

Culture Day. Under a clear blue sky, the city is filled with a festive atmosphere, but the leaves are quietly decaying at our feet. Today's color is "decaying leaves." The brown of the dead leaves exudes the feeling of the end of autumn and winter.

The color of decayed leaves is a quiet lingering impression of once vibrant autumn leaves that have burned out their life. It is not the end of color, but the beginning of memory. The story of the season is imbued in each and every withering leaf.

This color embodies the aesthetics of wabi and sabi. It evokes the richness found in the stillness that comes after letting go of glamour. When you wear a fabric the color of decaying leaves, you naturally stand tall. It embodies an attitude of acceptance, rather than mourning, the passing of the season.

It is no coincidence that this color was chosen for Culture Day. Culture is the accumulation of memories and layers of ideas that remain even after decay. The color of decaying leaves also reflects the depths of such culture.

If you pick up a leaf today, it is not just a dead leaf. It may be a memory of something important inside you.

References

• "Traditional Colors of Japan" by Shikosha • "Kuchibairo" (decaying leaf color) — irocore.com (https://irocore.com/kuchibairo/)
• "Dictionary of Color Names for the Four Seasons" published by Kodansha • "Japanese Color Handbook" compiled by the Plant Dyeing Research Association