Color Calendar: October 28th Color: Usukou

Color Calendar | Color of October 28: Usukou

A pale yellow-brown color floats softly like incense smoke.
"Usuko" is a color named after the subtle fragrance that lingers on fabric dyed with boiled fragrant woods such as cloves and magnolia.
It is a soft, elegant color that was favored by aristocrats during the Heian period.

Color characteristics

• Pronunciation: Usukou • Color: Pale yellowish brown, white brown with a reddish tint • Color code: #F7E9C5 (reference value)
• Color meaning: lingering feeling, dignity, serenity, fragrance

This color is a descendant of the Ko-iro (fragrant colors) series, and while the dark Ko-iro colors are dyed with iron or lye, the Usuko colors are characterized by their natural paleness, which is achieved by dyeing without using a mordant.

Today's mood

October 28th is a day when autumn deepens and a stillness settles in the air.
Light fragrance is a color that reflects the lingering scent of the season.
It doesn't assert itself too strongly, but gently embraces you, enhancing the quiet beauty of your life.

A drop of history

"Incense Sashinuki" also appears in The Tale of Genji.
The incense-soaked clothing conveys the Heian period aesthetic sense that moves people's hearts with both its color and scent.

A word about the color calendar

A faintly fragrant, smoky void

[References]

• Cultural commentary on usuko by Premium Japan • Color encyclopedia | Color code and origin of usuko • The ABCs of traditional colors | History and poetry of usuko • Yukio Yoshioka, "Dictionary of Japanese Colors" by Shikosha • Moriteru Nagasaki, "New Edition: Traditional Colors of Japan" by Seigensha