Edo Kiriko Colors: Which Are Most Popular?

When people in Japan think of Edo Kiriko, the first colors that come to mind are red and blue. These two shades are widely seen in shop displays and have become the most recognized “signature colors.” As gifts, a red-and-blue set is considered especially auspicious.

Popular Variations

Among women, the soft pinkish tone called kin-aka (金赤色) is very popular. It brings a gentle, pleasant feeling in daily use—many people naturally gravitate toward this refined pink.

Beyond single colors, recent trends favor two-color overlays such as green with violet-blue, pale blue, black, yellow, or white; as well as amber × lapis-blue and amber × green. This contrasting overlay technique is known as “two-color overlay” (2色被せ). It’s very popular for sake cups and also pairs beautifully with whiskey.

Colors and Japanese Culture

Color preferences differ by country and reflect local climate and customs. Japanese has hundreds of color terms, many inspired by plants and nature. In the Heian period, aristocratic women layered kimono colors such as asagi-iro (light indigo), karakurenai (crimson), and moegi (yellow-green).

Traditionally, four fundamental hues anchor Japanese color culture: red, blue, white, and black. Linguistically, only these appear as single-kanji adjectives with the suffix -i—akai, aoi, shiroi, kuroi. Other colors (e.g., kiiroi for yellow, chairoi for brown) require “色 (iro, color),” while words like midori (green) or murasaki (purple) don’t take -i. This shows how deeply the four core colors are embedded in culture and language—from folktales of aka-oni and ao-oni to red-and-white celebrations.

The Sacred “Ruri-iro”

Many ask whether the most famous Edo Kiriko color is actually “ruri-iro” (琉璃色) rather than just “blue.” Ruri-iro is a deep, luminous blue linked to a sacred gemstone—one of Buddhism’s “Seven Treasures.” The concept traveled from West Asia via the Silk Road, with ruri artifacts preserved in Nara’s Shōsōin Treasury. In the early Heian classic Taketori Monogatari, we even find the phrase: “Gold, silver, and ruri-colored water flowed down from the mountains,” showing how cherished the color was.

With both tradition and profound meaning, red and blue remain the most iconic Edo Kiriko colors today.