Edo Purple

Deep purple popular in the Edo period, the chic taste of the samurai class

HEX#5E4378

RGBrgb(94, 67, 120)

HSLhsl(271, 28%, 37%)

HSVhsv(271, 44%, 47%)

CMYKcmyk(22%, 44%, 0%, 53%)

HEXA#5E4378FF

RGBArgba(94, 67, 120, 1)

HSLAhsla(271, 28%, 37%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(67.6%, 0.067, 310)

LCHlch(61.7%, 25.8, 295)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#F0EBF4Ratio 7:1AAA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#D5B4D4Ratio 4.4:1AA Large

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#BF8DA5Ratio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#967654Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#1A1221

#2C1F37

#453258

#5F4479

#795699

#9273B0

#AC93C2

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#5F5568

#5F4D6F

#5F4479

#603A82

#60318C

#602895

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#26212C

#332B3B

#483956

#5D4474

#714C94

#8656B3

#9A6CC6

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#524479

#564479

#5B4479

#5F4479

#644479

#684479

#6C4479

💡 Use Cases

🎭

Kabuki Actors

Stage costumes and themed towels perfectly display the heroic spirit and resolve of the Edo man.

👔

Montsuki Haori

Men's formal crested haori coats for solemn occasions, displaying understated family heritage.

🏮

Festival Lanterns

Long lanterns used in major shrine festivals, inscribed with brush calligraphy, incredibly powerful in the night.

🎨

Ukiyo-e Prints

Custom spot color for reproducing ukiyo-e prints, restoring the profound charm of Edo night skies from centuries past.

📜 Origin & History

Edo Purple is the color that became all the rage during the reign of the 8th Tokugawa shogun, Yoshimune. During this period, purple began to shed its absolute class attributes, becoming a color of 'iki' (chic) representing the emerging townsman culture. Deep purple with a bluish tinge, calm and sharp.

Edo people popularized wearing Edo Purple on hanten coats or hand towels. Ukiyo-e masters Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai boldly used Edo Purple in their prints to depict distant mountains and night skies. This artistic treatment filled the color with a novel, trendy urban spirit.

Because dyeing Edo Purple required a delicate balance of blue and red, it became a benchmark for artisan dyers to show off their skills. Kabuki actors wore Edo Purple headbands in famous plays like 'Sukeroku', causing merchants and craftsmen to scramble to imitate them.

Modern Edo Purple is a signature color of traditional Tokyo, frequently appearing on handcrafted souvenirs around places like Kaminarimon. It lacks the aristocratic aura of Kyoto's purple but possesses a worldly, resilient, and carefree quality instead.

🧠 Color Psychology

Free-Spirited DaringThe unique boldness of the Edokko (child of Edo), carrying a liberated aura that scorns tedious formalities.

Sharp UrbanityA very metropolitan dark color, symbolizing wit and the survival instinct of quick adaptation.

Unfathomable DepthSlightly dark and profound, like a nightscape hiding countless stories behind the glamour.

Stubborn LoyaltyFull of masculine spirit, embodying the Edo man's heavy sense of duty, loyalty, and unyielding resilience.

Chilly GlamourA cool-toned color composition interprets high-level fashion style through a sense of distance.

Taciturn ActionRejects gaudiness, winning only by texture and results; operates low-key but with formidable capability.

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