Yamabuki Color

The bright yellow of kerria flowers, an elegant spring hue sung in Waka poetry

HEX#F4B91A

RGBrgb(244, 185, 26)

HSLhsl(44, 91%, 53%)

HSVhsv(44, 89%, 96%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 24%, 89%, 4%)

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RGBArgba(244, 185, 26, 1)

HSLAhsla(44, 91%, 53%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(89.9%, 0.151, 97)

LCHlch(88.4%, 63.9, 101)

🎨 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

#443303Ratio 6.9:1AA

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

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#445804Ratio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#267F06Ratio 2.9:1Fail

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

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#079C74Ratio 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%

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

#D0A93E

#DCAF32

#E8B426

#F4BA1A

#FFBF0F

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#7A5F15

#A27D15

#CD9C13

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

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💡 Use Cases

📮

Public Facility Signage

The recognition color for mailboxes and traffic signs; in the city, Yamabuki Color guides daily journeys with warmth and brightness.

🌸

Japanese Confectionery Design

Coloring for spring-limited wagashi (Japanese confections); Yamabuki Color infuses the sweets with the seasonal poetry of spring and 'shun' (seasonal peak).

👘

Kimono and Accessories

Color for obi sashes and kinchaku pouches; in a kimono ensemble, Yamabuki Color provides an elegant highlight for the entire look.

📒

Stationery and Journal Design

Cover color for journals and notebooks; Yamabuki Color turns the recording of daily life into a warm and ritualistic practice.

📜 Origin & History

Named after the Yamabuki flower, this is one of Japan's oldest traditional colors. The Manyoshu anthology already contains Waka poems praising the Yamabuki. Nara period poets likened its bright yellow to gold, lamenting its brief flowering period. This cemented the color's deep association with the aesthetic of 'mono no aware'—the pathos of things.

In the Heian period, Yamabuki Color became a shade for court ladies' attire. Sei Shonagon's 'Pillow Book' frequently mentions karaginu and uchigi robes in Yamabuki Color, regarding it as one of late spring's most beautiful hues, complementing the fading cherry blossoms.

From the Kamakura to Muromachi periods, Yamabuki Color moved from the court to the common people. The linked-verse poet Sogi, encountering blooming Yamabuki on his travels, composed the famous line, 'The Yamabuki color dyes my sleeves.' The color became a warm memento of home for the traveler's heart.

In the Edo period, Yamabuki Color was widely adopted in ukiyo-e prints and dyeing. Ando Hiroshige used it in his 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' for sunsets and autumn leaves. Suzuki Harunobu's bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) featured Yamabuki Color sashes as a mark of fashion.

In modern times, Yamabuki Color entered the public sphere. The Tokyo Metropolitan streetcar and Japan Post's corporate color both utilize a variation of Yamabuki Color. This bright, friendly shade has become an indispensable warm color in modern Japanese urban life.

🧠 Color Psychology

Springtime RadianceYamabuki Color, like warm spring sunshine, disperses winter's shadows, bringing the joy and vitality of nature's renewal.

Gentle RemembranceThis color inherently carries the mono-no-aware sense of a flower's brief life, evoking warm nostalgia for beloved people and events, tinged with gentle sadness.

Japanese EleganceYamabuki Color is a quintessential representative of Japanese traditional color, stirring a yearning for classic Waka poetry and the Heian court.

Bright InnocenceThe bright, pure yellow tone awakens one's inner child and the carefree memories of youth.

Small, Certain HappinessUnassuming and not overly intense, this is the beauty of everyday life, like a roadside flower. It reminds us to discover happiness in the mundane.

Warm CommunicationThis color possesses affinity and openness, promoting warm interaction and goodwill between people.

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