[Explanation of a color]

Meishoku (冥色) refers to a deep, subdued shade of blue reminiscent of the dim evening sky. It can also be described as the “color of dusk.”

The character “冥” in Meishoku signifies darkness, the abyss, and ambiguity. Combined with “color” (色), it has been used as a poetic term to depict dim, hazy states or atmospheres, expressing tranquility and mystery. In this context, Meishoku represents not only the encroaching twilight but also the stillness and mystique contained within such a scene.

In Ishikawa Jōzan’s anthology of Chinese-style poetry, “Shinpen Fukushōshū” (新編覆醤集, 1676), there is a line: “冥色分高漢、雷声過遠山,” where Meishoku appears as a term to describe the dim evening sky.

However, Meishoku began to be used as a color name in modern Japanese literature during the Meiji period. Writers of that time sought expressions that conveyed deep emotions and atmospheres that could not be fully captured by existing names for similar shades, such as “Koiai” (濃藍, deep indigo) or “Konnezu” (紺鼠, dark gray-blue). As a result, Meishoku was intentionally adopted as a color name to embody both visual beauty and the serene, mysterious ambiance of the night in a single evocative word.

-read: Meishoku-