Heian era
Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺
Deep safflower crimson against navy — the courtly contrast of Heian-era robes and formal Edo textiles.
#9A2A2A
red · 1 palette
Kurenai
紅
Safflower crimson
About Kurenai
Kurenai (紅) is a deep, muted red tone. Its hex value is #9A2A2A — that is
RGB 154, 42, 42, or HSL 0°, 57%, 38%.
Safflower crimson.
It holds 7.7:1 contrast against white, so Kurenai works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 7.7:1; on black 2.7:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Kurenai appears in 1 combination — most often paired with Kon and Gofun.
The story of Kurenai
Kurenai (紅) is the deep crimson dyed from safflower petals (紅花, benibana) — one of the most labour-intensive colours in the entire Japanese tradition. Producing a single bolt of kurenai-dyed silk required pressing safflower petals through cold water, alkaline water, and acid in sequence; the yield was tiny. During the Heian period the colour was so expensive that laws periodically forbade commoners from wearing it.
The result is a crimson that sits a fraction cooler and more purple than the Western 'crimson lake' pigment, and slightly less brown than burgundy. It signals ceremony, status, and the highest grade of formal attention — the colour of a court robe, a wedding kimono, or a New Year envelope. Modern brand systems can use it for the same: heritage hospitality, luxury textiles, premium publishing.
Working note: Pairs canonically with navy or indigo (the Heian formal palette). Avoid black — kurenai loses its character against black and reads as generic dark red.
See Kurenai in the Japanese Color Glossary →
How often colors like this recur across the 348 plates — the data analysis →
Colours that go with Kurenai
From a standard colour wheel, Kurenai anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#9A2A2A #2A9A9A
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#9A2A2A #9A2A62 #9A622A
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#9A2A2A #2A9A2A #2A2A9A
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#9A2A2A #2A9A62 #2A629A
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Kurenai
Kurenai is a deep, muted tone (HSL 0°, 57%, 38%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (7.7:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2A9A9A) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#9A2A62 and #9A622A) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Kurenai
Kurenai appears in 1 combination from the archive. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
From the archive
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