Wada Sanzo (1883-1967) was a Japanese painter, costume designer and researcher who devoted his life to the study of color theory. He believed that color was not just a decorative element, but a powerful tool for communication and expression.
Wada developed his own unique color system, which was intended to capture traditional Japanese perceptions of color. He also explored the use of color in different artistic mediums, such as painting, printmaking, and textile design. Wada's work on color theory had a significant impact on the development of modern graphic design in Japan.
His teachings and philosophy influenced generations of designers and artists, and his ideas about color continue to be studied and applied in various fields today.
Wada Sanzo
The historical collections
The Classic Collection
Haishoku Soukan (配色総鑑) is Wada Sanzo's foundational 6-volume work, published between 1933 and 1934. This comprehensive collection documents over one thousand carefully composed color harmonies, establishing the first systematic approach to color combinations in Japan and serving as a cornerstone reference for designers and color theorists.
The Seasons Collection
Haishoku Soukan B-hen (配色総鑑 B篇), published between 1934 and 1935, presents 72 color patterns organized around the twelve months of the Japanese year. Each palette captures seasonal color relationships and natural harmonies that reflect traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibility, offering combinations suitable for design, fashion, interior coordination, and everyday creative work.
The Design and Fashion Collection
Not available in digital form
Gohyaku-sen Shinsaku Zuanshu (五百選新作図案集), or "Collection of 500 Selected New Designs," is a 4-volume pattern book originally published by Wada Sanzo and his disciples in 1937. Spanning kimono motifs, parasols, packaging, and graphic design, it presents 500 original designs created as working references for the Japanese design industry of the late-Taisho and early-Showa eras — drawn from Japan's traditional visual vocabulary and shaped by Wada's distinctive sense of color.
Color Sources
Historical Books
The color combinations of all three collections are derived from Wada Sanzo's original publications from the 1930s. Some are available online as scans from libraries Like the National Diet Library Japan on Wikimedia Commons. Others directly from Wada Sanzo's historical publications.
Differences in digital representation
In the original publications, the color Light Green is named Night Green everywhere except in seasons combination 34. I still chose to use Light Green throughout, as it seems closer to the original Japanese name.
Mars Brown Tobacco from the classic collection is named Mars Brown in the seasons collection.
Grayish Lavender, Pale King's Blue, and Eugenia Red each appear in two different tones.
In seasons combination 32, the color Khaki is named Tawny Olive. Everywhere else it is named Khaki.
Github
Digital color values are inspired by a repository by Matt DesLauriers on Github. I corrected a few values and names. Also added missing colors.
Dictionary of Color Combinations
This project is inspired by Seigensha's Dictionary of Color Combinations. The collections presented on this website differ in structure and are based on the original color studies by Wada Sanzo. They include additional combinations not found in the books, with a focus on providing digital color values.
Vol. 2 of the dictionary also contains color combinations derived from Gohyaku-sen Shinsaku Zuanshu that are not part of this digital collection.
If you need the CMYK values, consider buying the books.
Impressum
This website is developed and maintained by Paul Ungerer, a solo designer and developer. The color data is derived from Wada Sanzo's historical publications and organized for digital use.
For inquiries or corrections, please reach out directly.