“What is “Edo Rat”?
“Edo rat” is the color for kimono that was popular among the common people in Japan at Edo period, 1603-1807.
* What color is “Edo rat” like?
We Japanese sometimes call gray “rat-color” as it comes from its hair. “Edo rat” means gray tinged with dark brown. People of the time preferred that subdued color for Kimono and it still can be worn and seen even today.
* How was “Edo Rat” color made?
In Edo era the shogunate, the government of the time prohibited strictly the common people living luxuriously and they were forced to wear plain and sober colored kimonos such as brown, gray, indigo.
The common people, however never gave up enjoying to dress themselves fashionable. Under restricted circumstance they somehow tried to create various shades mixing only approved colors and dye kimono their favorite tones.
Enjoying that simple colored style called “iki” means smart and refined.
edo rat color kimono
Among them brownish gray especially was named “Edo rat” because it became to be one of the most popular color at that time.
※ Why is gray called Rat in Japan?
Before the Edo period, gray was called ash in Japan.
Edo is known as a peaceful era, but in the previous era people used to be exhausted with repeated civil wars. Apparently after the period of warring states they gradually came to avoid the word “ash”, which was associated with tragedy from the experience of a fire or cremation.
That is how the color means gray came to be called “rat” in Edo.
*In Edo town, present Tokyo, Kimono dyed mixed color of gray, brown and indigo became very popular.
It is also said the reason that the gray-colored ingredients Kunugi, Oak, Chestnut, and scarlet trees were easy for anyone to get.
You can see Edo people enjoying fashionable a lot and developing clothing culture in their own way even though they were permitted only few colors to wear and furthermore were under the government surveillance.
It is also interesting to learn Japanese popular culture, enjoying “iki” by focusing on trendy colors of kimono.
Edo rat accessories
［Note］
iki → enjoy fashion , smart and sophisticated style
Edo →present Tokyo, capital city where government was in effect at the time of 1603-1867 It is known as an area where the popular culture was active.
