A Dictionary of Color Combinations Vol. 2 – Sanzo Wada

From Color Theory to Practical Design

Wada had already established himself as one of Japan's important early researchers of modern color when he founded the Japan Standard Color Association in 1927, the predecessor of today's Japan Color Research Institute. His work aimed to make color easier to identify, compare, reproduce and use across art, education and industry.

While the first Dictionary of Color Combinations is largely based on Wada's foundational Haishoku Soukan, Volume 2 reaches further into the practical applications of his research. It brings together material from Haishoku Soukan B-hen and another later collection of designs, showing color not only as abstract combinations but also as a working tool for fashion, interiors and graphic design.

The Seasons Collection

One section is based on Haishoku Soukan B-hen, originally published in the mid-1930s. It contains 72 color patterns organized around the twelve months of the Japanese year, with six combinations assigned to each month. The palettes connect color relationships with seasonal changes and provide a record of how Wada interpreted the colors associated with different times of year.

Fashion, Interiors and Graphic Design

The second part draws on Wada's later design publications and contains 165 additional combinations connected with Japanese fashion, interiors and graphic design of the early twentieth century. Together these examples show how the principles of color harmony could move from theoretical study into textiles, clothing, printed material, products and interior environments.

A Modern Compact Reference

After the success of Seigensha's 2010 edition of A Dictionary of Color Combinations, the publisher returned to Wada's archives for this second volume. Released in 2020, the book condenses material originally published across separate works in the 1930s into a single A6-format reference measuring 148 × 105 mm.

It contains a total of 237 color combinations—72 seasonal palettes and 165 combinations drawn from design applications—along with color names in Japanese and English. The book also includes 172 removable color chips, allowing individual colors to be separated from the page and compared directly with materials, printed work or other colors.

Volume 2 therefore works both as a historical record of Japanese color culture and as a practical tool for contemporary designers, illustrators, artists, textile makers and anyone interested in constructing and studying color palettes.

• Author: Sanzo Wada
• 237 color combinations
• Japanese and English
• 336 pages
• Softcover
• Size: 148 × 105 × 20 mm
• Weight: approx. 220 g
• 172 removable color chips
• ISBN: 978-4-86152-772-2
• Published in 2020
• Published by Seigensha

Explore Wada Sanzo Colors Digitally

The seasonal combinations associated with this volume can also be explored through the independent Wada Sanzo Colors website and mobile app.

• Browse Wada's classic and seasonal color collections.
• Explore the 72 seasonal combinations organized around the twelve months of the year.
• Use the Color Picker to find the closest Wada Sanzo color to a color you select and discover combinations that contain it.
• View HEX, RGB and LAB values for use in digital projects.
• Save favorite combinations and colors.
• Use the mobile app's Color Scanner to compare colors found in everyday life with colors from Wada's collections.

The mobile app is available for iOS and Android.

Explore Wada Sanzo Colors:
https://www.wada-sanzo-colors.com/

Wada Sanzo Colors is an independent digital resource and is not operated by Galen Leather.

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