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Bundle 1: Color Me Surprised!

Nature abounds in these essays, including blood-red sunsets, brightly colored birds, and fall foliage. Logically, art forms such as painting, calligraphy, and lacquering also emerge as central themes. But who would have guessed that color ties in with many body parts: blood, the eye, lips, skin, cells, and even a point where energy is concentrated. Mental states also matter here with faces flushed with rage, diligence in work, depression and lifelessness, and vitality. Moreover, multiple essays touch on religion, minerals (including one ingested for longevity), and old forms of currency (one of which was chocolate!).
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褐
brown
JOK: 1089
Find out why the Japanese use 褐 for the color of coffee and why they once dyed armor and weapons indigo for good luck. Learn to say, “She got her dark skin and brown eyes from her father.” See how “chocolate world history” differs from “brown world history.” Find out about “brown fat” and “the brown plague.” And discover the shocking ancestry of a beloved French author.
彩
to color
JOK: 1290
Knowing 彩, you can discuss color in artwork, saying things like “Using watercolors, he made strokes with an almost vertical brush.” Aside from art contexts, 彩 helps you talk about brilliance and vividness, saying, for instance, “The newcomer’s work is remarkably brilliant,” “He seems really depressed and lifeless today,” and “He has stood out since his school days.“
朱
scarlet
JOK: 1346
See how 朱 connects to red writing and learn to say, "The editor used red to correct the misused kanji" and "The envelope said 'express delivery' in red." Discover what "Anything that touches vermilion will turn red" means. Find out about red seal stamps, a red-lacquered gate, and the red-faced bird of Sado. Learn to say that a sunset "dyes" the sky red and "He went red in the face with rage."
丹
rust; vermilion
JOK: 1563
Find out which hues 丹 represents. (It’s complicated!) Learn to use 丹 to discuss great effort and careful work. See how a mineral gave rise to the shape and meaning of our kanji, and find out why the ancient Chinese fatally consumed this mineral in the pursuit of immortality. Also see why the Japanese revere the peony, and read about its connection to mochi, windfalls, and shrimp.
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