若葉色（わかばいろ）とは？～日本の伝統色 Japanese Traditional Colors～

若葉色とは、夏前の草木の若葉を思わせるやわらかな黄緑色です。

A traditional Japanese color "若葉 Wakaba" is a soft yellow-green color reminiscent of the young leaves of plants and trees before summer arrives.

It is often compared to the color "若菜 wakana," which represents the color of green hearbs in early spring. The color "若葉 Wakaba" is a bit more bluish than the color "若菜 wakana".

The color "若草 Wakakusa" is another color that also has "若 waka" in its name. It is a bright yellowish green, and has been a traditional spring color since the Heian period (794-1185). On the other hand, the color "若葉 Wakaba" is a relatively new color name that was introduced after the Meiji period (1868-1912), and is the color of early summer with a soft image.

The word "若葉 Wakaba" may have an image of "spring," but it is a seasonal word for summer. The color of leaves after cherry blossoms and the color of fresh green maple leaves are called the color "若葉 Wakaba". It is a soft, fresh yellow-green color.

【若葉色】は、夏前の濃い緑色になる前の若葉の色、やわらかな黄緑色の色名です。「若」という言葉には、若さのほかにも、新しさや青さなどの意味が含まれていて、初心者をイメージするものに使われることがあります。たとえば、運転免許証（うんてんめんきょしょう）を取得して1年未満の人は、初心者を意味する「若葉マーク」を車に付けることになっています。今度、若葉マークを付けた車を見たら、【若葉色】を思い出してみてくださいね。

（マイナビ子育て編集部）