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Quick answer
A Dictionary of Color Combinations is a pocket paperback from Seigensha of Kyoto that reprints 348 color combinations by the Japanese painter and color researcher Sanzo Wada, from his 1933–34 work. Each color comes with CMYK values. Vol. 2 (2020) adds 72 seasonal and 165 period design combinations, with 172 cut-out color chips.
On this page11 sections
Both volumes drawn to scale; the covers are shown plain, not as published.
Softcover, 148 × 105 × 15 mm (A6), 352 pages, 240 g, full color; Japanese and English
Released
July 2010*
Price range
$$$$20–75 per item
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Notes on these facts
Made by Seigensha Art Publishing, Inc. (Kyoto). Country of manufacture not stated: Seigensha is a Kyoto publisher, but neither its Japanese nor its English page, nor the US listings we read, says where the book is printed. Price: example listing. Released: Seigensha's English page gives a release date of July 1, 2010 (CiNii: July 2010). Some English-language retailers give 2011.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Vol. 1 holds 348 combinations: Nos. 1–120 use two colors, 121–240 three and 241–348 four, drawn from 159 named colors in the open-source web version's data.
Seigensha says every color in Vol. 1 is given as CMYK values with a color chip, so you can match it in print or on screen.
Both books are 148 × 105 × 15 mm softcovers; Vol. 1 (2010) has 352 pages and Vol. 2 (2020) has 336.
Wada's original, Haishoku Sōkan, was published by Hakubisha in 1933–34 as six volumes in a case, according to the CiNii library catalog.
In Japan each book lists at ¥1,650 (about US$10) including tax; US bookshops sell them in our $$$ band ($20–75).
What is Sanzo Wada’s color dictionary?
It is a pocket-size book of ready-made color palettes: Seigensha’s reprint of 348 two-, three- and four-color combinations chosen by the Japanese painter and color researcher Sanzo Wada in the early 1930s. Each combination is printed as blocks of flat color, and Seigensha says every color is given with CMYK values and a color chip.
Seigensha, an art publisher in Kyoto, released it in July 2010; in Japan it is sold as Haishoku Jiten (配色事典). The text is in Japanese and English, and a second volume followed in 2020.
How is the book organized?
The combinations are numbered and grouped by size: two colors first, then three, then four. The open-source web version based on the book lists 159 named colors, each with its CMYK values and the numbers of the combinations it appears in.
The combinations in each volume, to scale. Vol. 1 numbering from the open-source web version's data; Vol. 2 counts from Seigensha. No colors from the books are shown.
Combinations
Colors in each
Count
Nos. 1–120
2
120
Nos. 121–240
3
120
Nos. 241–348
4
108
Because one color turns up in several combinations, the color list works as an index: find a color you like, then jump to every palette that uses it.
What is the difference between the two volumes?
Vol. 1 is the 348-combination dictionary; Vol. 2 reprints two later Wada works, with seasonal palettes, period design examples and cut-out color chips.
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Released (Seigensha)
July 1, 2010
March 1, 2020
ISBN
978-4-86152-247-5
978-4-86152-772-2
Pages
352
336
Size
148 × 105 × 15 mm, 240 g
148 × 105 × 15 mm, 220 g
Contents
348 combinations of 2–4 colors
72 seasonal combinations of 3–7 colors, 165 design combinations
Extras
CMYK values for every color
172 removable color chips; color names in Japanese and English
Price in Japan
¥1,650 (about US$10)
¥1,650 (about US$10)
Specs come from Seigensha’s English and Japanese pages. The seasonal sets in Vol. 2 follow the twelve months of the Japanese year, and the design examples come from 1910s–1930s fashion, interiors and graphics.
Dates for Vol. 2’s sources differ: the CiNii library catalog gives 1934–35 for the B series of Wada’s work and 1937 for the design collection, while Seigensha gives 1938 for the latter.
What was the original 1930s work?
Haishoku Sōkan, a boxed set of color-combination volumes that Wada edited and the Tokyo publisher Hakubisha issued in 1933–34. CiNii, Japan’s university library catalog, describes one set as six volumes plus an explanatory volume in a case. Another library record catalogs it as numbered parts in an A series and a B series, published 1933–35.
Seigensha’s own Japanese page also describes the original as six volumes from 1933. The Seigensha book is a compact, revised reprint, not a facsimile.
Why does Sanzo Wada matter in Japanese color design?
A painter, costume designer and color researcher (1883–1967) who helped lay the groundwork for color studies in Japan. Seigensha says he founded the Japan Standard Color Association in 1927, the body now called the Japan Color Research Institute.
He also won the Academy Award for costume design for the film Gate of Hell, presented at the 27th Academy Awards for 1954 films, and was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1958.
How can you use it with stationery?
Treat each combination as a shopping list: pick a set, then match it from what you own. The suggestions below are our how-to, not tested results.
Fountain pen ink: choose a two-color set and pair an ink for writing with one for headings. Swatch candidates on your journal paper; our ink properties guide explains why shading and sheen shift the color.
Washi tape: match a three-color set to rolls of mt washi tape for tabs and borders.
Markers and highlighters: muted sets suit soft lines such as Zebra Mildliner; test each match on the page you will use.
Journal spreads: in a bullet journal, give each month one four-color combination and note its number on the page.
Paint: for watercolor, Daniel Smith dot cards let you test a match before you buy tubes.
Where can you buy it in the US?
Books Kinokuniya USA, Draw Down and Amazon US all listed both volumes on October 26, 2026, in our $$$ band ($20–75). Seigensha’s how-to-order page names Amazon.com and Kinokuniya USA as its US online stockists.
On Amazon both books were sold by third-party sellers below list price, and Barnes & Noble showed Vol. 1 as out of stock online. In Japan, Seigensha’s own shop sells each volume for ¥1,650 (about US$10) including tax.
What is the sanzo-wada.dmbk.io website?
Yes: sanzo-wada.dmbk.io, an open-source site credited to Dain Blodorn Kim, shows the 348 combinations with each color’s CMYK values. It credits the Seigensha book as its source and links its code on GitHub, but it is a fan project, not Seigensha’s.
Frequently asked questions
What is A Dictionary of Color Combinations?
A pocket-size paperback from Seigensha that reprints 348 color combinations by Sanzo Wada, first published in his 1930s work Haishoku Sōkan. Each combination is shown as color blocks, and Seigensha says every color is given with CMYK values. The text is in Japanese and English.
What is the difference between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2?
Vol. 1 (2010) has 348 combinations of two, three or four colors with CMYK values. Vol. 2 (2020) reprints two later Wada works: 72 seasonal combinations of three to seven colors, one set per month, and 165 combinations from 1910s–1930s design, plus 172 cut-out color chips. Both are the same pocket size.
How many color combinations are in the book?
Vol. 1 has 348. The open-source web version based on it numbers them 1–120 for two-color sets, 121–240 for three colors and 241–348 for four, built from 159 named colors. Vol. 2 adds 72 seasonal and 165 design combinations, 237 in all.
Who was Sanzo Wada?
A Japanese painter, designer and color researcher (1883–1967). Seigensha says he founded the Japan Standard Color Association, now the Japan Color Research Institute, in 1927, won the Academy Award for costume design for Gate of Hell, and was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1958.
Is A Dictionary of Color Combinations in English?
Yes, both volumes are bilingual. Draw Down lists Vol. 1 as in Japanese and English, and Seigensha lists Vol. 2's language as Japanese and English, with each color name given in both.
Is there a free online version of Sanzo Wada's color combinations?
Yes. sanzo-wada.dmbk.io is an open-source website, credited to Dain Blodorn Kim and based on the Seigensha book, that shows the 348 combinations and each color's CMYK values. It is a fan project, not a Seigensha publication.
Can you use the book to pick fountain pen inks or markers?
Yes, as a starting point. Pick a two- or three-color set, then match each block by eye to the inks, markers or tapes you own, swatched on your own paper. Printed CMYK colors and ink on paper never match exactly, so treat the book as a guide, not a color standard.
