What Is Rikyu-nezumi? The Origin of Its Name and Color Code

Rikyu-nezumi is a subdued gray with a slight green tint. Knowing how it differs from an ordinary neutral gray, and why it carries a tea master’s name, can make it easier to select companion colors for web design. This article compares representative color codes and shows two practical palettes: one with a light background and another that gives Rikyu-nezumi most of the space.

Reading, name origin, and color codes of Rikyu-nezumi

The Japanese name 利休鼠 is read rikyū-nezumi or rikyū-nezu. The word nezumi refers to gray, while Rikyu evokes the tea master Sen no Rikyu. It is described as one of the subtly tinted gray colors associated with the popularity of such shades in Edo-period Japan. That does not establish that Rikyu himself created or actually favored this particular color.

Digital samples include the slightly greenish gray ■#888E7E and the somewhat darker ■#7B8174. Set beside a neutral gray ■#888888, the green undertone becomes easier to notice. There is no single universal HEX value assigned to every traditional color name, so the examples here use ■#888E7E as the reference. A HEX (hexadecimal) color code specifies a screen color with a hash sign followed by letters and numbers. We use six-digit HEX codes throughout.

Two web color schemes featuring Rikyu-nezumi

Example 1: A pottery exhibition on a light background

For a ceramics exhibition page, start with warm ivory ■#F7F5EC as the background. Set a headline such as “Autumn Ceramics Exhibition” and the main body copy in deep green-gray ■#18231D. Use Rikyu-nezumi ■#888E7E for a short decorative underline beneath the headline or a narrow strip beside a photograph. Put the exhibition date and time in a small pale gray-green ■#E6EAE4 card, with deep green-gray ■#18231D for the card text.

If the card edge needs to be clear for understanding the information, use a slightly deeper gray-green ■#6E7770 border. Fill the “View Exhibition Details” button with deep green-gray ■#18231D and set its lettering in ivory ■#F7F5EC. This keeps Rikyu-nezumi in a supporting role and gives priority to the artwork and headline.

Example 2: A tea-ware banner with Rikyu-nezumi as the background

For a banner announcing a new collection of tea utensils, give most of the background to Rikyu-nezumi ■#888E7E. Place the product name and a short description in deep green-gray ■#18231D. Beside the product photo, create a small ivory ■#F7F5EC panel for the price and materials, using deep green-gray ■#18231D for its text as well. A “View Products” button can use a deep green-gray ■#18231D fill with ivory ■#F7F5EC lettering.

Compared with Example 1, much more of the page is now Rikyu-nezumi. However, avoid making the headline, body copy, and button all the same medium gray. Reserve the darker tone for text and actions, and keep the bright information panel relatively small so the background and product photo remain central.

Check contrast before using Rikyu-nezumi for text or borders

A contrast ratio expresses the difference in brightness between adjacent colors such as text and its background. Under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA calls for at least 4.5:1 for normal-sized text and 3:1 for large text.

Rikyu-nezumi ■#888E7E against ivory ■#F7F5EC has a ratio of about 3.09:1, and against white ■#FFFFFF it reaches about 3.38:1. These meet the numerical threshold for large text but not for normal-sized copy. Instead, deep green-gray ■#18231D against a Rikyu-nezumi ■#888E7E background reaches about 4.79:1, while the same deep green-gray ■#18231D against ivory ■#F7F5EC reaches about 14.82:1. Both meet Level AA for normal-sized text.

The pale gray-green ■#E6EAE4 card and ivory ■#F7F5EC page background are only about 1.11:1 apart. If a visible border is essential, the deeper border gray-green ■#6E7770 contrasts with the pale gray-green ■#E6EAE4 at about 3.80:1. Visual elements necessary to identify or operate a control, such as essential outlines and icons, generally need at least 3:1 against adjacent colors. Purely decorative lines do not automatically have that same requirement.

HueRoll checks a selected color against white or black only. It cannot directly compare arbitrary pairs, such as Rikyu-nezumi and ivory, or automatically assess WCAG AA conformance. If you adjust the reference HEX code, calculate the contrast of the colors that actually touch again.