It’s true, red has been on my mind. That would make sense, as I’m immersed in an almost opposite color on the color wheel most of the time. I think it gives a little “relief” or reprieve from that visual experience. I don’t think it’s just that, though.
I have some red scarves needing attention and I took them out of the closet recently to simply look at them and see if they might speak to me in some way. That got things started. It also came to mind in connection with Setsubun which occurred on Feb. 2. I associate red with that festivity and there are more upcoming, western and non-western, with that association. So, it isn’t really so surprising.
At any rate, there has been a bit of “comment” on the color lately it seems, so I did a little ‘digging’ from a different perspective and took a few notes. Here are a few tidbits I came across:
Some definitions, different contexts – notice two different kanji for red –
1. 赤・あか・aka (n.) – red /赤い・akai (adj.)
2. 紅色・こうしょく (kōshoku); べにいろ (beni iro)(n) red (color); beni is safflower red.
3. 紅白 ・こうはく・kōhaku (n,adj-no) (1) red and white; colors for festive or auspicious occasions – these combinations turn up in many different contexts.
4. 赤地 ・あかじ・akaji (n) red cloth; red background
A few phrases & proverbs (kotowaza):
1.青白い月なら雨になり、赤い月なら風が吹き、白い月だと雨も雪も降らない。
Aojiroi tsuki nara ame ni nari, akai tsuki nara kaze ga fuki, shiroi tsuki dato ame mo yuki mo
furanai.
A pale moon rains, a red moon blows, while white moon neither rains or snows.
2. 赤毛の人・あかげのひと・Akage no hito /person with red hair
3. Tシャツを赤く染める・Tshatsu o akaku someru. /Dye a T-shirt red.
4. 赤富士 ・あかふじ・aka fuji/(n) red Fuji –
when Mt Fuji appears red due to the sun’s rays in the early morning or in late summer to early autumn
糸で/ Ito de/ By Thread 
