What was your process for designing your website? Did you look up the common trends in other websites for companies in your area? Or did you focus on being unique? One of the most important things that may get overlooked when making a website is the color scheme. Certain colors hold special meanings in Asian cultures.
For example, black traditionally represents sadness, fear, or even death. You will find that websites in Japan tend to stay away from darker tones. This may be a result of this belief, or maybe it is just because dark websites are hard to look at. Perhaps a mixture of both. So what color palettes do Japanese websites tend to go towards?
Let’s take a look at a few:
More website examples can be found here.
Looking those pictures, we can see that Japanese websites tend to stay on the lighter side, making use of flattering color tones. If you click on the link above, you will see that most of websites have a tendency to go towards brighter colors. The most common theme, however, is making use of the color white. What does the color white mean in the Japanese culture?
White represents purity and cleanliness. It can also represent mourning, but it is mainly associated with the former meaning. Even without looking it up, the general image of Japanese people are clean and neat. If you have ever visited Japan you will find almost no trash cans, yet there is barely any litter. The way the Japanese websites are designed reflect this image of cleanliness. Websites will be neatly organized, won’t have overbearing color schemes, while still being visually pleasing to the eye. From a Westerner’s point of view, however, websites might appear a bit messy, since several colors (sometimes flashy) are usually displayed. Also, more text are written on Japanese websites, and the structure of the website itself is different (location of the menu, image sizes, etc.). Read our article about how to make the best Japanese website design for more.
If you are curious on what other colors mean in the Japanese culture, check out this helpful article! Also, note that red doesn’t have the same meaning in Japan as in the West, so it is way more used to attract Internet users.
Simple Tips To Remember:
- To be safe, stay away from only using darker colors.
- Use flattering color tones to make your website easier to look at.
- A lighter color palette is commonly used.
- Several colors can be used.
If you’re a tech company that has high hopes of entering the Japanese market successfully, you can look forward to seeing your business booming with high profits. You don’t have to feel apprehensive about stepping into unfamiliar territory, and you are certainly not alone. We can help your company successfully launch into the Japanese market. Contact us today at info@gloture.co.jp to expand your presence in Japan!
