Regional finding · relates to White, Black
A shared preference for white across Japan, China, and Indonesia
The finding
Cited claimSaito (1996) compared color preferences across Japan, China, and Indonesia and documented a distinctive, shared preference for white, alongside country-specific patterns. The white preference was far stronger than in Western samples. Saito linked it to cultural and environmental associations rather than to anything in the eye. This case both documents an East Asian pattern and cautions against reading Western color preferences as global.
Why it is in the collection
SignificanceConcrete evidence that aggregate color preference, not just symbolism, varies by region. Anchors the East Asian side of the black and white records.
Evidence type
How we knowGrade B. Regional comparative study, peer-reviewed.
Source
1 reference- Saito, M. (1996). A Comparative Study of Color Preferences in Japan, China and Indonesia, with Emphasis on the Preference for White. Perceptual and Motor Skills 83(1), 115-128. peer reviewed
https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1996.83.1.115
Cite this case record
Stable ID GCMD-C05Chen, Chloe. “A shared preference for white across Japan, China, and Indonesia.” Record GCMD-C05, Global Color Meaning Database (Suse), 2026. Accessed [date]. https://globalcolormeaning.org/entries/gcmd-c05.html.
The identifier GCMD-C05 is permanent: it does not change if the record text is revised. For an empirical number, also cite the underlying study listed below. See the how-to-cite page for full guidance.