For over 260 years, Ueba Esou has been coloring the city of Kyoto with high-quality, unique paints. Originally carrying paint materials for Japanese paintings (Nihon-ga) and handicrafts, it has been the go-to shop for artists since it was first established in 1751 during the Edo period.

Over two and a half centuries later, they are now famous for producing chemical and odor-free nail polish, many of which that come in traditional Japanese colors.

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Source: Gofun Nail

The history of traditional Japanese colors go back as far as the year 603. Colors were often used to display the ranks and social hierarchies of the people, and most were named after plants, flowers, and animals that resembled them.

Those same colors can now be worn as nail polish, not to represent ranks, but to add a pop of pigment to our hands.

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Source: Gofun Nail

Ueba Esou’s nail polish line Gofun Nail features different color series such as Pastel, Kirara (Shimmery), and Wairo (Japanese colors). And in addition to these series, Ueba Esou has recently added a new one — Kagayaka (輝か).

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Source: Gofun Nail

Currently, there are 5 colors in the Kagayaka Series:

Ōgon-iro (黄金色)

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Source: Gofun Nail

Gekkōgin (月光銀)

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Source: Gofun Nail

Hidou-iro (緋銅色)

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Source: Gofun Nail

Momoshinjyu (桃真珠)

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Source: Gofun Nail

Yōkō-iro (陽光色)

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Source: Gofun Nail

At 1,500 yen (13.30 USD) per bottle, these gorgeous colors are actually the first One Day Nail nail polishes in the Gofun Nail lineup. One Day Nail products are made to come off easier than others, and they can be taken off by rubbing in warm water. The fact that there’s no need to use nail polish remover makes it gentler on the nails.

You can buy colors from the Kagaya Series here, while the rest of the lineup can also be purchased on their international site.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.