A pale kariyasu yellow — asaki-ki, the "shallow yellow" grade of the court dyehouse, one step below deep yellow. Not to be confused with asagi 浅葱, the pale indigo that shares its reading.
Asagi is remembered on two uniforms: the haori of the Shinsengumi, the shogunate's swordsmen, whose asagi coats with mountain-stripe hems are now pop-culture icons; and the asagi under-linings of unfashionable country samurai, mocked in Edo comedies as 'asagi-ura' — the color of a bumpkin. One shade, two reputations.
The Engishiki — the court regulations completed in 927 — records exactly what the palace dyehouse was allotted to dye this color. Quantities are per bolt of cloth; units are left in the original (1 kin ≈ 600 g, 1 shō ≈ 0.7 L in later standards — Heian equivalents are debated).
The Engishiki also gives scaled quantities for: 1 bolt of plain silk · 1 skein of silk thread.
浅黄綾一疋、〈綿紬・糸紬・東絁亦同、〉苅安草大三斤八両、灰一斗二升、薪卅斤、帛一疋、苅安草大二斤、糸一絇、苅安草大十一両、灰二升、薪廿斤、
Text: 『デジタル延喜式』校訂文（縫殿寮）, National Museum of Japanese History · 1900 printed edition (NDL)
Complementary and triadic companions, chosen from real traditional colors — not computed values.
刈安 黄染め — what the name literally points to.
