A Comparison of Color Schemes and Images in the Package Design of Sweets in the US and Japan Kyoko HIDAKA Faculty of Art and Design, Tama Art University ABSTRACT This study compares the color schemes and design of packages of sweets in the US and Japan from the viewpoint of the cultural history of color. To visualize this comparison, color charts representing typical Japanese and American sweets packages are presented. The central aim of the comparison is to clarify cultural differences in color that characterize appetizing sweets, between the US and Japan. The research method was as follows: I purchased a total of 120 items, 20 items each of hard candy, chocolate, and chewing gum sold nationally, both in the US and Japan in 2013-14. Using ColorMunki Design of X-Rite, I measured the color scheme of these packages and listed the data in the form of color charts. These data are significant in revealing the fundamental cultural differences in the package design in these nations, a valuable insight for the field of international marketing and graphic/package design. Generally, there is a strong tendency for Japanese sweets packages to use a warm and light color scheme, whereas American ones apply a vivid multicolor scheme. Japanese sweets manufacturers produce various novelty items that promote seasonal and regional marketing, whereas American mass-produced sweets and its coloring are generally aimed at children and their dreams. Therefore, the color scheme of and the images on packages of US sweets resemble American comics. 1. INTRODUCTION This paper compares the color schemes of the package design of sweets in the US and Japan from the the cultural history of color perspective. To visualize this comparison, color charts representing typical Japanese and American sweets packages are presented. The main objective of this paper is to clarify the cultural differences in color that characterize appetizing sweets between the US and Japan. Hues in the color scheme of these package designs are primarily examined. Sugita reported that colors that infants see everyday largely influence the human color sense 1 . The development and innateness of color sense is still the subject under discussion. Even so, I hypothesized that the color scheme of the packaging of sweets can be a root cause of forming color culture since human beings habitually see packages of sweets from childhood. The result of this comparison can expose the cultural distinction in the color perspective and will be valuable in international marketing when exporting Japanese sweets. As precedence research, Birren published a series of books on color and consumer psychology 2 . Kawasome presented a paper examining the relation between food color and 1 Sugita, Y. 2010. 2 Birren, F. 1961.