Akae, or red painting, is an overglaze decoration that primarily uses red, complemented by colors such as green, purple and blue. In China, this style originated during the Song Dynasty (960 CE–1279 CE), while in Japan, it was introduced by Sakaida Kakiemon during the Shoho era (1644 CE–1648 CE) and later found its place in Kutani ware.

In Kutani porcelain, akae-saibyo is particularly famous. Akae-saibyo literally means "fine painting in red." Using an extremely fine brush, each line is drawn on the surface of the vessel with exquisite detail, creating breathtakingly intricate patterns.