The Man in the High Castle is based on Philip K. Dick’s science fiction masterpiece that depicts an alternative history where the Nazis and Imperial Japan won World War Two. America and its allies all lost. The essential visual juxtaposition created by this idea affects every frame of the show.
From the pilot through the first three seasons of the show, clear distinctions in palette have been established between the three primary storytelling worlds. The Japanese Pacific States, which are controlled by the Imperial Japanese power structure, uses the colors of the Kempeitai military uniform, greens and browns mixed with watery aquatic colors to give a West Coast feel.
The East Coast becomes the seat of Nazi control based in New York City. Its palette is in sober black, gray, and concrete/stone colors, with accents such as uniform khaki and Luftwaffe gray with red and silver trim. The Neutral Zone is the central area of the country that serves as a buffer between the two facist superpowers.