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I am particularly interested in the phrase 「水{みず}色{いろ}時{じ}代{だい}」. Did it come
from the old manga that used the phrase as its title, or has the phrase been
carrying that particular cultural connotation long before the manga?

So how and when did the term 水色 start to be associated with youth, adolescence
and puberty?

p/s: While on the same topic, I'd like to share this interesting chart on how
different cultures interpret different colors: <http://www.globalization-
group.com/edge/resources/color-meanings-by-culture/>
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history etymology culture
What was the origin for the term 水{みず}色{いろ} to be associated with youth, adolescence and puberty?
According to [Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B4%E8%89%B2),

> 日本語の水色は平安時代から見られる色名であり、古くから「水＝青い」というイメージが存在していたこととなる。

水色 is used since the Heian Era (794年-1185年/1192年) and 水 is something like 青い.

There are some words like

  * 青春 (せいしゅん) meaning "youth",
  * 青二才 (あおにさい) meaning "young person" (greenhorn), and
  * 青年期 (せいねんき) meaning "adolescence"

all using the same _kanji_ 青. These words cause 青 to be associated with youth,
adolescence and puberty, I believe.
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I do not think that the word 水色 (みずいろ; cyan) is associated with youth,
adolescence or puberty in Japanese. As YOU wrote, 青 (あお; usually blue in the
modern Japanese, sometimes refers to green) is associated with immaturity and
youth. But 水色 does not have this connotation.

I had never heard of the phrase 水色時代. Unless I am much mistaken, it is only
used as the [title of manga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuiro_Jidai) by
Yuu Yabuuchi and not a common phrase in Japanese.
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