All About Japanese Calligraphy

jen b

Published in

Coto Academy

4 min readAug 9, 2018

Source:https://cotoacademy.com/japanese-calligraphy/

Posted by Amelie Nishizawa on June 8, 2016 — Japanese Study

If you are troubled by Kanji studies, why don’t you take a break with some brushes and ink? Japanese calligraphy is not only an important part of Japanese culture, but also a relaxing and fun way to practice your Kanji!

A peek into Japanese Calligraphy’s History & Philosophy

The artistic way of writing the Japanese language is called 書道しょどう, translating into “way of writing”. Both the art and its name are derived from Chinese culture. The traditions of calligraphy were imported from China to Japan around the 7th century, and throughout the history, Chinese calligraphers have deeply influenced Japanese calligraphy styles. However, with the development of Hiragana and Katakana, a style unique to Japan also emerged. Nowadays, calligraphy is a mandatory subject in elementary school and an art subject in high school in Japan.

Japanese calligraphy is much more than simply holding a brush and drawing strokes on a piece of paper.

Calligraphy is considered an art form tied to Zen thought and Buddhism. To perform Calligraphy harmoniously and balanced, one must reach a “no mind state” (無心むしん) (Mushin). This is a state freed from hesitation and doubt, allowing the writer to create a beautiful character using little effort, yet with fluidity and spiritual grace. Everything from the lines, to the space and points, matters. Among this art’s rules, it is crucial to respect the correct stroke order. A Japanese character cannot be written arbitrarily. In a way, the practice of Japanese calligraphy is a very effective way to steady your understanding of Kanji. Throughout the years, Japanese calligraphy has since grown and developed into various styles, with these three styles forming the base:

楷書かいしょ: Meaning: the “correct writing way”, this square style of writing is similar to the Japanese printed version. The characters are correctly and clearly written, making them familiar to all readers. Beginners start with this form of Calligraphy.

行書ぎょうしょ: “The travelling writing” (Aka Semi-cursive) is a cursive hand writing style. This style of writing is more visually pleasing than “correct way writing”, however most people who are able to read the “correct writing way” style can also read this.

草書: A graceful style focusing on beauty over comprehension, called “rough script”. The best English translation for this style of calligraphy would be cursive. This style of writing is meant to be fast and efficient, and an untrained reader will most likely not be able to recognize the Kanji in this style of calligraphy.

Source:https://cotoacademy.com/japanese-calligraphy/

Let’s get to know the familiar tools of a calligrapher!

The brushes, made from animal hairs, come in various sizes:

筆ふで：brush
小筆こふで：small brush
大筆おおふで：big brush

Traditionally, an ink stick 墨すみ would be used, however it is now easier to use bottled ink, called 墨液ぼくえき. The ink is poured into what is called an ink-stone, 硯すずり. Calligraphy is made on a special paper called 和紙わし, often referred to abroad as “Japanese paper”. The paper is placed on a cloth, 下敷したじき, held by a paper weight, 文鎮ぶんちん. Calligraphers often use their own personal seals (印しるし) to sign their calligraphy.

Japanese Calligraphy and Tea Ceremony

Did you know? At the beginning of a tea ceremony, 茶道さどう, the participants look at, admire, and meditate on calligraphy. The absorbed meditation is said to clear one’s mind and is a very important element of the ceremony.

Have a go at Calligraphy!

Mastering Japanese calligraphy takes years of practice, and children are encouraged to practice it from an early age. The calligrapher’s position, way of holding the brush, and way of starting, continuing and ending a stroke, must obey the rules of calligraphy We encourage our students to discover more about this practice through a fascinating initiation with a professional calligrapher, Wakana Shingae. With years of training and experience, she is no doubt a great instructor!