Answering the Inner Calling — an Interview with Calligrapher Kaku

My First Encounter with Kaku

The first time I met Kaku-san was during the fall of 2018. I was working on a project regarding tourism in the town of Takahama, in Fukui prefecture. I was told I was going to participate in a calligraphy workshop. My guide told me, “The calligrapher is very talented–he’s even been invited to exhibit in other countries. He’s an artist, but he also rents a room in his house for tourists, and he does calligraphy workshops too.” When I heard that, for some reason, I was imagining a sixty-ish austere man living in a traditional house. Then I met Kaku, in his thirties, greeting us with a big smile at the entrance of his modern, well-lit house. I realized I would have to put my preconceptions aside.

There’s good energy flowing inside Kaku’s comfy living room. Probably thanks to the tall, wide windows letting a lot of sunlight in, the cleanliness, and the fact nothing useless is lying around. There, Kaku-san initiated me to the ancient technique of sumi nagashi (more on this later) and how to hold a brush correctly. He also took some time brainstorming with me about what character to put on the paper.

We had coffee, and he told us about his town, his art, and his change of career. He speaks in a calm, but relaxed demeanor (stressed by his use…