Discover Japanese Calligraphy

The art of calligraphy has existed and underwent a lot of study for more than three thousand years. The appreciation and understanding of Japanese culture would be beneficial move if an expertise on calligraphy is acquired. Good handwriting is not only achieved and exercised but the principal art of the Orient is also enlivened. It is an integration of the imagination, creativity and skill of the person who has intensely studied the combinations present with the mere use of lines. Calligraphy aimed to stop distinctiveness and generate a uniform style in the West.

Japanese calligraphy (sho or shodo in Japanese) aims to enliven words, and bestow them with character. The styles of Japanese calligraphy are highly personal, varying from one person to another. Because of this, Westerners find difficulty in understanding the art of Japanese calligraphy. Though the work can be done in a matter of seconds, the inexperienced could not wholly appreciate the amount of difficulty involved. Nonetheless, it must not be forgotten that the characters must be written only once. There is no touching up, altering or adding to them after the initial strokes.

Japanese calligraphy is given worth not only for its beauty, style and meaning, but also for the individuality of the calligrapher himself.