- Calligraphy got its footing in Japan in the 7th century A.D. when Buddhism began to make its way into the country. Many in Japan were attracted by the beautiful Buddhist scriptures, which were recorded using Chinese writing. Priests were responsible for copying and creating such scriptures, and some of the most famous Japanese calligraphers were Buddhist monks. In the 10th and 11th centuries Japanese calligraphers Ono no Tofu, Fujiwara no Sukemasa and Fujiwara no Yukinari developed wayou, the first Japanese calligraphy style, according to Japanese-Name-Translation.com.
- Japanese calligraphy fuses Chinese and Japanese characters. According to ConnectedGlobe.com, the five basic forms of script are tensho, reisho, kaisho, gyosho and sosho. Students of Japanese calligraphy usually start off learning kaisho since it has a very deliberate, clear structure. Sosho is the most intricate script; typically only calligraphers trained to write the script can read it. When calligraphy was introduced in Japan, the Japanese added a new set of characters, kana, which are used to express sounds. Manyogama, hirgana and katakana are three forms of kana used to express syllables.
- Japanese calligraphers prefer paper made from mulberry, bamboo, hemp, rice or wheat, according to Cedarseed.com. They use a thin brushed called "hosofude" and a thick brush called "fotofude." The hairs of the brushes may come from cats, deer, sheep, dog, horse or goat. The ink, "sumi," is made as a calligrapher rubs a stick of charcoal in water. A shitajiki, which is a felt mat, provides a soft surface under the paper and forms a protective layer to protect from any ink that soaks through the paper. An amateur calligrapher may use a shitajiki with a grid as a guide to master forming well-proportioned characters.
- Someone untrained in the art form of Japanese calligraphy will probably find it difficult to differentiate the good from the bad. A trained eye, however, can quickly discern the quality of the calligrapher and his work. Good calligraphy is balanced; both the characters and the entire piece look perfectly poised and stable opposite each other. Straight lines are strong and curved lines are always elegant. You will note a consistent rhythm in the entire work that is present in the amount of ink used throughout and the size of the characters. There should also be a variety of thick and thin lines.
- With calligraphy being such an important art form and a large part of Japanese culture, it is not surprising that calligraphy is a mandatory subject in elementary schools across Japan. As students progress they are given the opportunity to refine their calligraphy skills by taking it as an elective art subject in high school. For those drawn to this ancient East Asian art there are a number of universities that have entire departments dedicated to the study of calligraphy.
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