Japanese Calligraphy, Shodo, its Chinese Roots and Zen Bond

Japanese calligraphy, called shodo in Japanese, is the calligraphy brushed in Japanese. As many different artistic manifestations in Japan, Japanese calligraphy has its roots in Chinese calligraphy. For many centuries one of the most praised calligraphers in Japan was Chinese born Wang Xizhi from the 4th century.

Still, since the Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries were incorporated into the Japanese writing practice, Japanese calligraphers began to create native Japanese styles of calligraphy.

Different Kinds of Japanese Calligraphy

The classic types are almost the same in Chinese calligraphy as in Japanese calligraphy. They are as follows:

1. Seal Script, tensho in Japanese language, an time-honored style of calligraphy

2. Regular Script, kaisho in Japanese language, sometimes named Standard Script in English

3. Clerical Script, reisho in Japanese language

4. Semi-Cursive, gyosho  in Japanese

5. Cursive, sosho in Japanese language, also called Running Script in English

The Four Treasures of Eastern Calligraphy

The 4 fundamental tools you need for traditional Japanese calligraphy are called the Four Treasures and they are: brush, ink stick, rice paper - also known as mulberry paper in the West- and  the inkstone to ground the fresh ink.

Chinese Calligraphy Beginnings and Outset in Japan

Chinese calligraphy goes back 3000 years, when pictorial symbols or pictographs were carved on bones mostly with religious purposed. In time, during the Qin dynasty, the writing was homogenized as it had became a major instrument for governing the Chinese state.

The Chinese way of calligraphy was introduced to Japan around AD 600. Since that time, in Japan calligraphy has been practiced continuously. It has formed its own ways particularly in the Zen school.

Today in Japan pupils learn the art of Japanese calligraphy and it can be practiced in high school or universities along with other art subjects such as painting or music.

Finally, the appearance of performance calligraphy has made it a fashionable pursuit practiced together in clubs by the young. Performance calligraphy has also been made known in the Western countries and it seems to enthrall many people.

Japanese Calligraphy and Zen

Zen has had a remarkable impact in Japanese calligraphy. The most popular representation of the Zen style of Japanese calligraphy is the enso circle. The calligrapher depicts the enso circle of enlightenment in one single fluent stroke that can’t be adjusted or corrected.

Japanese Zen calligraphy, the Way of the Brush, is a sort of meditation in action.