Traditional Japanese Calligraphy

Traditional Japanese Calligraphy is called Shodo (shodou) and is based on Chinese verse which uses couplets or quatrains of four, five, or seven syllables. Two examples are shown below (Click on the poem to see an enlarged version). Keep in mind that these works measure almost 90" high by 21" wide. That is 7.5 feet high!

For traditional work, and especially for national competitions, the calligrapher will normally design a work based on a part of a Chinese poem. While Japanese calligraphy started with Chinese, today the Japanese calligrapher is versed in Chinese Calligraphy as well as calligraphy that is unique to Japan based on the kana invented in the 6th century.

To the right is a partial description of the poem in Japanese. In red are the notations made by the artist. These notations can represent a number of things. Often times Chinese characters used in these poems are not used in modern Japanese language. Chinese has no phonetic alphabet and relies on more than 60,000 characters. Japanese has two phonetic syllabaries, called kana, and in everyday usage has less than 3,000 characters. The characters for the poem are given in a block (kaisho) script and must be converted to the target script. Takase Sensei prefers the cursive script and so will covert the character to sousho. The positioning of the following elements are critical to the artistic balance of the piece: Nijimi (blotted area) Kasure (patchy area) Large and small characters Thick and thin lines The placement of each of these elements along with the beauty of the script defines the artistic value of the work Traditional Japanese calligraphy is well defined with rules requiring that there is at least one blotted area (*nijimi) and one patchy area (kasure*) in the piece. Other rules exist, for example, two blotted characters may not be next to each other.
A Poem by Ranjin A western observer might see the blotting as a defect thinking that perhaps the calligrapher applied too much ink to the brush causing the ink to bleed into the paper. However, in traditional Japanese calligraphy the work would be unacceptable without the nijimi (or blotted area). As it would be unacceptable without the kasure (or patchy area). This corresponds to the concept developed for the tea ceremony where the imperfection is as much a part of the artistic value as is the technical excellence. The piece on the right measures 20 3/4"W x 89 3/4"H. It is a combination of two poems by Ranjin of seven syllable couplets. The details of this poem (in Japanese and Chinese) show exactly what the calligrapher receives prior to designing the work.
A Poem by Sonpun This next piece is a poem by Sonpun and is also of the seven syllable couplet style. It consists of 112 characters and like the above work measures 20 3/4"W x 89 3/4"H. These poems are Chinese classics. This poem, for example, is a narrative of a man visiting the city of Kishu. He talks of the river swelling after the snow of the harsh winter has thawed and of what he sees in the village. The details of this poem (in Japanese and Chinese) while large is instructive. This particular piece was chosen for an open exhibition at the Apollo Museum of Arts in Osaka, Japan. Traditional Japanese calligraphy is both formalized and exact. While artistic expression and genius are necessary, they are also confined within the technical excellence required by this very standardized art form. Judging involves a group of judges from the society. Typically there will be hundreds of entries and the judges will be presented with five separate works shown together on a very large board that is rolled in before the judges. The judges will choose one of the five works and that work will advance to the next round. This process continues until the final pieces are selected. The two works shown here by Takase Sensei have won best of category awards in national competitions using this type of judging.
Calligraphic Societies In Japan There are many calligraphic societies in Japan. The work on the right is an excerpt from the register of Bokuteki-kai and shows an early work of Takase Sensei. These works represent best in class awards for a national competition with Takase Sensei's work is on the very right. With rank, the Japanese calligrapher is given a Chinese nom de plume and as shown here, Takase Sensei's nom de plume is Takase Sairei. Very few calligraphers ever receive the honor of best in class and Takase Sensei has received this honor more that four times in two different nationally recognized societies: the Bokuteki-kai and Bunka-shodo. Bokuteki-kai is a calligraphic society devoted to training professional calligraphers. As there are many calligraphy societies in Japan, ones ranking in a particular society has no bearing on the ranking in another society. And the requirements of a rank are different from society to society. Takase Sensei is ranked as a master in both Bokuteki-kai and Bunka Shodo. While the work on the right is remarkably different from the others shown above, note the absence of color and of anything other than the Chinese characters on Japanese paper. Japanese calligraphy is a traditional art and the artist must work strictly within the rules. As an example, to add any color or sumi-e drawing to the work would mean instant disqualification.

About the Artist

Master Japanese Calligrapher, or more properly, Shihan Eri Takase has been living and working in the United States since 1995. Her work has sold all over the world as custom art for individuals, on commercial products, in books, magazines, and in film. Her brand of traditional Japanese calligraphy has been described as refined and cultured. After a lifetime study of traditional calligraphy in Japan, Master Takase has devoted herself to adapting the art of Japanese Calligraphy to new mediums and methods and the results are breathtaking.