What is “Shodo”, Japanese Calligraphy
Month: November 2018
Shodo is a Japanese word for Japanese Calligraphy, and it is written 書道. The first characator, 書, means “writing”, and the second character, 道, means “path” or “way of life”.
The Kanji (Chinese character), 道 is often associated with many names of other Japanese
cultural activities, like 華道 Japanese flower arrangment、茶道 Japanese tea ceremony、柔道 Jyu-do、空手道 Karate-do、and 剣道 Ken-do. It represents that those cultural activities and martial arts are not just learning things but they are a “way of life”.
In Shodo, it is the use of sumi paint and bamboo brushes to create calligraphy.
It’s history is very long, going back more than 2000 years. It was originally started in China, then came to Japan around the 6th century. It was part as part of Zen buddhism culture which developed in Japan.
Japanese word, 龍 — Ryu : dragon