The Kanji 「水 (water)」 for June

Thank you very much to our guest who visited us yesterday and participated in our calligraphy experience!

This month is Minazuki (水無月) in the traditional Japanese calendar. As part of the experience, our guest wrote the character 「水」, which means “water.”

Starting yesterday, the weather in Tokyo has suddenly shifted to summer. As if the rainy season has vanished. We enjoy bright summer skies, heat, and unpleasant humidity. It’s a kind of weather that makes you long for cool water.

By the way, for those of you who are non-native Japanese speakers, how many strokes do you think the character 「水」 has? It is made up of four strokes:

1. A vertical line.

2. A horizontal line from left to right, make a sharp bend, change direction to the left, and sweep.

3. A short stroke from the upper right to the left.

4. A longer sweeping stroke to the lower right.

In this digital age, we don’t often have the chance to write characters by hand. Those who attended Japanese schools probably learned proper stroke order as children. Still, when you try to write as an adult, you may find yourself wondering:

Wait, what was the stroke order?

Do I connect these lines?

How many strokes was this character again?

So many little questions pop into your head.

Why not take a break from the busy everyday life and try writing characters slowly and mindfully, with intention? That quiet moment of focus may become a truly special memory.

At our salon, we offer hands-on Japanese calligraphy experiences, where you can write Japanese characters using a traditional brush and ink.

For more details, please visit our website!