Now Offering: Interior Sho Experience in English
Modern Japanese Calligraphy in a Traditional Home Near Shibuya
We are pleased to announce that our salon now offers a new cultural experience: the Interior Sho Experience, available in English.
What Is Interior Sho?
Interior Sho is a contemporary approach to Japanese calligraphy designed to harmonize with modern living spaces.
While traditional calligraphy was often displayed in formal tatami rooms, today’s homes are typically bright, open, and Western in style. Interior Sho reinterprets classical brushwork to suit interiors around the world.
The focus goes beyond writing characters beautifully — it emphasizes composition, balance, and the intentional use of white space.
Rather than filling the page, it values space.
Rather than decoration, it offers quiet sophistication.
Even a single kanji, or a simple two-character word, can transform the atmosphere of a room.
The Experience
From the moment you sit before the paper, the rhythm of daily life begins to slow.
Your session starts with an introduction to brush posture and ink preparation. You will learn how to hold the brush vertically, control pressure, and create lines that feel alive.
Through guided practice, you will explore:
- Balance and structure
- Line weight and movement
- The beauty of yohaku (negative space)
You may choose a seasonal kanji or a word that holds personal meaning. With thoughtful guidance, you will create a finished artwork to display in your home.
No prior experience is necessary.
The atmosphere is calm, focused, and welcoming to beginners.
This is not about perfect handwriting.
It is about discovering space within the line.
About the Instructor
Eri Kushimoto — Interior Sho Artist
Eri spent part of her childhood in the United States. Upon returning to Japan, she had not yet fully grasped the language, and the kanji around her felt distant.
Yet one memory remained clear — the scent of ink.
Before understanding their meaning, she was drawn to the beauty of the characters themselves. As a child, she traced faint kanji on the back of advertisement paper at her grandmother’s home, fascinated by their form.
Having once struggled with language, Eri understands the quiet vulnerability of holding a brush for the first time. What begins as tension gradually softens into calm concentration.
She has studied calligraphy for over 20 years under Master Kei Shimizu, refining her sensitivity to line, composition, and negative space.
Her work includes store signage and solo exhibitions. Today, she creates seasonal one- and two-character works for modern interiors and shares her approach through intimate workshops held in a traditional Japanese home.
For Eri, calligraphy is not simply writing words —
it is creating space where the heart can breathe.
