{"id":5312,"date":"2025-10-28T14:53:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5312"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:53:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:53:46","slug":"questions-about-shodo-japanese-calligraphy-why-is-hiragana-so-hard-to-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5312","title":{"rendered":"Questions about Shodo, Japanese Calligraphy: Why Is Hiragana So Hard to Write?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My given name is written in hiragana,<\/em> and I personally find it very difficult to write it beautifully in calligraphy.
Friends of mine who also have names written in hiragana<\/em> almost all say the same thing \u2014 it\u2019s surprisingly challenging!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Three Pillars of Japanese Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Japanese writing system is made up of three main types of characters: hiragana<\/em>, katakana<\/em>, and kanji<\/em>.
Among these, children usually start by learning hiragana<\/em>, then move on to katakana<\/em>, and finally to kanji<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those unfamiliar with Japanese, it\u2019s important to note that hiragana<\/em> and katakana<\/em> are not like uppercase and lowercase letters in English. They represent the same sounds, but are used differently depending on the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Origins of Hiragana<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiragana<\/em> is a native Japanese script, created from kanji<\/em> around the 10th century.
Before Chinese characters (kanji<\/em>) were introduced, Japan had no writing system. Over time, Japanese people adapted kanji<\/em> and developed hiragana<\/em> as their own way to represent the Japanese language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than a thousand years, hiragana<\/em> has been used to express the sound of Japanese speech. Because of this long history, people in Japan are familiar with hiragana<\/em> and it is the first character that most children come into contact with. Almost all early childhood picture books today are often written entirely in hiragana<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of Katakana<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katakana<\/em> was developed around the same period as hiragana<\/em>, by simplifying parts of kanji<\/em>.
In modern times\u2014especially from the 19th to the 20th century\u2014it has started to be used to represent foreign words and concepts that entered Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:
\u767d\u83dc (hakusai<\/em>, Chinese cabbage) is written in kanji<\/em>, while \u30ad\u30e3\u30d9\u30c4 (kyabetsu<\/em>, \u201ccabbage\u201d) is written in katakana<\/em>. Similarly, \u7c73 (kome<\/em>, \u201crice\u201d) uses kanji<\/em>, but \u30d1\u30f3 (pan<\/em>, \u201cbread\u201d) uses katakana<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even foods that seem similar are written in different writing systems\u2014quite interesting, isn’t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Calligraphy, the Order Is Reversed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about shodo<\/em>, Japanese calligraphy.
When learning Japanese, the order is usually hiragana \u2192 katakana \u2192 kanji<\/em>,
but in calligraphy, the order is the exact opposite:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Kanji<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Katakana<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Hiragana<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Why is that? The answer is simple. Hiragana<\/em> is the most difficult to write with a brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why Hiragana<\/em> Is So Trick<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kanji<\/em> and katakana<\/em> are mainly made of straight strokes written \u201cfrom top to bottom\u201d and \u201cfrom left to right.\u201d This makes them easier to control with a brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hiragana<\/em>, on the other hand, is full of curves lines. Some characters are off-centered or tilted, and capturing their balance is not easy. Although it\u2019s not a cursive script, it has a gentle, rounded form that requires delicate brush control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s Try Calligraphy with Kanji <\/em> First<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are more than 2,000 kanji we use in our daily lives in Japan. Some kanji are quite complicated but some kanji are incredibly simple\u2014like \u300c\u4e00\u300d (one), \u300c\u4e8c\u300d (two), and \u300c\u4e09\u300d (three). They\u2019re just horizontal lines, perfect for practicing how to hold and move the brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So before diving into the elegant curves of hiragana<\/em>, let\u2019s learn the steady strokes of kanji<\/em>. Start with the basics\u2014\u300c\u4e00\u300d\u300c\u4e8c\u300d\u300c\u4e09\u300d\u2014and feel the rhythm of your brush.
    That\u2019s where calligraphy begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    References<\/strong>
    \u30fbNHK WORLD-JAPAN.
    \u201cLearn Japanese Letters: Hiragana<\/em>, Katakana<\/em>, and Kanji<\/em>.\u201d
    https:\/\/www3.nhk.or.jp\/nhkworld\/lesson\/ja\/letters\/hiragana.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n