{"id":5353,"date":"2025-11-05T15:48:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T06:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5353"},"modified":"2025-11-05T17:27:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T08:27:01","slug":"questions-about-shodo-japanese-calligraphy-why-cant-even-japanese-people-read-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5353","title":{"rendered":"Questions about Shodo, Japanese Calligraphy: Why Can\u2019t Even Japanese People Read It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In our salon, we have a few pieces of shodo<\/em> (Japanese calligraphy) displayed on the walls.
Shodo<\/em> is the art of writing characters with brush and ink. The black lines and rhythmic strokes create a sense of grace and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might assume that Japanese people can always read these works \u2014 but in fact, many Japanese can\u2019t read them either!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Japan\u2019s Largest Calligraphy Exhibition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This summer, I visited the Mainichi Shodo Ten<\/em><\/a> at the National Art Center, Tokyo<\/a> \u2014 the largest calligraphy exhibition in Japan. One of our collaborators, Calligrapher Akagi Shoka, who had provided model pieces for our customers, received the Award of Shusaku-Sho<\/em>, so I went to see her work in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hall was filled with an overwhelming number of calligraphy pieces \u2014 a sea of black ink and flowing lines. And yet, to be honest\u2026 I couldn\u2019t read almost any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is that?
Here are the four main reasons why even native Japanese readers often can\u2019t read shodo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. It Values Artistic Expression Over Readability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calligraphy is art through writing. The goal isn\u2019t to make the text legible \u2014 it\u2019s to make it beautiful, expressive, and full of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it like English cursive handwriting. If you never learned cursive, you probably can\u2019t read it easily. Japanese has similar \u201chandwriting styles\u201d \u2014 gyosho<\/em> (semi-cursive) and sosho<\/em> (cursive). Sosho<\/em>, in particular, looks like an entirely different language unless you\u2019ve studied it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calligraphers freely alter the shapes of characters to express emotion:
rounding corners to soften the tone, scattering the layout to create movement,
even letting ink splashes fly to show energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one of the most famous tea masters Souga once said on YouTube<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to read it \u2014 just feel and enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So, the best way to enjoy shodo<\/em> is to simply absorb its mood and rhythm. If you really want to know what it says, ask the owner or curator afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Words Aren\u2019t Always in Japanese<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many calligraphy works actually use classical Chinese texts. That\u2019s because Japanese kanji<\/em> originally came from China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the piece displayed at our salon\u2019s entrance reads \u201c\u58a8\u60b2\u7d72\u67d3 (Boku hi shi sen)\u201d, a phrase from the ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi<\/em>.
When an ordinary Japanese person sees this phrase without any background knowledge, they might only recognize the individual characters \u2014 \u201cink,\u201d \u201csadness,\u201d \u201cthread,\u201d and \u201cto dye.\u201d That\u2019s all they can guess from the kanji themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the actual meaning is much deeper:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cJust as thread is easily dyed, so too can the human heart be easily stained by evil \u2014 and that is sorrowful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Even if you recognize the characters, you still might not understand it \u2014 because it\u2019s written in Chinese, not Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhist sayings (Zen phrases<\/em>), which are often seen in tearooms, also come from Chinese texts.
Buddhism originated in India and was transmitted to Japan through China,
bringing Chinese-language scriptures with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes \u2014 one big reason shodo<\/em> is unreadable is simply that it\u2019s written in another language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. It Uses Ancient Characters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earliest known Chinese characters appeared sometime between the 16th and 11th centuries BCE, and their forms have changed greatly over time. Calligraphers sometimes deliberately use ancient scripts to create a sense of beauty.
Naturally, most modern readers can\u2019t decipher them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan also developed its own writing system around the 10th century. In early Japanese texts, the same sound could be written with several different characters, and letters were often connected in flowing strokes. As a result, many old Japanese calligraphic works are even harder to read than Chinese ones!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Some Works Are Purely Abstract \u2014 \u201cAvant-Garde Calligraphy\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a branch of calligraphy known as zen-ei-sho<\/em>, or avant-garde calligraphy<\/em>. In this style, the work is not meant to be read at all. It\u2019s purely about movement, balance, contrast, and emotion \u2014 an art form that transcends language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can think of it as abstract painting using characters as inspiration. It\u2019s not about letters anymore; it\u2019s about expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shodo<\/em> is not about reading<\/em> words \u2014 it\u2019s about feeling<\/em> them.
Each brushstroke carries the rhythm, energy, and spirit of the artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So next time you see a calligraphy piece, try asking to yourself \u201cWhat does it feel like?\u201d instead of \u201cWhat is it written?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let the art speak beyond words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to experience the art of Japanese calligraphy (Shodo<\/em>) yourself?
At our salon, you can try your hand at Shodo and Sado (the tea ceremony)<\/em> in a calm, traditional atmosphere.
Discover the beauty of brush, ink, and your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n