{"id":5387,"date":"2025-11-14T19:30:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5387"},"modified":"2025-11-14T19:30:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:30:18","slug":"questions-about-shodo-japanese-calligraphy-what-is-gyosho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oh-mama.tokyo\/?p=5387","title":{"rendered":"Questions About Shodo, Japanese Calligraphy: What Is Gyosho?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When my child borrowed a biography manga about the entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre from the library, I found a photograph on the inside back cover \u2014 a page from Fabre\u2019s own notebook. His handwriting was a beautiful, flowing cursive.
Japanese writing also has a style with elegant, continuous movement: gyosho<\/em>, the semi-cursive script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Students Learn in School<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Japan, children study the basics of calligraphy for seven years, starting in the third grade of elementary school. When they enter junior high, they begin learning gyosho<\/em>.
This style is smooth and fluid like English cursive, yet the shapes of the kanji remain recognizable. It\u2019s considered the next easiest script to read after kaisho<\/em> (standard script). And honestly, being able to write gyosho<\/em> in shodo looks incredibly cool \u2014 just like writing stylish cursive in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, let\u2019s take a closer look at how gyosho<\/em> works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, a Little About Kanji<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many kanji originated from simplified visual shapes.
Take \u6728<\/strong> (\u201ctree\u201d), for example: a straight trunk reaching upward, branches spreading left and right, and roots firmly planted in the ground.
When you place two trees together, you get \u6797<\/strong> (\u201cwoods\u201d). Add even more \u2014 \u68ee<\/strong> (\u201cforest\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanji can also be combined to form new meanings.
The \u201ctree\u201d component appears on the left side of many characters: \u6797<\/strong>, \u679d<\/strong> (branch), \u6839<\/strong> (root), \u67f1<\/strong> (pillar), \u677f<\/strong> (board), \u690d<\/strong> (plant), and so on.
Names of trees also use this component: \u685c<\/strong>, \u6885<\/strong>, \u677e<\/strong>, \u6749<\/strong>, \u693f<\/strong>, \u6953<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, bamboo \u7af9<\/strong> does not<\/em> use the \u201ctree\u201d radical because botanically it isn\u2019t classified as a tree \u2014 a fun detail straight from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Write the \u201cTree\u201d Radical in Gyosho<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When writing the tree radical in gyosho<\/em>, there are two key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Jump the brush<\/strong>
    After finishing each stroke, you lift the brush decisively and \u201cjump\u201d to the next starting point.
    This creates a subtle hook at the end of the stroke and allows the viewer to imagine the invisible motion of the brush moving through the air. This flow is essential in gyosho<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Combine strokes smoothly<\/strong>
    The third and fourth strokes \u2014 the part I like to call the \u201croots\u201d \u2014 are written in one continuous motion, almost like drawing a check mark. You sweep downward to the left, then sharply lift upward.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Mastering this one component lets you write 62 different kanji<\/em> characters (32 learned in elementary school and 30 in junior high).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, try combining the tree radical with the character \u98a8<\/strong> (\u201cwind\u201d) to write \u6953<\/strong> \u2014 kaede<\/em>, the Japanese maple, perfect for this season.
    Wind moving through autumn leaves \u2014 if you keep that image in mind, your writing will become soft, lively, and truly beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Try Shodo<\/em> With Us<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you don\u2019t know any Japanese characters, don\u2019t worry.
    The owner \u2014 a nationally licensed interpreter-guide \u2014 will explain everything clearly in both English and Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Enjoy a peaceful moment of art in our traditional Japanese house, just four minutes by train from Shibuya.<\/p>\n\n\n