- Japanese calligraphy
nihongo|Japanese calligraphy|書道|shodō is a form of
calligraphy , or artisticwriting , used for writing theJapanese language . The art's history has been heavily influenced byChinese calligraphy . For a long time, the most esteemed calligrapher inJapan had beenWang Xizhi , a Chinese calligrapher in the 4th century. After the invention ofHiragana andKatakana , the Japanese unique syllabaries, calligraphers developed styles intrinsic to Japan.Before the Nara period
The oldest existing calligraphic text in Japan is the inscription on the halo of the
Bhaisajyaguru statue inHōryū-ji Temple. This Chinese text was written in "Shakeitai" ( _ja. 写経体) style, famed inSix Dynasties . There are also bibliographic notes for theLotus Sutra in the same temple. This "Hokke Gisho" is said to have been written byPrince Shōtoku in615 , but some scholars criticize this assertion. Hokkegisho was written in Cursive script and is a good example that illustrates the high degree of skill necessary to copy original Chinese texts in theAsuka period .The oldest hand-copied sutra in Japan is the
Kongō Jōdaranikyō . Copied by the priest Hōrin in686 , the calligraphy style shows influence fromOuyang Xun ."Broken Stone in Uji Bridge" ( _ja. 宇治橋断碑) and "Stone in Nasu County" ( _ja. 那須国造碑) are also typical examples from this time. Both inscriptions were influenced by
Northern Wei robust style.In the 7th century, the
Tang Dynasty established hegemony in China. Their second Emperor Taizong esteemedWang Xizhi 's calligraphic texts and this popularity influenced Japanese calligraphers. All of the original texts written by Wang Xizhi were lost, and some copies such as "Gakkiron" written by theEmpress Komyo are regarded as important sources to know Wang Xizhi's style."Soukou Shujitsu" is the first text which shows the unique Japanese calligraphic style. This Tanka text was written in 749 and shows some differences from Chinese calligraphy.
Heian period
Emperor Kammu moved the capital fromHeijō-kyō in Nara, first toNagaoka-kyō in784 , and then toHeian-kyō , Kyoto in794 . This marks the beginning of theHeian era . Chinese influences in calligraphy were not changed in the early period. For example, under theEmperor Saga 's reign, royalty, the aristocracy and even court ladies studied copyingChinese poetry texts in artistic style.Wang Xizhi's influences remained dominant, which are shown in calligraphies written by
Kukai orSaichō . Some other Chinese calligraphers, such asOuyang Xun andYan Zhenqing were also highly evaluated. Most notable admirers for each one wereEmperor Saga andTachibana no Hayanari .At the same time Japan's unique calligraphic style was emerging. Kukai said to Emperor Saga, “China is a large country and Japan is relatively small, so I suggest writing in a different way.” "Cry for noble Saichō" ( _ja. 哭最澄上人), which was written by Emperor Saga for
Saichō 's death, was one of the examples of such a transformation.Kamakura and Muromachi period
Edo period
Today
Calligraphy has been adopted as an
elementary school subject in the Japanesemandatory education system. In high school, calligraphy is one of the choices among art subjects, with music or painting. Some universities, such asUniversity of Tsukuba ,Tokyo Gakugei University andFukuoka Kyoiku University , have special departments of calligraphic study which emphasize teacher-training programs in calligraphy.Japanese calligraphy has also fascinated many Western artists through the centuries — mainly calligraphers themselves, but famous artists as well, who studied and practiced calligraphy as a parallel to their own art (see also
list of prominent calligraphers ).See also
*
East Asian calligraphy
*list of prominent calligraphers References
*"History of Japanese calligraphy" ( _ja. 和様書道史), Hachiro ONOUE ( _ja. 尾上八郎), 1934
External links
[http://www.shodo-journal.com/ Shodo Journal Research Institute]
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