Column “Laughter Brings Fortune” — The Japanese Calligraphy Phrase a Young Master Gifted His First Graduating Students
A Classroom in March, Filled with the Scent of InkEvery March, the scent of fresh ink is enough to p...
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Column Why Sakura Still Moves the Japanese Heart
Origins, Folk Beliefs, a Memory of 1970, Hidden Cherry Blossom Spots, and the Spirit of Shodo Japane...
Column Graduation, Sakura, and Shodo Japanese Calligraphy: A Japanese View of Parting and New Beginnings
In Japan, graduation is not simply a school event.It marks the end of one stretch of time and the be...
Column White Day in Japan: Its Origins, 1970s Culture, and the Beauty of Shodo Japanese Calligraphy
White Day in Japan Did Not Begin in 1970, but 1970 Still MattersMany people who discover White Day i...
Column February 23: The Emperor’s Birthday — and the Japan of 1960, where Shodō (Japanese calligraphy) preserves a kind of quie
February 23 is the Emperor’s BirthdayIn Japan, February 23 is a national holiday celebrating His Maj...
Column Cat Day in Japan (Feb 22): A Single Character, a Lucky Cat, and the Quiet Power of Shodo Japanese Calligraphy
February 22 is widely known in Japan as Cat Day (Neko no Hi). The date “2-2-2” can be read as nyan-n...
Column When Did Valentine’s Day Start in Japan?
How Japan “Accepts—and Redesigns—Events (for Better and for Worse)” (Japanese culture / Japan and cu...
Column Oni (鬼) in Japanese Calligraphy: Why I Choose This Kanji
Why I stopped treating Oni as “just a villain”In Japan, Oni often appears as the one you drive away—...
Column Setsubun in Japanese Calligraphy: Turning “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” into a Seasonal Artwork
Why this phrase belongs on paper, not only in the air“Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” is loud when spoken...
Column Japanese Calligraphy and Toshikoshi Soba: A Quiet Year-End Ritual for Reset, Warmth, and a Clean Start
The last days of the year in Japan can feel like two worlds at once: outside, the city speeds up—lin...