The warriors and rich merchants who were retired gave rise to a class of the populace called the "literati" or bunjin (bun=literature; jin=person). This class was well versed in reading and

“In order to appreciate the work, one’s heart must be pure and receptive and then this ancient calligraphy will speak to you.”

meaning. A major distinction between the kanji writing system and an alphabet-based writing system is that a single ideogram of kanji is a “word” carrying a specific meaning.

an essential step in the preparation for a tea ceremony is looking at a work of shodo to clear one’s mind.

However, in order to work in the sosho style, it is necessary to first master the order of the strokes in both the kaisho and gyosho styles. Without a firm knowledge of these requirements, the purpose and effect of the highly simplified sosho lines will not be executed by the calligrapher, and the all-important visual improvisation in personal expr

katakana is reserved solely for writing foreign words.

(see the Appendix for info on the 2009 edition, the “Shin Shogen”),

change in the order of strokes is acceptable, as is adjusting brush strokes to suit one’s own style, and for artistic creativity. This flexibility in gyosho allows the shodo artist the opportunity to produce remarkable works. For this reason also, most Japanese calligraphy is done in gyosho, including bokuseki writings by Zen priests.

respected Tanchiu Koji Terayama, director of Hitsu Zendo. The English translation of his book’s title is Zen and the Art of Calligraphy (transl. by John Stevens; Penguin Group, 1983).