Welcome to YOU-SHO!
Overview
Japanese calligraphy is formative utilizing characters and letters, which originated in China then subsequently introduced into Japan. The Japanese languages incorporates "Kanji", Chinese ideograms, and "hiragana" and "katakana", both unique to Japan.
Kanji
Each Kanji has its own meaning. For example,
[tree]
[grove/woods]
[forest]As "" represent "tree," one can imagine the number of trees gradually increasing.
There are several thousand Kanji, but most Japanese books can be read by only knowing the 1945 Joyo Kanji designated by the government.
Japanese students learn 1006 kanji throughout the 6 years of elementary school.
There are three methods of writing Kanji: "Kaisho," "Gyosho," and "Sosho."
Kaisho is the basic form. Both Gyoshi and Sosho are simplified version of Kaisho. Observe the change in style of the Kanji below. The character means "heavan" or "universe."
Hiragana
Hiragana first appeared in the Heian period (794-1184 CE), and is a much more simplified version than Sosho. See above.
Hiragana was almost exclusively used by the women in the courts of the Heian period, while men only used Kanji.
| basic hiragana | yo-on (contracted sound) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ a | い i | う u | え e | お o | (ya) | (yu) | (yo) |
| か ka | き ki | く ku | け ke | こ ko | きゃ kya | きゅ kyu | きょ kyo |
| さ sa | し shi | す su | せ se | そ so | しゃ sha | しゅ shu | しょ sho |
| た ta | ち chi | つ tsu | て te | と to | ちゃ cha | ちゅ chu | ちょ cho |
| な na | に ni | ぬ nu | ね ne | の no | にゃ nya | にゅ nyu | にょ nyo |
| は ha | ひ hi | ふ fu | へ he | ほ ho | ひゃ hya | ひゅ hyu | ひょ hyo |
| ま ma | み mi | む mu | め me | も mo | みゃ mya | みゅ myu | みょ myo |
| や ya | ゆ yu | よ yo | |||||
| ら ra | り ri | る ru | れ re | ろ ro | りゃ rya | りゅ ryu | りょ ryo |
| わ wa | ゐ wi | ゑ we | を wo | ||||
| ん n | |||||||
| daku-on (voiced sound) | |||||||
| が ga | ぎ gi | ぐ gu | げ ge | ご go | ぎゃ gya | ぎゅ gyu | ぎょ gyo |
| ざ za | じ ji | ず zu | ぜ ze | ぞ zo | じゃ ja | じゅ ju | じょ jo |
| だ da | ぢ di | づ du | で de | ど do | ぢゃ dya | ぢゅ dyu | ぢょ dyo |
| ば ba | び bi | ぶ bu | べ be | ぼ bo | びゃ bya | びゅ byu | びょ byo |
| han-daku-on (semi-voiced sound) | |||||||
| ぱ pa | ぴ pi | ぷ pu | ぺ pe | ぽ po | ぴゃ pya | ぴゅ pyu | ぴょ pyo |
| soku-on (double consonant) | |||||||
| っ | |||||||
Katakana
Katakana represents a fragment of a Kanji character. For example, this character means "add." In this case, the left portion of the Kanji is used.
Katakana is mainly used to express foreign loan words, such as tobacco, which came to Japan via Portugal.
| basic katakana | yo-on (contracted sound) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ア a | イ i | ウ u | エ e | オ o | (ya) | (yu) | (yo) |
| カ ka | キ ki | ク ku | ケ ke | コ ko | キャ kya | キュ kyu | キョ kyo |
| サ sa | シ shi | ス su | セ se | ソ so | シャ sha | シュ shu | ショ sho |
| タ ta | チ chi | ツ tsu | テ te | ト to | チャ cha | チュ chu | チョ cho |
| ナ na | ニ ni | ヌ nu | ネ ne | ノ no | ニャ nya | ニュ nyu | ニョ nyo |
| ハ ha | ヒ hi | フ fu | ヘ he | ホ ho | ヒャ hya | ヒュ hyu | ヒョ hyo |
| マ ma | ミ mi | ム mu | メ me | モ mo | ミャ mya | ミュ myu | ミョ myo |
| ヤ ya | ユ yu | ヨ yo | |||||
| ラ ra | リ ri | ル ru | レ re | ロ ro | リャ rya | リュ ryu | リョ ryo |
| ワ wa | ヲ wo | ||||||
| ン n | |||||||
| daku-on (muddy sound) | |||||||
| ガ ga | ギ gi | グ gu | ゲ ge | ゴ go | ギャ gya | ギュ gyu | ギョ gyo |
| ザ za | ジ ji | ズ zu | ゼ ze | ゾ zo | ジャ ja | ジュ ju | ジョ jo |
| ダ da | ヂ di | ヅ du | デ de | ド do | ヂャ dya | ヂュ dyu | ヂョ dyo |
| バ ba | ビ bi | ブ bu | ベ be | ボ bo | ビャ bya | ビュ byu | ビョ byo |
| han-daku-on (half muddy sound) | |||||||
| パ pa | ピ pi | プ pu | ペ pe | ポ po | ピャ pya | ピュ pyu | ピョ pyo |
| soku-on (double consonant) | |||||||
| ッ | |||||||
The development of hiragana and katakana allows the speaker to express emotions or sensations specific to Japanese. Tanka poetry is exemplary of this form of expression.
 |
| This poem expresses the intrinsic emotions of the poet. |
Gendai - sho
Most people today cannot read classical Japanese calligraphy. Gendai-sho is a modernized form of Japanese calligraphy that can be read and enjoyed by everyone.
 |  |
| I'm happy with the way I am. | Just the way as you are. |
It has a visually enjoyable pictorial element that is pleasing to the eye.
Enjoy Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) as both traditional and modern art!
