Welcome to YOU-SHO!
Overview
Japanese Calligraphy is formative art using characters and letters. It's originally China, then it was introduced into Japan. In Japan, we use Chinese character "Kanji" and Japanese original letter "Hiragana" and "Katakana".
Kanji
Each of Kanji has their meaning. For instance...
means [Tree]
means [Woods]
means [Forest]"
" represent "a tree". From these Kanji, you can imagine a picture the number of trees has been increasing gradually.
Now, there are few thousands of kanji, but you can read Japanese books if you know 1945 kanji designated for everyday use decided by MEXT(Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).
In Japanese elementary school, students must learn 1006 kanji during 6 years.
Kanji has three ways of writing.
"Kaisho", "Gyosho" and "Sosho".
Hiragana
Hiragana appeared in the Heian period (A.D.794-1185), and it's the more simplified letter than Sosho. See the above.
In Court of the Heian period, women mostly used Hiragana and men used Kanji by customs.
| 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 (muddy 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 (half muddy 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 is represented by a part of Kanji. For example, this Kanji means "Add". In this case, we use left part of Kanji.
We use Katakana mainly for expressing the word came from foreign country such as tobacco from 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 | |||||||
Development of Hiragana and Katakana enables us to express emotion or sense lively peculiar to Japanese. Tanka poetry is the typical way of expression.
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| This poem expresses the poet's feelings. He imagined the view from his inward. |
Gendai - sho
Most of the people of today can't read what is written in classical Japanese Calligraphy. Gendai - Sho is modernized way of Japanese Calligraphy to read and enjoy for everyone.
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| I'm happy with the way I am. | Just the way as you are. |
It has pictorial element which please our eyes, so you can enjoy it visually.
Hope you enjoy Japanese Calligraphy "Shodo" not only traditional Japanese art but modern art!!



