How Japanese calligraphy developed from Chinese calligraphy, what the two still share, and where they differ: kana, the wayo style, and the characters used today.
- Japanese calligraphy grew directly from Chinese calligraphy and shares its tools and script styles.
- The biggest difference is kana: Japanese calligraphy also writes hiragana and katakana, which have no counterpart in Chinese.
- A native Japanese style, wayo, developed in the Heian period alongside Chinese-influenced writing.
- Today the character forms can differ: mainland China uses simplified characters, while Japan has its own set of standard forms.
Next Step
Try Japanese calligraphy in Tokyo
Compare the beginner and private classes, held at Shitaya Jinja Kaikan near Ueno and Asakusa.
Shared roots
Chinese characters and the Chinese calligraphic tradition are generally said to have been introduced to Japan around AD 600. Early Japanese calligraphy followed Chinese models closely, and much of it was the hand-copying of Buddhist sutras.
Much is still shared. Both traditions use a soft brush, ink ground or poured onto an inkstone, and paper. Both recognize the same five script styles: seal (tensho), clerical (reisho), regular (kaisho), semi-cursive (gyosho), and cursive (sosho).
The three brushes: learning from Tang China
In the early Heian period, three calligraphers became known as the Sanpitsu, or Three Brushes: the monk Kukai, Emperor Saga, and Tachibana no Hayanari. They wrote in a style shaped by Tang dynasty China, where Kukai and Tachibana no Hayanari had travelled.
Kukai is said to have suggested to Emperor Saga that Japan should write in its own way rather than only copy China. Whatever the exact words, the following generations did move in that direction.
Kana and the wayo style
The clearest difference is kana. Hiragana and katakana developed in Japan from kanji used for their sound, and they made styles of calligraphy possible that do not exist in Chinese. Kana calligraphy tends to be lighter, more vertical, and more varied in the thickness and speed of its lines.
During the Heian period a native Japanese style called wayo developed, distinct from karayo, the Chinese-derived style. Three mid-Heian calligraphers, Ono no Michikaze, Fujiwara no Sukemasa, and Fujiwara no Yukinari, became known as the Sanseki, or Three Traces. Ono no Michikaze is considered the founder of the wayo style.
- Sanpitsu (early Heian): Kukai, Emperor Saga, Tachibana no Hayanari
- Sanseki (mid-Heian): Ono no Michikaze, Fujiwara no Sukemasa, Fujiwara no Yukinari
- Wayo: the native Japanese style; karayo: the Chinese-derived style
Differences you can see today
A Japanese calligraphy work may mix kanji and kana on the same sheet, which a Chinese work does not. Japanese poems are often written largely in kana.
The characters themselves can also differ. Mainland China adopted simplified characters from 1956 onward, while Taiwan and Hong Kong continue to use traditional forms. Japan uses its own standard forms, so the same word can look slightly different in each place. Stroke order for some characters also differs between Japanese and Chinese standards.
Experiencing the Japanese side
If you have tried Chinese calligraphy, a Japanese class will feel familiar in its tools and posture. The new parts are kana and the Japanese approach to certain characters and styles.
At Shitaya Jinja Kaikan, the 60-minute beginner class covers brush practice and a final piece to take home, with guidance in English. You can write a kanji, a word in hiragana, or your name, and the teacher helps choose kanji for names.