The Art of Shodō: Traditional Japanese Calligraphy

Japanese Calligraphy (書道), or Shodō (way of writing), is a writing art form that dates back to the 6th century. A craft requiring skill and patience, artists use a brush dipped with ink to express ancient forms of communication with Kanji symbols and characters.

The art form first originated in China. At the time, Japan did not have a written expression of language. Japanese people began to adopt a style through Chinese characters and symbols, thus introducing Japanese calligraphy.