Japanese calligraphy

Japanese calligraphy (書道, shodō^?) is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. For a long time, the most esteemed calligrapher in Japan had been Wang Xizhi, a Chinese calligrapher in the 4th century, but after the invention of Hiragana and Katakana, the Japanese unique syllabaries, the distinctive Japanese writing system developed and calligraphers produced styles intrinsic to Japan. The term shodō (書道) is likely derived from Chinese origin as it is widely used to describe the art of Chinese calligraphy during the Chinese Tang dynasty period.

Early Japanese calligraphy was originated from Chinese calligraphy and many of its principles and techniques are very similar and recognizes the same basic writing styles:

In modern calligraphy, a number of tools are used to make a composition.

During preparation, water is poured into the inkstone and the inkstick is ground against it, mixing the water with the dried ink to liquefy it. As this is a time-consuming process, modern-day calligraphy provides liquid ink in a bottle called Bokuju (墨汁, bokujū^?) and is frequently used by beginners. More advanced students are encouraged to grind their own ink.　Paper is usually placed on a desk, while a large paper may be placed on the floor, or even on the ground (often as a performance).

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