Shodo - the Way of Writing - is one of Japan's traditional art forms. It's an artistic expression of kanji and kana letters through fude (Japanese calligraphy brushes) and sumi ink. The expression of calligraphers'inner truth in the shape of letters, each of which is a product of extreme spiritual concentration, is the main objective of shodo. Each letter is judged by several aesthetic factors such as boldness and softness, thickness of lines, flow of strokes, dark-light contrast, amount of sumi applied and the overall balance. What the letter means is also an important factor to be considered. Shodo-ka, a calligrapher, is an artist who reveals kotodama, the spirit of language, using a fude and sumi.

Classic-style poems and prose written in kanji through five distinctive shodo styles - Ten, Rei, Kai, Gyou, and Sou. Each style has a different aesthetic idea and calligraphic methodology. Today’s Kanji Shodo blends tradition with modern expressions.

Invented specifically to write Japanese, Kana is used for Waka (a 31-syllable Japanese poem) and Haiku (a 17-syllable Japanese poem). It is important that one studies Kohitsu (ancient calligraphy using mainly Kana) in order to learn the basics of Kana.

Artistic inscription of letters, mainly Kobun and Tensho, on Inzai (raw material for seals such as wood). Unlike conventional Sho, which uses a Fude, Tenkokusho features a three-dimensional appearance. Often colored and closely related to crafts, sculpture and other art forms, Tenkokusho is receiving a great deal of public attention in recent years in Japan as a new Shodo style.

Also called the "Toyo-No-Hana" (The Flower of the Orient), Kokujisho is made by inscribing the ancient Chinese characters (Tensho) on Inzai, such as stones and rocks. When pressed against a sheet of white paper using the vermilion-colored ink, letters offer a beautiful contrast. Kokujisho incorporates tradition and modernism within a minuscule paper surface area to create a new form of Shodo.

Daijisho, literally means the "big letter Shodo," consists of one or two large letters. With highly disciplined strokes combined with creative innovations (the color of sumi-ink, etc.), Daijisho has become the latest of the modern Shodo styles.

Sho is an expression of artist's inner feelings towards certain letters, words and sentences. A meaningless enumeration of fancy lingo would be considered just writing, not Sho. While creative sensitivity is the most important factor that enables artist to successfully express him/herself, the ability to recognize and understand distinctive features and characteristics of each type of brush, paper and Sumi, as well as to use them is just as important. The lack of such ability would make it difficult for an artist to fully utilize his/her creative sensitivity.

Every calligrapher desires to accurately express his/her images, broaden his/her range of artistic expression, and create Sho that distinguishes him/herself from others. It is these desires that make artists pay a great deal of attention to brushes, paper and Sumi that they use. Brushes are considered particularly important since they most drastically affect the quality of Sho.

Rinsho (free-hand reproduction of a script) offers calligraphers the firsthand experience of highly advanced sho techniques that they may not yet possess. At the same time, it keeps them honest and humble. It also helps to lift the spirits of calligraphers and lead them to the higher level of spiritual enlightenment.
Rinsho's primary purpose is to cultivate one's skill as well as character as a calligrapher. It is not meant for showing off. One must stay humble and open-minded instead of being bound by conventional ideas and techniques that, in some cases, need to be simply thrown out of the window.

It is reasonable to say that printing type compares to the modern architecture while written script compares to the traditional architecture.
Many of the modern Western structures are lacking eaves (even if they had one, it is usually very small). On the other hand, most Oriental structures such as temples come with magnificent eaves that combine practicality and a sense of beauty.

Unlike printing type, the time-tested written script, like traditional architecture, has "eaves" evolved from Oriental aesthetics. That explains the reason why Shodo has come to be considered as an art form. One of the things that Oriental aesthetics considers essential is the airiness, which translates into pleasant living. Scripts by both Chou Wen-Chai (1186-1266), a Chinese master calligrapher, and Ryokan (1758-1831), a famous Japanese Buddhist priest/poet, show remarkable "airiness." Their style has refreshingly pleasant feel to it.
"Eaves" and "airiness" make beautiful calligraphy. At the same time, they, like mental relaxation and compassion, hold the key to a happy life.

We study classic script to learn techniques. What's more important, however, is to feel the calligrapher's inmost feelings. One must not just pay attention to the technical aspect of Shodo but also to realize what went on inside the mind of a calligrapher. Because Rinsho only nurtures one's ability to "copy" but not to read "between the lines," it's not as meritorious to aspiring calligraphers as generally believed. To learn new ideas and techniques, etc., one must recognize the importance of airiness, namely to keep an open mind.