Kakizome
Encyclopedia
Kakizome is a Japanese term for the first calligraphy
written at the beginning of a year, traditionally on January 2. Other terms include 吉書（kissho）, 試筆（shihitsu）and 初硯（hatsusuzuri）.
Traditionally, kakizome was performed using ink rubbed with the first water drawn from the well on New Year's Day. Seated facing a favourable direction, people would write Chinese poetry containing auspicious words and phrases such as long life, spring, or perennial youth. These poems were then often burned.
In modern times, people often write out auspicious kanji
rather than poems. School pupils up to senior high school are assigned kakizome as their winter holiday homework.
Each year on January 5, several thousand calligraphers gather at the Nippon Budokan
in Tokyo
's Chiyoda
-ku for a kakizome event that is widely covered by media.
The kakizome paper is usually burned on 14 January in the Sagicho festival. If the burning paper flies high, it is said that the person will be able to write a more fair hand.
Shodo
"Shōdō" is the fortieth single by B'z, released on January 25, 2006. This song is one of B'z many number-one singles in Oricon charts. This song was the opening theme of Case Closed.- External links :*...
written at the beginning of a year, traditionally on January 2. Other terms include 吉書（kissho）, 試筆（shihitsu）and 初硯（hatsusuzuri）.
Traditionally, kakizome was performed using ink rubbed with the first water drawn from the well on New Year's Day. Seated facing a favourable direction, people would write Chinese poetry containing auspicious words and phrases such as long life, spring, or perennial youth. These poems were then often burned.
In modern times, people often write out auspicious kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
rather than poems. School pupils up to senior high school are assigned kakizome as their winter holiday homework.
Each year on January 5, several thousand calligraphers gather at the Nippon Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Chiyoda
Chiyoda, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...
-ku for a kakizome event that is widely covered by media.
The kakizome paper is usually burned on 14 January in the Sagicho festival. If the burning paper flies high, it is said that the person will be able to write a more fair hand.
External links
- some examples of children's kakizome
- Washi: Japanese Papermaking Workshop - Teacher's Guide des Robert C. Williams Museum (Georgia Tech), p. 22
- Kakizome contest in Tokyo - news notice on ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
- The Newsletter of the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix - Issue January/February 2009