How calligraphy transmitted in Japan? 201210912 shungo sato

How calligraphy transmitted in Japan? 201210912 shungo sato

Calligraphy was introduced with kanji from China. Chinese culture that Buddhism and “kanji” was introduced through Korean Peninsula. It is said that calligraphy was transmitted to the yayoi era. But initially, there was no culture of character in japan. Whether the paper was introduced to Japan we are not clear. It is also not clear how the paper was made. Prince Shotoku was Buddhist reverence and was erected the Horyuji.、transcribing a sutra became popular, and they require a lot of public paper. In this way, the calligraphy was rapidly developed during the Asuka period.

 Three famous ancient calligrapher : Emperor Saga and Tachibana (no) Hayanari and Kooboo Daishi (Kukai) has appeared around the 9th century. They are typical calligrapher of the Heian period. I want to introduce about Kukai. Kukai is known as the founder of Shingon sent of Buddhism later. Kukai was not only excellent a man of religion, but also excelled in Chinese poetry sentence. He has left various legends to future generations. For example, it is said that Kukai was written five lines at a time with hold the brush of five to the left and right hands and feet and mouth. In addition, the proverb about Kukai and calligraphy are left today. For example, “Kobo nimo hude no ayamari”,”Kobo hude wo erabazu” Kukai went to Sui China as a Japanese envoy to Sui Dynasty China. He learned a variety of literature and politics there, and brought back to Japan. In addition, Kukai incorporated the technipue that called “hihaku no sho” It was very popular in Chine at that time.

The characteristic in Japanese calligraphy is that combine “kanji” and “hiragana”. “Hiragana” was created in early Heian period. It is something that has been made extremely upset “kanji”. When the noble wrote Japanese poetry that was Japanese central culture, they paid attention to the image that has the “kanji”. Because Japanese poetry should not only understand meaning. Japanese has accessories such as auxiliary particle and particle. But Chinese has not these. Nobles gradually have come to use the same “kanji” in order to make it easier for everyone to read.  Because the same “kanji” writing many times, let’s destroy the shape simplified. In this way, “hiragana” and “katakana” were created.

Calligraphy of the Heian period had been carried out only between people of high society. But, in the Edo period, calligraphy was spread to the common people. Because the institution for common people that called “terakoya” was established in various places. The children had learned reading the letter, writing a letter, and arithmetic,and so on. In this way, calligraphy began to spread in Japan.