Finding Inner Peace through Calligraphy Experience

On May 30, June 4, and June 6, Calligraphy experiences were conducted as a part of HUBs activities. ESOP students were able to flexibly participate by selecting the desired time zone. Students of South Korea-where I came from-don’t have many opportunities to experience calligraphy these days. So as I came to Japan as an exchange student right now, I applied for this activity to experience writing letters with ink and brush as a Japanese culture. It’s amazing that a lot of Japanese students usually learn calligraphy when they are young.

 Those Hubs who guided me on the day were very friendly, and all of them had wonderful skills in calligraphy. I was able to learn how to hold the brush, manage ink, and execute different types of strokes—horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and dotted—while writing letters. The technique for holding the brush varied depending on the direction of the stroke.

 Before I went to the calligraphy experience, I thought it was just a simple work of writing letters, but when I drew lines with a brush on paper, I had to focus on each stroke carefully and not to be disturbed. In addition, the aesthetics of Japanese calligraphy were to draw lines and finish them slowly. If you didn’t work hard, the brush would shake, and the line became uneven. I wrote my name and the letters of Hosei University. I could also write the letters on the paper fan and take it. After spending a long time writing the letters, I was able to experience calmness and disappearing from distracting thoughts. For friends who haven’t yet tried calligraphy or future ESOP students, I highly recommend participating this calligraphy experience if you get the opportunity.