As a new year begins, the minds of aspiring calligraphers throughout Japan turn to their inks and brushes, and to the tradition of choosing an auspicious kanji to paint for their kakizome, or “first writing”.
The artisans who make calligraphy brushes have spent the preceeding year selecting the best hairs from goats, horses and other animals, and crafting them into brushes of various sizes and widths, some soft and some hard.
The different characteristics of these brushes become apparent when the freshly ground and mixed black ink is applied to paper. Whether the brush, or fude, is used for a kanji drawn hesitantly by a schoolchild’s hand as year-end homework, or swept masterfully across the paper by an esteemed calligrapher, it will once again give life to art.