Performance Calligraphy!

I have been wanting to post about this for a while, there is this great movement to do group calligraphy, set to music, and it's like a mad dance really.

Groups of students clad in traditional hakama from different high schools even compete, in the annual Shodo Performance Koshien...

This is hard work and takes serious practice. It all seems to have started at a high school in Ehime, Shikoku, in Shikokuchuo, a town that specializes in making calligraphy paper.

The movie, Shodo Girls even made it to Cannes in 2010.

Saitama students from Matsuyama (first video below) are known to spend hours perfecting their cool routine.

Monday is Coming-of-age holiday, so here is a big cheers to all the youngsters in Japan!

Enjoy the videos.






Comments

Johntaro said…
I was watching a TV program in Japan and caught Tomomi Kunishige (www.eekanji.jp), a calligrapher they say is revolutionizing the medium with what she has dubbed "Eekanji," a fusion of English and Kanji. Then I saw this post - it was like kismet! I did enjoy the videos and will definitely put Shodo Girls on my "must see" list.
12:03 pm, January 10, 2015
Unknown said…
All these girls to appear to be, ahem, of good character...
1:11 am, January 11, 2015
Unknown said…
Jeesh, forget that first 'to' onegai!
1:11 am, January 11, 2015
Martin J Frid said…
JT, thanks, interesting fusion there. Much more on Youtube if you search for Shodo Performance.

Tom, yeah, these girls have the write stuff...
9:14 pm, January 11, 2015
Unknown said…
Chuckle and chortle. :oD

I once tried to compliment on their efforts but they just brushed me off. I had an 'ink'ling they would do so...
12:39 am, January 12, 2015
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