Shodo

Shodo is one of the most popular art of Japan which has been studied for more than 3000 years. Calligraphy is not just a good writing exercise, but rather the beginning of an oriental art form. Calligraphy is a combination of skill and imagination of someone who has studied extensively the use of combinations and lines.

No casual in Japanese calligraphy. Earlier, direction, shape, line endings, and the balance between the essential elements for each line and point, even empty space can give testimony about many things. Who need to remember that, the characters are written in a calligraphic work of art should only be in one-time write graffiti. There should be no repetition, addition or finishing in a work of art of calligraphy.

Shodo History

History of Japanese Calligraphy which is originated from China and creation of Chinese writing system itself approximately 4,500 years ago. Calligraphy has developed a long time when taken to Japan at around the 6th century simultaneously with the beginning of the system to write Chinese / kanji entry into Japan. In the Heian period, Japanese people have started to show a quite remarkable achievement in a new art form "Three Great Brushes" (or sanpitsu) by Kuukai Buddhist monks, the Emperor and the imperial officers Tachibana No Hayanari have reached the apotheosis of calligraphy styles that became popular of the Chinese master T'an, Yan Zhenqing.

There are five basic scripts in Chinese calligraphy has appeared before the end of the 4th century, namely: Tensho (seal style), reisho (clerical style), kaisho (block style), gyosho (semi-cursive style), sosho (cursive style you want, or " grass writing "). In addition, the Japanese have developed the kana characters since the 8th century, Three types of kana that has been developed that is, manyogana, hiragana and katakana.

Ø     Manyogana is certain Chinese characters (kanji) used in Phonetics to symbolize Japanese Syllable, and was named after a poetry collection Manyoshu in the 8th century. At the time of compiling this collection, the Japanese do not have their own writing system. Some Japanese poem written in Chinese characters in use in phonetic. Therefore, with a drastic simplification, there is the hiragana and katakana. And in the hands of the Japanese royal women, hiragana developed into a beautiful script that became the style typical of Japanese calligraphy.

 Ø    Hiragana is a Japanese way of writing that represents as syillables. In the past, Hiragana is also known as onna de or 'writing woman' as commonly used by women. The men in those days to write using the write Kanji and Katakana. Hiragana began tobe used widely in the century 10 Masehi.

      Usefulness Hiragana:
1. Write Furigana, also known as ruby, which is a small text on top of kanji, which indicates how a words read
2. Write word endings (okirugana). Example: okuru (send) written: 送る. That's a bold okirugana.
3. Writes adverb, some nouns and adjectives.
4. Writes children's books such as textbooks, animations and comics.
5. Sayings of Kanji writing was not known or had not been used.
Here is a table that displays a list of letters (letters in red color is not used):

Huruf Hidup					yōon
あ a	い i	う u	え e	お o	(ya)	(yu)	(yo)
か ka	き ki	く ku	け ke	こ ko	きゃ kya	きゅ kyu	きょ kyo
さ sa	し shi	す su	せ se	そ so	しゃ sha	しゅ shu	しょ sho
た ta	ち chi	つ tsu	て te	と to	ちゃ cha	ちゅ chu	ちょ cho
な na	に ni	ぬ nu	ね ne	の no	にゃ nya	にゅ nyu	にょ nyo
は ha	ひ hi	ふ fu	へ he	ほ ho	ひゃ hya	ひゅ hyu	ひょ hyo
ま ma	み mi	む mu	め me	も mo	みゃ mya	みゅ myu	みょ myo
や ya		ゆ yu		よ yo
ら ra	り ri	る ru	れ re	ろ ro	りゃ rya	りゅ ryu	りょ ryo
わ wa	ゐ wi		ゑ we	を wo
				ん n
が ga	ぎ gi	ぐ gu	げ ge	ご go	ぎゃ gya	ぎゅ gyu	ぎょ gyo
ざ za	じ ji	ず zu	ぜ ze	ぞ zo	じゃ ja	じゅ ju	ょ jo
だ da	ぢ (ji)	づ (zu)	で de	ど do	ぢゃ (ja)	ぢゅ (ju)	ぢょ (jo)
ば ba	び bi	ぶ bu	べ be	ぼ bo	びゃ bya	びゅ byu	びょ byo
ぱ pa	ぴ pi	ぷ pu	ぺ pe	ぽ po	ぴゃ pya	ぴゅ pyu	ぴょ pyo

Ø Katakana is one of three ways of writing Japanese. Katakana is usually used to write the words that come from foreign languages ​​that have been absorbed inti the Japanese language but it is also used to write onomatope and words of native Japanese who are confirmation only.
      Here is a table that displays a list of letters (letters in red color is not used):

ア a	イ i	ウ u	エ e	オ o
カ ka	キ ki	ク ku	ケ ke	コ ko	キャ kya	キュ kyu	キョ kyo
サ sa	シ shi	ス su	セ se	ソ so	シャ sha	シュ shu	ショ sho
タ ta	チ chi	ツ tsu	テ te	ト to	チャ cha	チュ chu	チョ cho
ナ na	ニ ni	ヌ nu	ネ ne	ノ no	ニャ nya	ニュ nyu	ニョ nyo
ハ ha	ヒ hi	フ fu	ヘ he	ホ ho	ヒャ hya	ヒュ hyu	ヒョ hyo
マ ma	ミ mi	ム mu	メ me	モ mo	ミャ mya	ミュ myu	ミョ myo
ヤ ya		ユ yu		ヨ yo
ラ ra	リ ri	ル ru	レ re	ロ ro	リャ rya	リュ ryu	リョ ryo
ワ wa	ヰ wi		ヱ we	ヲ wo
				ン n
ガ ga	ギ gi	グ gu	ゲ ge	ゴ go	ギャ gya	ギュ gyu	ギョ gyo
ザ za	ジ ji	ズ zu	ゼ ze	ゾ zo	ジャ ja	ジュ ju	ジョ jo
ダ da	ヂ ji	ヅ zu	デ de	ド do
バ ba	ビ bi	ブ bu	ベ be	ボ bo	ビャ bya	ビュ byu	ビョ byo
パ pa	ピ pi	プ pu	ペ pe	ポ po	ピャ pya	ピュ pyu	ピョ pyo