Calligraphy done with a brush and sumi ink―shodo―is a familiar part of Japanese life. Introduced from China around the eighth century, over the centuries shodo evolved in distinctively Japanese ways, becoming firmly rooted in the culture. Many people today aspire to improve their handwriting and take private shodo lessons as well.
Shodo involves not just improvement of technique, but the pursuit of beauty and understanding of the self. It is a pursuit with a long tradition that has won renewed attention today as a means of self-expression.