Shodoby Morita GroupJapanese Education Company · Since 1976 Notify me

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Free Japanese calligraphy practice sheets

81 words to print and practice, from love to , fall seven times, rise eight. Each one comes with a model sheet, a tracing sheet, its meaning in English and tips on how to write it.

  1. PrintUS Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model, page 2 the tracing sheet.
  2. TraceFollow the outlines with a brush pen, or with brush and ink.
  3. CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke.

Heart & character 31 sheets

愛 (Love), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLove · ai夢 (Dream), Japanese calligraphy model sheetDream · yume友 (Friend), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFriend · tomo志 (Aspiration), Japanese calligraphy model sheetAspiration · kokorozashi+ Semi-cursive希望 (Hope), Japanese calligraphy model sheetHope · kibō平和 (Peace), Japanese calligraphy model sheetPeace · heiwa勇気 (Courage), Japanese calligraphy model sheetCourage · yūki感謝 (Gratitude), Japanese calligraphy model sheetGratitude · kansha笑顔 (Smile), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSmile · egao友情 (Friendship), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFriendship · yūjō元気 (Energy), Japanese calligraphy model sheetEnergy · genki努力 (Effort), Japanese calligraphy model sheetEffort · doryoku挑戦 (Challenge), Japanese calligraphy model sheetChallenge · chōsen未来 (Future), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFuture · mirai成長 (Growth), Japanese calligraphy model sheetGrowth · seichō健康 (Health), Japanese calligraphy model sheetHealth · kenkō創造 (Creation), Japanese calligraphy model sheetCreation · sōzō前進 (Moving Forward), Japanese calligraphy model sheetMoving Forward · zenshin理想 (Ideal), Japanese calligraphy model sheetIdeal · risō真心 (Sincerity), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSincerity · magokoro幸せ (Happiness), Japanese calligraphy model sheetHappiness · shiawase感動 (Being Deeply Moved), Japanese calligraphy model sheetBeing Deeply Moved · kandō+ Semi-cursive純粋 (Purity), Japanese calligraphy model sheetPurity · junsui+ Semi-cursive克己 (Self-Discipline), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSelf-Discipline · kokki全力 (All-Out Effort), Japanese calligraphy model sheetAll-Out Effort · zenryoku出発 (Setting Out), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSetting Out · shuppatsu思いやり (Compassion), Japanese calligraphy model sheetCompassion · omoiyariきずな (Bonds), Japanese calligraphy model sheetBonds · kizuna生命 (Life), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLife · seimei友達 (Friends), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFriends · tomodachi深呼吸 (Deep Breath), Japanese calligraphy model sheetDeep Breath · shinkokyūSemi-cursive

Nature & seasons 20 sheets

自然 (Nature), Japanese calligraphy model sheetNature · shizen大空 (The Open Sky), Japanese calligraphy model sheetThe Open Sky · ōzora青空 (Blue Sky), Japanese calligraphy model sheetBlue Sky · aozora白雲 (White Clouds), Japanese calligraphy model sheetWhite Clouds · hakuun日光 (Sunlight), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSunlight · nikkō花火 (Fireworks), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFireworks · hanabi春風 (Spring Breeze), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSpring Breeze · harukaze若草 (Young Grass), Japanese calligraphy model sheetYoung Grass · wakakusaさくら (Cherry Blossoms), Japanese calligraphy model sheetCherry Blossoms · sakuraうめ (Plum Blossoms), Japanese calligraphy model sheetPlum Blossoms · umeにじ (Rainbow), Japanese calligraphy model sheetRainbow · nijiひかり (Light), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLight · hikariつる (Crane), Japanese calligraphy model sheetCrane · tsuruハト (Dove), Japanese calligraphy model sheetDove · hatoふじ山 (Mount Fuji), Japanese calligraphy model sheetMount Fuji · Fujisanながれ星 (Shooting Star), Japanese calligraphy model sheetShooting Star · nagareboshi満天の星 (A Sky Full of Stars), Japanese calligraphy model sheetA Sky Full of Stars · manten no hoshi早春 (Early Spring), Japanese calligraphy model sheetEarly Spring · sōshunSemi-cursive寒椿 (Winter Camellia), Japanese calligraphy model sheetWinter Camellia · kantsubaki+ Semi-cursive霜月 (Frost Month), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFrost Month · shimotsuki

New Year 8 sheets

正月 (New Year), Japanese calligraphy model sheetNew Year · shōgatsu初日の出 (First Sunrise of the Year), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFirst Sunrise of the Year · hatsuhinode+ Semi-cursive初日 (The First Sun), Japanese calligraphy model sheetThe First Sun · hatsuhi新春 (New Spring), Japanese calligraphy model sheetNew Spring · shinshun初春 (Early Spring of the New Year), Japanese calligraphy model sheetEarly Spring of the New Year · shoshun新しい年 (A New Year), Japanese calligraphy model sheetA New Year · atarashii toshiおせち (New Year Feast), Japanese calligraphy model sheetNew Year Feast · osechiもちつき (Rice Cake Pounding), Japanese calligraphy model sheetRice Cake Pounding · mochitsuki

Proverbs & idioms 22 sheets

七転び八起き (Fall Seven Times, Rise Eight), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFall Seven Times, Rise Eight · nanakorobi yaoki+ Semi-cursive温故知新 (Learn the Old, Know the New), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLearn the Old, Know the New · onko chishin+ Semi-cursive明鏡止水 (A Clear Mirror and Still Water), Japanese calligraphy model sheetA Clear Mirror and Still Water · meikyō shisui+ Semi-cursive風林火山 (Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain), Japanese calligraphy model sheetWind, Forest, Fire, Mountain · fūrin kazan花鳥風月 (Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFlower, Bird, Wind, Moon · kachō fūgetsu+ Semi-cursive日進月歩 (Constant Progress), Japanese calligraphy model sheetConstant Progress · nisshin geppo+ Semi-cursive文武両道 (Pen and Sword), Japanese calligraphy model sheetPen and Sword · bunbu ryōdō+ Semi-cursive不言実行 (Actions, Not Words), Japanese calligraphy model sheetActions, Not Words · fugen jikkō+ Semi-cursive有言実行 (Do What You Say), Japanese calligraphy model sheetDo What You Say · yūgen jikkō+ Semi-cursive一念通天 (A Strong Will Reaches Heaven), Japanese calligraphy model sheetA Strong Will Reaches Heaven · ichinen tsūten万里一空 (One Sky over Ten Thousand Miles), Japanese calligraphy model sheetOne Sky over Ten Thousand Miles · banri ikkū真実一路 (One Straight Path of Truth), Japanese calligraphy model sheetOne Straight Path of Truth · shinjitsu ichiro+ Semi-cursive笑門来福 (Laughter Brings Good Fortune), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLaughter Brings Good Fortune · shōmon raifuku精神一到 (A Focused Mind Achieves Anything), Japanese calligraphy model sheetA Focused Mind Achieves Anything · seishin ittō雲外蒼天 (Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds), Japanese calligraphy model sheetBlue Sky Beyond the Clouds · ungai sōten青雲大志 (Lofty Ambition), Japanese calligraphy model sheetLofty Ambition · seiun taishi切磋琢磨 (Polishing Each Other), Japanese calligraphy model sheetPolishing Each Other · sessa takumaSemi-cursive公平無私 (Fair and Selfless), Japanese calligraphy model sheetFair and Selfless · kōhei mushiSemi-cursive自主独立 (Independence), Japanese calligraphy model sheetIndependence · jishu dokuritsuSemi-cursive大志を抱く (Be Ambitious), Japanese calligraphy model sheetBe Ambitious · taishi o idaku+ Semi-cursive不屈の精神 (Unbreakable Spirit), Japanese calligraphy model sheetUnbreakable Spirit · fukutsu no seishinSemi-cursive利他の精神 (Spirit of Altruism), Japanese calligraphy model sheetSpirit of Altruism · rita no seishinSemi-cursive

Questions

Before you print

Are the sheets really free?

Yes. Enter your email once, and every sheet downloads right away on that device. The sheets are free for personal practice and classroom use. Please do not sell or re-post the files. Share a link to the page instead.

Can I use a sheet for a tattoo?

Yes, for your own tattoo. Show the page to your tattoo artist, and have a Japanese speaker check the meaning before anything permanent. Every page lists the meaning of each character, so you know exactly what it says.

What size should I print?

US Letter or A4, at 100% (actual size). Each PDF has two pages: the model and the tracing sheet. Traditional practice paper, called hanshi, is 24 × 33 cm. The model on your sheet is a little smaller, so set it beside the hanshi and copy it at full size.

Can I use a brush pen?

Yes. A brush pen is a good way to start, especially on the tracing sheet. For brush and ink, use hanshi paper. Printer paper soaks up the ink and the strokes spread.

What is the difference between regular and semi-cursive?

Regular script, kaisho, writes every stroke clearly. It is the first style children learn in Japan. Semi-cursive, gyōsho, lets strokes flow into each other, closer to handwriting. Japanese students start it in junior high school. Some words here have both.

Which sheet should I start with?

Start with a two-character word with few strokes, such as (New Year) or (the open sky). Then move on to words with more strokes, and to four-character idioms.

Who makes these sheets?

Shodo by Morita Group, the calligraphy line of Morita Group, a Japanese education company in Toyohashi teaching children since 1976. Families in Japan print the same models from our Japanese site to practice at home.

Cover of Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners by Sanayuki Morita

While the sets are on their way

The book is out now.

Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners takes you from holding the brush to writing whole words, step by step, in English. Every model inside was brushed by our teachers.

Paperback on AmazonKindle

Starter Set, $72.99 with the book, brush, ink and paper: coming soon.